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AIBU?

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Original poster

To think paying 75% of the council tax is unfair?

153 replies

NotaSpringChicken · 27/02/2019 21:40

Any council officers on here at present? Advice appreciated please.

DD has just moved into a shared house with another young woman. It is DDs first job after 4 years as a student and her first house share. The other girl is a mature student, still at Uni, so far so good.

Today council tax bill arrives. DD is expected to pay 75% of the tax as the other girl is a student and therefore exempt. This means DD picks up the whole bill with a 25% discount while the other girl has no bill to pay. She is upset and worried as money is tight for her.

Is the council entitled to do this to DD? She had expected to pay 50% of the bill and the other 50% to be covered by her housemate's student exemption.

OP posts:
howmanybiscuits · 28/02/2019 00:56

Thank you. DD now knows that she is completely responsible for the council tax bill

No! You've been given bad advice!

Please get your DD to phone the local council.

This is the opposite of the advice our council gave us.

The presence of the student gets the bill reduced, but they are just as liable for the bill. All who live there are.

shpoot · 28/02/2019 01:03

They only got the 25% reduction because she's a student. Your DD could move elsewhere and pay 100% 🤷🏽‍♀️

shpoot · 28/02/2019 01:05

@howmanybiscuits what? So as a single parent I get the deduction but my 4 year old has to pay his share? You are wrong

ivykaty44 · 28/02/2019 01:11

Poot only adults over the age of 18 unless there is no over 18s in the house and then it’s 50% but I guess this would be rare

shpoot · 28/02/2019 01:26

Not sure what you're getting at Ivy. But as a "mature student" the flatmate is an adult. That is exempt from council tax

Namechangeok · 28/02/2019 02:32

@shpoot if the dd lived on her own she would still pay 75% as she would get single person discount

burntdinner · 28/02/2019 03:12

I think she can ask the council for further assistance with the council tax , I'm not exactly sure but think it might be called " discretionary help " and awarded from a small fund , she needs to find out and apply very soon as many of these 'pot' get removed at the start of the new tax year (April)

StevieHuckle · 28/02/2019 03:29

No your DD is not expected to pay all the council tax. If the property is a HMO the burden usually falls on the landlord who sorts it out with HMRC as its often students who occupy these places. If its just a normal private rental house then it will state in the contract who is responsible for the council tax and if the student has signed the contract she will have to pay her fair share and possibly claim back from HMRC.

StevieHuckle · 28/02/2019 03:36

Sorry just realised she is still getting a discount as if she's a single person so yes that sounds about right she's expected to pay 75%

BrizzleMint · 28/02/2019 04:09

The non-student has to pay, the student has no responsibility. I'm a student so we don't have a council tax bill to pay but when my teen turns 18 we obviously will unless he's off to university, that's just how it goes. As he's my son I'd pay it but that's the only time a student should IMO.

sashh · 28/02/2019 04:52

Council tax rules are crazy.

A disabled student living with a carer has to pay 50%. The student is exempt, the carer is exempt but the property isn't so a 50% bill is produced.

But a disabled student living with a carer in student halls doesn't pay because halls are exempt.

Like Chocolatedeficitdisorder i remember the poll tax, I was in England, in the north. Scotland had a minimum band A value of £20 000, in England it was £40 000, as a result my home town had 2 bed terraced houses, single room flats and 3 bed semi and detached houses all in band A.

My salary was £3000, my poll tax was £2000 as was my then partner, who moved out to live with the other woman, the law was framed that you were, I can't remember the wording but you were both responsible for the other's poll tax.

So I had to pay more than I earned.

I took out a loan and hoped things would change.

The council were bastards, the OW was claiming benefits as a single parent so had a poll tax bill of 0.

There are still people paying off poll tax debts. There are many people with criminal records from not being able to pay their poll tax.

swingofthings · 28/02/2019 05:28

Like many rules, they are not always fair and in this case it isn't as the student is using the same services. After all, she still has to pay for the electric and gas bill, broadband won't exempt her because she is a student l, so why ct? Does it mean that she is expected to take all her rubbish at the recycling centre?

However, this is how it is, not the fault fo the student and indeed, if it was going to be such an issue for her, she should have opted to move with a non student.

lyralalala · 28/02/2019 06:18

No your DD is not expected to pay all the council tax. If the property is a HMO the burden usually falls on the landlord who sorts it out with HMRC as its often students who occupy these places. If its just a normal private rental house then it will state in the contract who is responsible for the council tax and if the student has signed the contract she will have to pay her fair share and possibly claim back from HMRC.

