Council tax query

[MrsWobble]

My daughter is renting a house with three other people. There is a dispute as to who is responsible for paying the council tax - the tenants or the landlord. Is there a standard arrangement for this or does it depend on individual negotiation? Thanks in advance for the help.

If they have been signed up as joint tenants on a single agreement they are regarded as a single household which means they are responsible for paying the council tax. If they each have a separate agreement with the landlord it is a house in multiple occupation and the council tax is the landlord's responsibility.

If the landlord lives with them, s/he is solely responsible for the council tax.

If the landlord does not live with them and all four people are on the same tenancy (known as joint tenants), they would each be liable for the rent.

I the landlord does not live with them, and they all have separate tenancies (known as a house of multiple occupants) the Landlord is liable for all the council tax.

For more information, contact the local authority (council that issues the council tax bill)

Thank you both for your replies. So given that she and her housemates all signed a single lease then they are responsible for paying the council tax.

Does this position change if there is a clause in the lease saying that the landlord will pay it? He is saying that this clause was included by mistake and that he will provide another copy without it for them to sign. Can he do this?

My daughter does not want to fall out with her landlord but equally, based on the lease he provided, they were not expecting to pay the council tax and are all on reasonably tight budgets.

I am trying to work out what might be a fair resolution to this so any further information/advice will be very gratefully received. Thanks

In Council Tax regulations, they will still be liable to pay the council tax because they are joint tenants regardless of whether they sign the new tenancy...if the landlord is asking them to sign a new tenancy, it may be worth asking to reduce the rent on the basis he provided false information when the tenancy was offered/agreed on.

If they have no joy, maybe go to community law or citizens advice for some more advice.

It is worth noting that if any if the tenants are students, that individual is disregarded for council tax and won't be liable. If all four are students, no council tax is payable at all.

Also, if they have low incomes, try can claim for housing benefit to help with their rent and council tax reduction to help with their council tax.

Thanks for the help - it is appreciated.