Students/council tax with non student housemate

[Miljah]

Can anyone advise?

DS Y2 Uni. 4 person house share, no council tax as they are all students meeting the criteria.

One leaves, room needs filling. A young person, non-student, on NMW is interested. But he apparently will be liable for a sum that is 75% of the council tax.

How does that work?

Why is he not just liable for 25%, given that the house share is for four?

My mistake then maybe different councils apply it differently? I am sure that in Edinburgh, when I was the working person living with students, the council told me that we were all liable, not just me.

I think it's applied the same everywhere, just interpreting the words.

Everyone who is an adult is liable but FT students can gain an exemption. it isn't automatic, you have to send in your proof of being a student. So the whole household could be chased for the bill but any FT student who has demonstrated their exemption is then not chased.

If the number of people without an exemption then goes down to 1 that remaining person can claim the 25% discount.

I think there's confusion around the words discount and exempt which is why different councils seem to approach things differently. I certainly remember getting clobbered for a massive bill by Southwark council in a house with a shifting population of students and non students throughout the financial year and no one had paid. Trying to work out who was liable for what was a complete nightmare and we only got it sorted out by looking at the wording of the legislation but after that experience I'd say just keep students and non students in different houses because it doesn't work out for anyone. This prospective housemate will be effectively carrying all the other non working occupants of a four bedroom house which is way more expensive than paying a 1/4 in a household that is fully liable or even than what council tax would be on a one bedroom place, unless the others agree to cover it.

DS2 lived with 2 friends who were students last year. He wasn't, he was working full time so he paid the council tax. It was fine, none of them were fekked.

Well he was kind of fekked because he was paying for a three bedroom house and the other occupants of the house weren't paying, wasn't he?

Well he was kind of fekked because he was paying for a three bedroom house and the other occupants of the house weren't paying, wasn't he

Only if he didn't realise he was liable for it before moving in. And he should have been paying only 75% of it.

Well I guess technically but he was still covering what was due on the property while the non working occupants didn't. I wouldn't do it personally but if people want to cover other people's council tax then fair fucks to them.

They can pursue all of you in the first instance. This happened to me: 3 students and one non student. I was one of the students and got threatening letters. However, I sent them proof that I was a student and they left me alone.

Well he was kind of fekked because he was paying for a three bedroom house and the other occupants of the house weren't paying, wasn't he?

No, he wasn't any kind of fekked because he was paying 75% of the council tax bill. He's a grown up, with a full time job, so he accepts that he has to pay bills like an adult.

Well said TheFairyCaravan

I also don’t think DD’s friend living with her and other students is fekked as even though she does have to foot 75% of the council tax bill for a 4 bedroom house, the rent of her room in that house is about a third of what it’d cost her for a one bedroom flat in that area

If the working tenant is on a low income, s/he may be eligible for the means tested benefit which used to be known as Council Tax Benefit. Arrangements have changed in recent years and there is no longer a national scheme. Some councils are more generous than others. I believe some even treat working apprentices as students. Ask the local council about their scheme.

The other thing to watch out is at the end of the course/tenancy if some students are graduating and others aren't. DS and housemate1 graduated in June while housemates 2 and 3 were carrying on as students for another year. DS and housemate 1 became liable for the full council tax for the property from May to the end of the tenancy in August. (London so student rentals tend to run for 12 months). The landlord was required to let the council know who was no longer a student as soon as they graduated.

Be better for them to pay 25% of council tax for a four bedroom house though wouldn't it? Rather than pay 75% because they live with grown ass adults who don't work.

Same as moving into a house where the other tenants are on benefits; it's best not to mix groups.

I wouldn't do it personally but if people want to cover other people's council tax then fair fucks to them
But you’re not covering someone else’s council tax. If your housemates are students they don’t have any council tax to pay. So you’re only covering your own council tax.

Rather than pay 75% because they live with grown ass adults who don't work
The “grown ass adults” work at their studies then probably work part time in a job as well for a bit of income. They’re potentially working more hours than the person in full time employment.

Council Tax is 50% property and 50% people hence why 2 adults living at the property attracts a 100% Council Tax bill. One person receives a 25% single occupier discount.

Students are exempt from Council Tax and usually get a Student Exemption certificate from their university to show they are a full time student.

Landlords run a 12 month tenancy so they are not liable for the few months of the year the property is unoccupied as it remains furnished.

Unoccupied and unfurnished properties are a class C exemption (or were when I worked in Ctax 15 years ago) so standard tenancies where a full house is unfurnished means a landlord won't be charged. This may well have changed. Money and all that.

Any student dropping of their course was put on a list and that list was sent to the Council Tax department so we could find the copy of the student exemption and then charge that address if the person was still living there.

Issues do arise in final years when the student exemption ends on a specific date (I can't remember what it is now) and a charge is levied against the property they are living in, even though their graduate job won't start until maybe September. So not a student and not employed.

There are exemptions and discounts, both person and property ones, It did used to be standard but then lots of Councils were not equal in their location and revenue. ie an empty 2nd property (think holiday home) would only be charged 50% as their main residence had the full charge on it. Councils then got to choose their percentages so somewhere touristy started charging 90% on 2nd homes which led to people faking tenancies because one person in the property would only be charged 75%, It was a mess. I left after Ds1 was born but I did love that job,