To start a fire?

[PILEALLTHEPILLSONTHEFLOOR]

Just received a shock, a letter telling me my council tax will now be £300 up from £87 due to the 100% 2nd property premium.

Supposedly the charge is to fund police, fire and NHS. Perhaps I'll ring up all three every month to get my money's worth.

On a serious note, my house is already rented out at cost (no profit). The only reason I have the extra house (and extra subsequent mortgage) is because my family members died. I am not willing to pass on this cost to my tenants. I've already cut my food spending to the bone, I honestly don't know what to do.

Sorry, did not see all of the post. That's a huge hike. If you cannot pass it onto your tenants (when renting, I always paid council tax separately under my name, not Landlord, it was never included in the rent?) you will have to give them notice and sell up.
Also, why are you not making a profit - it is a business - unless you are renting to family to keep the property in the family, breaking even makes little sense (I did rent out a house making no profit but difference was that I needed to return to it in the future).

Did you read this, it doesn't make sense.
What exactly are you angry about?

I feel like you are missing some info. What charge?!

My council tax bill rising to £300 per month. I can't afford this.

Tried to post the letter with no personal info showing, but I think a mod may have removed it. My council tax is going from £83 to £300 per month.

I don’t understand why your second house increases your own council tax on the house you live in?

And what do you mean start a fire?

Sell your extra house?

It's been on the market for 8 months at below what I paid, so I'm now trying to sell the one I live in and move back into the other one.

But why are you liable for the council tax? It should be on your tenants to pay it direct to the council, you shouldn't need to get involved.

Must have missed something here but why is the tennant not paying the CT on the house they are renting?

Are all renters now paying the double council tax?

The double council tax is only on second homes that are empty. If it is rented out it won't attract the higher rate.
Does the Council know the house is let? The council tax on it should be paid by the people who rent the house.

So if you are evicting the tenants why claim
you don’t want to pass on extra cost to them? They’d potentially rather pay more rent than be kicked out

Your tenants should be paying council tax? This doesn’t make any sense.

Wait are you serious??? So I don't have to pay this????

I think you are doing council tax wrong somewhere. Are you saying you pay tax on both properties?

No, but do they know the property is letted out? Are you all offical in landlord terms?

OH THANK GOD I DONT HAVE TO PAY IT!!!! THE HOUSE IS LET!!!!

Seriously? How long have you been paying it?

I think you either need to rent the house out with sufficient profit to cover the extra council tax (so an extra £75 a week between all the tenants) or sell the house. I can’t see why you’re so enraged? This was a well publicised policy and you’ve taken the decision to keep the second house (I assume for at least 12 months) rather than sell it. The second home increment was meant for exactly these types of situations.

Also as a reminder council tax is used for funding of essential local services like schools, bins, police, fire etc. I imagine both you and your tenants do use these.

When I was a tenant I always paid my own council tax, pretty sure the second home rate is for empty properties or those occupied under a certain number of days

Oh god I am so glad about this. Thank you guys. I knew this was the right place to post this. I thought I had to pay it even if the property is let out! I am in the middle of changing tenant right now.

The new tenants move in on the 28th.

@PILEALLTHEPILLSONTHEFLOOR as a tenant I've always always paid my own council tax and associated bills. Never has my landlord paid them...