AIBU for not letting my lodger go on the council tax bill?

[Georgeoftheinternet]

She’s under the assumption it will give her magical powers with regards to residency and it’s a better utility bill. I’ve already put her on the water and electric (2 by mistake) and she keeps on asking me to put her on the council tax.

She’s got an eu passport but from South America. Wants residency.

I’ve told her to get on the electoral roll as it’s good for credit checks/finding your last address etc.

I’ve given her a utility bill (was easy to add at 7pm on a Friday night and bill the next day).

She’s under the assumption that it’s going to help her open a bank account and the banks have already told her the water utility bill is fine.

I’ve lived overseas for many years and came back - so I’ve gone through this process.

She’s read that if you are in council tax arrears it can affect your permanent resident status - she’s read this as “if you don’t pay council tax” which she does, as part of her rent.

I’ve told her to get a driving licence as it’s good ID and address.

I just don’t want to feel pressurised into doing stuff because she disbelieves everything I say.

She shouldnt be in any bills as she hs a lodger.
However you need to inform the council she is living there if you were getting the single person discount before she moved in. As this now needs to change. Otherwise it is technically fraud.

But take her name off the other bills asap. Tbh she sounds creepy as fuck. I'd move her out. I've never had a lodger over the years ask me anything about the bills. It's none of their concern.

She won’t be applying for ILR, she is an EU citizen, she will apply under the EU settlement scheme. The rules/ regs are different for non EEA and EEA applicants.

*shouldn't be on any bills as she is a lodger.

Brexit will mean changes and she will have to apply for stuff

No doubt, but how is that your problem exactly, especially as she "doesn't believe anything you say" and is turning out to be unpleasant in numerous other ways?

If you need the money just get a different lodger - and in the meantime some proper legal advice about the entire situation

About her job - yes she was working in lockdown. It’s a factory job so they are still selling online and need to handle the stock etc. If they reduce staff they get rid of agency staff.

For clarity

@Puzzledandpissedoff see I don’t know if I’m being unreasonable or not. I’m not the best with communicating with people either but maybe you can access these situations:

1. new kitchen. I told her for many months I was getting it. Ordered it and it came. I told her the fitting date but didn’t arrange when she would move her stuff out the kitchen. On Sunday I put her stuff in boxes easy to reach and took away the kitchen (apart from the sink and cooker). Kitchen took a day to install. She came home and said it was nice and then said “why did you get rid of the sink I liked it”. Right ok. Brand new kitchen hun.

2. pepper. My power but I let people use my spices. I packed my stuff away on the Saturday and she sent me a message asking where it was. I cbf to tell her to check the bath (where I was keeping my stuff and she never bathes so not an issue). Came home and she had eaten etc and again asked where the pepper is. I wouldn’t mind if she uses it on the regular, but it’s been in a box and she’s not used it for well over a month.

3. kitchen is a different layout. I put the cups etc where I wanted them. She moved them to another cupboard?!?? What is her explanation?

4. smoking weed and generally smoking. She was leaving the butts on the floor which she’s started to move after I passive aggressively left them on the step. I wouldn’t have chosen for a smoker to move in and the weed thing I don’t care about too much but it’s just obviously illegal.

5. walked in my room when I didn’t answer the door and was resting. It was late morning and I was in bed. She knocked and I didn’t answer because cbf and she often knocks on my door for no good reason (I work from home). She then opened the door apparently looking for the WiFi password.

Thanks @Maze76

@Bunnymumy I’ve never had the single person discount.

@SimonJT it’s got a U.K. sort code and account number it’s just an online bank so they don’t consider it a U.K. bank.

see I don’t know if I’m being unreasonable or not

No, given all your updates you're certainly not being unreasonable - the question is what you want to do about it

Because nobody else can do it for you, and I can only see this situation getting worse

*You get fined for not providing your information to the electoral role, so you actually do need to be on it. If someone chooses not to, then it's a criminal offence.
*

But you're not allowed to be on it if you're not eligible to vote - that would be electoral fraud. Up to now EU citizens could be on with the right to vote in EU elections only; (and Commonwealth citizens are eligible for non EU elections) but now they won't be allowed on it at all.

I wouldn't let her on the bills unless she's paying them. Her bank statements and phone bills should be OK for her.

If people make money from renting property out in any form, there should be a qualification or test, certificate or licence that means at the bare minimum the person taking the lodger/tenant money knows the law, the risks to both sides and it establishes that both sides are legit.

[quote Georgeoftheinternet]@MzHz hey calm down. She has an eu passport.[/quote]
I think people are more concerned about the difference between the status of lodger and tenant.

And what that could mean for her rights in your home.

Get rid.

You need to money, fine. Learn from this experience - ask her to leave, then get a new lodger and start with better boundaries.

[quote Georgeoftheinternet]@Maze76 she will only have been in the country for 15 months or so. Will she still get residency?[/quote]
She'll get presettled status. You can get that within a few days of arrival providing you fulfill the requisites

She sounds like a right PITA so get rid and find another lodger.

@Ellmau she doesn’t have a phone bill and it’s not a utility bill

@Ellmau

*You get fined for not providing your information to the electoral role, so you actually do need to be on it. If someone chooses not to, then it's a criminal offence. *

But you're not allowed to be on it if you're not eligible to vote - that would be electoral fraud. Up to now EU citizens could be on with the right to vote in EU elections only; (and Commonwealth citizens are eligible for non EU elections) but now they won't be allowed on it at all.

I wouldn't let her on the bills unless she's paying them. Her bank statements and phone bills should be OK for her.

Thanks. Didn’t realise people had to do this.... I don’t remember doing it as a student,

take her off the utility bills and say no to the council tax. If she is entitled to vote she will be on the electoral roll. Too be honest, I would n't want a lodger who pressurises me - I would serve notice.

@YoniAndGuy

Get rid.

You need to money, fine. Learn from this experience - ask her to leave, then get a new lodger and start with better boundaries.

What boundaries do I have to specify? Because when she moved in she wasn’t on any bill so wasn’t the agreement. I’m kinda like 50\50 with being over the top worrying about the future and protecting myself.

She is a lodger not a tenant. Basically she doesn't have any rights as she is living in your house.

@Genevieva

take her off the utility bills and say no to the council tax. If she is entitled to vote she will be on the electoral roll. Too be honest, I would n't want a lodger who pressurises me - I would serve notice.

I don’t know if it’s because I’m sensitive or she’s pushing boundaries. I hate saying no because I don’t know if I’m being unreasonable. However I’ve said no and that should be that.

Oh it's YOU.

I remember your other thread

Thus one...

walked in my room when I didn’t answer the door and was resting. It was late morning and I was in bed. She knocked and I didn’t answer because cbf and she often knocks on my door for no good reason (I work from home). She then opened the door apparently looking for the WiFi password

It's obvious you two DO NOT get on. Just give her notice & find someone else.

But you might be better getting the extra money you need in another way, you really don't seem suited to having lodgers.

Students can register either at their parental home or in student accommodation (actually they can register at both but can only actually vote at one). It used to be the head of household who was responsible for supplying the info to the council, but in recent years responsibility has passed to individuals.