To be shocked at council tax?

[MamaSaysItsAHardKnockLife]

Moving into a houseshare in London soon. Sharing with two others who work full-time and a student, so we will just split council tax amongst ourselves and leave student out of it although no discount.

I was thinking we had got ourselves a pretty good value place for London (620 a month) and now have just seen council tax will be another 60 each on top!! Not including of course gas/electric/water/internet/insurance...

Have you paid council tax before? That is pretty reasonable!
I used to pay £90 CT for a tiny tiny tiny 1 bed flat in a shithole in the Midlands

I'm not sure £620 each per month is that much of a good deal if it doesn't include council tax/rates/etc. It'll depend where you're living and what standard you wanted, of course, but a fair few of my colleagues live centrally in London and pay around £600 all in, except food.

I suppose living with a student isn't helping you or you could have split the CT three ways.

Anchor where the fuck are your friends living for £600 all in?!

Is the £620 between you, or just for you?
I really don't know how people afford to live in London.
But yes, council tax IS expensive

Was just about to ask the same anchor. 600 is very cheap for London. Op we paid 160 per month council tax on a 1 bed apartment until recently. That's London prices I'm afraid!

indeed! 600? sign me up!

AnchorDown - seriously?! I have lived in London for the last five years and have never come across anyone with such a good deal! Wow! The potential properties are really nice but not super central - definitely a bargain compared to others I have seen though!

620 for 1 bedroom rent for one person - use of kitchen, lounge etc. But no bills included.

as for the OP, that seems about right for council tax, although perhaps a little high. All depends on the council. If you are paying the council directly, you aren't being scammed.

:( are you studying?

I think any bill you've not paid before, then comes as a shock - it's not on your radar when you are deciding if you can afford the rent, but, that's not a high bill for Council tax, if that's what you are asking.

Council tax is more than my mortgage!

I think £180 for London is good. Mine is around £144 a month, I hate paying it!

It's just a bit shocking, it's my first job out of university and it is a good salary. I was paying more rent living as a student in London (although of course with less disposable income) so was excited at the prospect of getting a "bargain" - but this is the first time I have paid council tax so hadn't properly factored it in at all!

Mine's almost £200 (outside London). Its a bitch.

You can always check that you're in the right band if it feels high. I managed to get mine (1 bed flat) brought down a band a few years ago and was very chuffed indeed!

Welcome to our world mama!

It doesn't help you OP but some London boroughs are well known for having council tax charges that are well below average although it could be that the average band in London is higher than other places so comparing band Ds doesn't paint the whole picture if most people in Leeds are paying band B and most people in London are paying band F. Higher population density will also be a factor as more people to share the tax between.

Is that £60 pm over 10 or 12 months of the year? It's often over 10 months so you pay nothing in February and March but you can ask for it to be paid every month so you pay a bit less every month, but don't get any free months.

I pay mine over 12 months and on the last working day of each month, so that the council has to wait the maximum amount of time to get my money.

That really doesn't sound unusual. And 620, while of course depressing, doesn't sound unthinkable for a room in a shared house - I've seen rents like that before, and outside London. Big thing is - how and why did you get this far without checking how much it would cost?!

Other things to check:

• will there be a check-in fee from the lettings agency?
• will there be a fee for the inventory?
• will they charge (again) at the end of the tenancy for check-out?
• do you have a break clause, and if not, what happens if one or other of you wants to leave early?

Worth considering all of these potential costs too.

Our 1 bed flat in the South West used to be £150 a month and our 3 bed house is £165 a month. £120 sounds great to me!

Council tax in some parts of the country is extortionate. My council tax is middle of the road - £140pm for a big semi but my mum in the neighbouring town pays £110 per month for a huge 5 bed house,

We have a 3 bed flat in london and ours is £83 a month (over 12 months) but I know other councils are much higher

Years ago it always used to be the landlord that payed. It was called rates then. I must be behind the times but I presumed private landlords still covered it.

Ours is £80 a month for a Band A property, that's over 12 months so about £960 per year.

Band G and H properties in my council are even more than the amount you are paying, so is Band F if your £180 pm is the 10 months amount.

I would have thought that a 4 bed place in London would have a high council tax band, so not surprising that it is so much.

Many years ago, as a person entitled to student council tax discount, choosing to live in a none student house, I paid the council tax share (I did a year in industry).
If I choose to live in a house which wouldn't qualify for whatever discount I may get, surely I'm choosing to pay??? If a second student moved in, would you share to CT increase to £90/ month???

You probably don't want to hear this but the council tax seems pretty reasonable.

If you were living in a band C property, just you and your partner you could be expected to pay around £1200 or £100 per month.

Therefore I am assuming that you must be renting a band D or higher property.