Census 2021 - who has to fill out form?

positiveevibes

Hi guys, 
I am not sure whether this thread is for here but I didn't know what group to add it in. So one friend just mentioned to me about Census and I had no clue what this is ( I have only been in UK 5 years) and I have remembered that actually Ive seen a letter from them recently. Ive checked online for more details but I am still not very sure what is the right thing to do so I wanted to see if anyone here could help me out. 
Basically I live in a house converted into 4 flats (I am renting). However we only received one letter to "The householder" and we are officially registered as 4 flats so I am not sure why we only got one letter (it does not mention any of the flats on the actual address, only the house number). From what I understand everyone individually have to fill out the form or at least each householder for the people they live with. So I live with my partner and if I understood correctly I can fill a form for both of us as one household but how about the people who are living in the other 3 flats? We are not related at all and as our address is registered with flat numbers why we have not received 4 letters for each flat individually or I don't understand something? I have not opened the letter yet as I am not sure what is the right thing to do. Do I have to bother the landlord (through the agency) so he can request 4 access codes/letters for us or how is it working? If I open this letter then I will have to let the other neighbours know so they can ask for codes or I have to request a code specifically to my flat? Any info would be helpful. 
Thanks 

Ectophile

It should be one form per household.  Each house or flat needs its own form.  The only way you will find out who to contact is to look at the letter.

The landlord isn't involved - nothing to do with them.

binao

As @Ectophile above. The letter and leaflet has a telephone enquiry number, or go to www.census.gov.uk

Ask for census forms or online reference  number for each flat.

Good luck.

twopenny

You should not give anyone your code. But it would be good to ring and get it clarified for your own peace of mind.
The census that I've used haven't got flats they have lodgers so clearly there's a head of household there. I'm guessing that if you look at ancestry for a London 1930s census you'd find flats in some form. If you want to play around with it there's a simple free version on the library websites during lockdown.  You need a library card number.

TELLIT01

To the OP.  Is the property divided into 4 completely self contained flats or is it a house of multiple occupancy?  i.e. everybody has their own bedroom but kitchen facilities and some other areas are shared?  That could make a difference.

positiveevibes

Thanks everyone for your help. Yes, we are 4 completely self contained flats, we do not share anything so it is not like a share house. I will speak with my neighbours to inform them and will be calling to Census for more information and to request separate codes.

General_Grant

Do you  share a letterbox?  That is, does the postman put letters through a single space or are there separate boxes? 
How do you pay your Council Tax?  Direct to the local authority or via your landlord/included in your rent?

sevenhills

positiveevibes said:

We are not related at all and as our address is registered with flat numbers why we have not received 4 letters for each flat individually or I don't understand something? I have not opened the letter yet as I am not sure what is the right thing to do. Do I have to bother the landlord (through the agency) so he can request 4 access codes/letters for us or how is it working? If I open this letter then I will have to let the other neighbours know so they can ask for codes or I have to request a code specifically to my flat? Any info would be helpful.

Just open the letter, there is a code on it to identify your address. Other flats may have got a letter, just let them sort that out, do not give them your code.

People are employed to check that everyone has completed the census.

positiveevibes

So all other flats got the letters, just on this one was not specified it was for our flat so I called Census to let them know I would be using this code for our flat and to update their system with our address. Thanks everyone for your advices.
It looks like even though we are required by law to fill out the form some people do not do it. I see our details are going to be protected. What people are so worried about by filling out this form?

Jane_Bee

You can request an individual code on the website by filling in your address: https: //census.gov.uk/en/request/access-code/individual/
 It may ask you to call the helpline number - I had to do this. 

positiveevibes

It is written that someone still has to use the main code for our household. And as it looks like the code in the letter which is without flat number is for us then nobody would be using it if we get individual codes.