Double Council Tax!!

Neil49

Ideally you should change your day to day lifestyle with the aim of making the cottage your primary residence. Spending more time there and commuting to London as required would be a satisfactory solution to your problem. The local council cannot dictate how frequently you do this. 

As stated earlier on, you have no financial interest in the London property, are not married to the owner and could be thrown out tomorrow. 

Tabieth

currantbun2 said:

I could easily make it my main residence. There is nothing to stop me moving there on a permanent basis.
It would be much cheaper. There is no risk. What is the risk if I am living there?

Or how about, I can't afford the double council tax so I have to sell up. Then I declare myself homeless and the council have to house me!  That could work.

Make it your main residence then. Live there for the majority of the time, register on the electoral roll, do what you need to do to genuinely and really make it your main residence. No problem at all. But fraudulently claiming that it’s your main residence when it isn’t is illegal, morally very dubious, and will likely get you in a world of trouble. And threatening to pretend to make yourself homeless when so many genuinely are is pretty revolting. You and your partner have two homes. Your not the victim here. 

currantbun2

I could easily become homeless I have no security of tenure in London. I am past caring about 'getting into trouble'. What do I have to lose?  Anyway, the question of 'main residence' is woolly and not properly defined.

As for your homeless, this is because cheap money and loose lending has pushed up prices and governments have welcomed this. They could have controlled it if they had wanted to. Now they want me to pay for their mess.

sheramber

Do the council have spare properties that you could be allocated? If they do , they are  a rarity. 

At best you may be put up in a  B+ B  or they may consider selling as making voluntary
yourself homeless and you would have half the value of the sale to use to rent. 

However, if it was your principal residence you wouldn’t be charged double council tax. 

Is it really worth it? 

LoopyLoops

currantbun2 said:

I could easily make it my main residence. There is nothing to stop me moving there on a permanent basis.
It would be much cheaper. There is no risk. What is the risk if I am living there?

Or how about, I can't afford the double council tax so I have to sell up. Then I declare myself homeless and the council have to house me!  That could work.

I assume the council are seeing it as a second residence as you don’t live there permanently? So actually move there.   

As to selling then being homeless the council have no obligation to house you as it is seen as making yourself homeless.  So doubt that will work.  

Tabieth

currantbun2 said:

I could easily become homeless I have no security of tenure in London. I am past caring about 'getting into trouble'. What do I have to lose?  Anyway, the question of 'main residence' is woolly and not properly defined.

As for your homeless, this is because cheap money and loose lending has pushed up prices and governments have welcomed this. They could have controlled it if they had wanted to. Now they want me to pay for their mess.

Justify your plan anyway you like, it doesn’t make it right or make it legal. And “getting in to trouble” could mean a short prison sentence and / or fines. if you can’t afford to pay the council tax that you owe, how can you afford that? 

Anyway, I think you’ve made up your mind so that’s it from me. 

bobster2

currantbun2 said:

Just to be clear I don't own a second home. I own half of a cottage. That is all.

You call it a "bolthole" and say you spend about a quarter of your time there. That is what most people call a "second home".

elsien

currantbun2 said:

I could easily make it my main residence. There is nothing to stop me moving there on a permanent basis.
It would be much cheaper. There is no risk. What is the risk if I am living there?

Or how about, I can't afford the double council tax so I have to sell up. Then I declare myself homeless and the council have to house me!  That could work.

Presuming that is tongue in cheek, but for the avoidance of doubt, no they don't.

When you refer to making this your main home, how much time would you spend there in practice? Because also thinking of the complications of having your car insurance based on that address but it not being where you are based, in reality.
Although if you can't afford the council tax while not working, there is always the option of getting a job.

youth_leader

I hadn't realised this had come into effect so soon.  I think the only solution is for you to move into the cottage permanently, or to sell.

I live in a coastal village in Northumberland and more than half of the village accommodation is now second homes/holiday lets.  My son couldn't afford to buy here and had to move an hour and a half away, as have other people's children.  

Hoenir

currantbun2 said:

The cottage is not suitable as a ‘family home’ and even for a single person it’s a bit too small for a permanent home - so we are not ‘depriving locals' of anything.

 3. Let it out as a long term rental. - might be possible but a bit of a hassle as don't fancy being a 'landlady'

 

Somewhat contradictory.