Council tax has absolutely nothing to do with HMRC.

Two people sharing isn’t a HMO. That needs to be three or more unrelated people.

lyralalala · 28/02/2019 06:20

if the student has signed the contract she will have to pay her fair share

Also the students exemption sorts “her fair share”.

londonrach · 28/02/2019 06:28

Yabu. Student doesnt play. Image roles reversed. Its your daughters bill end of story.

LightAsTheBreeze · 28/02/2019 06:30

Actually OP wrt the dog, I would definitely report it, as guarantor you are ultimately responsible for paying any damage for the whole house.

DS used to pay council tax in a student house and found it much cheaper when he moved into a flat with another working person as it was smaller and he then only had to pay 50%

CatandtheFiddle · 28/02/2019 06:39

Yup, that’s the cost for a single person. Students don’t pay. If your DD wanted to split Council Tax, she should choose to live with other working people. Welcome to the world of single working people.

Whether it’s fair that a single person household pays proportionately far far more than a family or multi- person household, while using far fewer resources - well, that’s another question.

BrizzleMint · 28/02/2019 06:40

*A disabled student living with a carer has to pay 50%. The student is exempt, the carer is exempt but the property isn't so a 50% bill is produced.

But a disabled student living with a carer in student halls doesn't pay because halls are exempt.*

That doesn't make sense - students living out of halls are exempt, they just have to have the correct documentation from their university. No adults in the house pay council tax if they are all exempt.

LightAsTheBreeze · 28/02/2019 06:43

Maybe people on this thread saying reporting the dog is petty haven’t had to sign guarentor agreements where they are joint and severally liable for damage, which if caused by a pet which isn’t meant to be there could run into thousands.

WhiteDust · 28/02/2019 06:47

You do not sound petty OP.
Your DD needs to find a new house share. Move out and start again.
'Professionals only' (which means anyone with a job) and no pets.
I feel sorry that she has ended up in this situation.

ribblerobble · 28/02/2019 06:48

I remember this issue from 20 years ago which is why most house shares were either solely students or professionals.

The way I understand it from my Council’s website is:
-if both were students, house would be completely exempt
-as this is not the case, the bill depends on occupants' status
-students are exempt so basically don't count (in the same way a child wouldn't)
-subsequently OP's DD is seen as a single occupant and valid for a 25% single-person discount

Agree that she'll have to chalk it up to experience; shame that the bills are so high.

BoneyBackJefferson · 28/02/2019 06:49

In a House in Multiple Occupation (HMO) containing bedsits or where tenants are paying rent for individual rooms on individual tenancy agreements, it is the landlord who is liable to pay Council Tax. Rent should be set to take account of the amount the landlord must pay for Council Tax

ribblerobble · 28/02/2019 06:51

The dog is a separate issue but one that I, if I was DD, would be seriously pissed about.

Wildcate · 28/02/2019 07:08

Council tax rules are crazy.

When DH was posted to Germany for 3 years, we got no discount at all on our house in the UK (that I lived in)

He, meanwhile, also had to pay CILOCT on his mess accommodation out there... Charge In Lieu Of Council Tax

So, essentially, we were paying two lots.

But, OP, I had this situation. Flatmate was a student, I wasn’t. I paid 75% - there was never any thought (in my side) or discussion that it would be any other way. My flatmate was exempt from council tax.

modgepodge · 28/02/2019 07:08

Btw I’d be careful with the dog situation. I think the situation would be: If it’s a joint tenancy, the LL/estate agent won’t care which tenant has the dog, only that it’s there. Any damage will be the responsibility of the household, not the individual with the dog. I’d keep quiet and tell the other girl to get rid of the dog and hope the LL never finds out, personally.

Also, regarding being a guarantor. This could have changed BUT when we were at uni they strongly advised against parents actin as guarantors (all very well but lots of LLs wouldn’t let you rent without one so often you had no option). The reason for this was that you were NOT a guarantor for your own child, but all jointly for the whole property
Therefore any/all parents could become liable for all rent and bills. We were told the LL would go after whoever was easiest to chase, eg if one parent/student disappeared abroad, they’d chase the others for payment. My understanding of this is that the OP could be asked to pay for damage caused by the dog, even though it’s not her daughter’s. this was advise given to me 13 years ago mind, so happy to hear I’m wrong if someone knows better!