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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To object to paying two lots of council tax

254 replies

googlenut · 19/02/2015 20:08

We pay really high rates on our own property. We have a rental property - a small flat- which we have been unable to rent. We have just been faced with a £650 council tax bill. If we had students in it the flat would be exempt, if we had one person in it we would get 25% discount but instead we have to pay the full amount when it is empty. I just can't see the fairness of this - but willing to listen if someone can explain the justice of it.

OP posts:
Stardustnight · 19/02/2015 20:11

You don't have to if it's unfurnished?

Stardustnight · 19/02/2015 20:11

Pay the full amount, that is!

Methe · 19/02/2015 20:12

Don't tenants pay their own CT?

Jengnr · 19/02/2015 20:13

You own two properties. What do you expect?

If you had students or single people THEY would be exempt/get discounts, not you. You are liable as owners when nobody lives there.

londonrach · 19/02/2015 20:14

Sorry i rent and due to people who buy second properties the prices have gone higher to a point we cant buy. Each rental property is another property that someone cant own as a family to live in. Im a really bad person to ask.....

UnexpectedItemInShaggingArea · 19/02/2015 20:15

Then sell it, or drop the rent. I personally think it's a good thing as it's an incentive to keep property in the market.

I say that as a landlord.

christinarossetti · 19/02/2015 20:16

Part of the hassle of BTL, I'm afraid.

It's no less 'fair' than a housing situation on which so many people who would love to own their own homes can't afford to and end up paying someone else's mortgage for years.

flumperoo · 19/02/2015 20:18

I am a single parent whose rent is half my salary and I had to pay £750 in fees to a useless estate agent for the pleasure of renting a pretty crappy, tiny house on top of my rent - that's unfair!!!

HowCanIMissYouIfYouWontGoAway · 19/02/2015 20:18

sorry you're having trouble renting it out.

I don't suppose a local housing association would rent it from you?

SaucyJack · 19/02/2015 20:20

Sell it then, if you don't like the costs occurred with having it. No one needs to own two properties.

LIZS · 19/02/2015 20:22

Sorry but that is something you have to factor in when you are a ll, intentional or not. Likewise utilities.

Seriouslyffs · 19/02/2015 20:22

I could get quite frothy about this. How dare you sit on a house when there is so much housing deprivation and then whine that you have to pay council tax!

SaucyJack · 19/02/2015 20:24

*incurred

PrincessPilolevuofTONGA · 19/02/2015 20:25

Not only will you have to pay the full amount but if it stays empty you'll have to pay a 50% empty property premium. You need to get that house lived in

Jackieharris · 19/02/2015 20:26

Are your diamond slippers too tight too?

paxtecum · 19/02/2015 20:26

Why doesn't anyone want to rent it?
Is it too expensive?

OddBoots · 19/02/2015 20:28

I understand why you don't want to pay but it's right that you do - it's one of the few rules out there that discourage empty homes when there are people out there without a roof over their heads.

ecuse · 19/02/2015 20:28

YABU. It's a purposeful (and quite right) disincentive to holding on to empty homes. Of which there are a shocking number in the UK.

If you're a landlord you need to factor in the cost of void periods, which includes CT. I imagine you're making a decent capital gain on the place and this will be a drop in the ocean compared to that. And, if not, sell it!

OhMrGove · 19/02/2015 20:29

You could be me. £680 bloody quid. It's part furnished so no leeway.

Worst thing is I didn't realise that by spending time away from my property (25% discount as sole occupier) to be at DPs, where I now live (hence now letting it out) I lose my discount and the jobsworth tw*t at my local council felt it necessary to follow that up.

I know I'm fortunate to be a BTL landlord but Christ with the fees, the taxes, the insurance..,

londonrach · 19/02/2015 20:30

Like seriously!!!!!! We tried to buy twice now but due to the underhand thief's (sorry landlords) we lost out both times days from exchange so we paid out for surveys etc..... The property ombudsman is useless. We privately rent still now. Anyone who owes more than one property is a thief and artificially raising the market. Just my view from our two attempts and £3k of fees lost... And you complain about council fees. If even im prime minister you be paying more that.........(heads for the chocolate to calm down....)

MrsJuice · 19/02/2015 20:30

We were in this situation.
DH and I met, having a house each. We decided to sell his, due to location. It was impossible to sell, despite being an amazing house.
We then discovered that I was pregnant. My house was too small, and sold immediately. We moved into his.

Cue 12 months of one hour school runs with a baby. Still no sale.

In desperation, we spoke to a mortgage advisor who told us to buy another house and rent this one out. Simple, but unconsidered solution. Solved our hellish lifestyle. I know other people who have done this for the exact same reason.

We have been in that position, and it's a nightmare. We are unintentional landlords, and our current tennants intent to buy once they have raised a deposit.

Not all landlords are unscrupulous business people who should be financially penalised!!

changeychangechangeychange · 19/02/2015 20:31

You are not paying though- your BTL business will be paying surely?

PrincessPilolevuofTONGA · 19/02/2015 20:32

The unfurnished rule no longer applies. Nor do you get a discount if it's uninhabitable. (And rightly so)

TondelayoSchwarzkopf · 19/02/2015 20:33

Gutted for you OP. Maybe contact Shelter to see if they can give you a grant to cover it?

//sarcasm

SuperMumTum · 19/02/2015 20:35

If you can't rent it you're asking too much. No sympathy here I'm afraid.