Tis Only Me

Hi all

When I move over to saudi, i have decided to keep our property in the UK.

Now I have never rented out a property before and I am sure there will be some of you out there who will be in this boat. I really dont want to just leave it empty.

If I rent my property to a family member, will I still be responsible for the council tax ??

The reason I ask, is when my OH moved over there some time ago, the council would not accept me as living on my own, so had to pay as if he still lived here ( Madness) they said it was because of the following reasons to which I accepted and continue to pay in full.

1. He could come home at any time (obviously) Why would we be keeping it.

(and even if i could provide proof that he wasnt at the property then :-)

2. He still had a interest in the property with paying the tiny mortgage we have.

So I was in a No win situation

They had the nerve to tell me though that If I had come into the office and told them he had done a runner, that I would of got a 25% discount. Well I aint one to tell lies.

So wondering now if I do rent to family, will we still have to pay the tax as they said having a property as above means we can come back when we want.

Sorry to ask but I know that if I go the office and ask, I know they will find a reason for me to pay and usure if they are just having a laugh at me. I could be wrong and have to pay I dont know

Slingshot

The person renting the property has to pay for it.
If you leave it empty as well you get a reduction of 50% I believe but you may as well be renting it out

Jim Smith

[QUOTE=Tis Only Me;7988615]Hi all


The reason I ask, is when my OH moved over there some time ago, the council would not accept me as living on my own, so had to pay as if he still lived here ( Madness) they said it was because of the following reasons to which I accepted and continue to pay in full. ??????????????

[Maybe I am missing something here by why would you expect the council to pay your council tax when you are living in your own house?? Better say no more!

I rented our family house out for many years and the tenant paid the council tax as per the rental agreement!

Good luck.

Tis Only Me

Now thats not what they told me when I went to the office and asked a few questions, they told me empty property was 100%, maybe its different councils have different rules. I didnt go down the road of asking about renting out as thought, leave it for now as I have to pay in full at present anyway. Thought I would worry about the renting side nearer the date - like now.

Tis Only Me

[QUOTE=Jim Smith;7988626] I wasnt expecting not to pay for my council tax, but when you live on your own, ppl normaly get a discount. But at least I now know its the tenant that pays and not I

thanks for reply

Slingshot

[QUOTE=Tis Only Me;7988635] have a read here http://www.adviceguide.org.uk/index/...ouncil_tax.htm

I paid reduced rates when my property was empty for a while so worth having a chat with your local council - you will see all the rules on the site

Eva

Some Councils do offer 100% exemption for empties but you really do need to empty it(can leave white goods unconnected).I know of someone who was asked for before and after photos- no kidding!.It is reviewable on 6 monthly basis and may only be available once.What you then have to watch s however is your building and contents insurance as you can invalidate your cover if you leave property unoccupied for more than 30 days(norm) up to 90 iirc with extra premiums.I thought a lone adult occupant was entitled to 25% discount.Really the only thing to do isto go to the horse's mouth as no definitive rule across the board.....

Slingshot

yes I had the 25% discount in the UK when I lived there

Tis Only Me

Thanks for all your replies, they really are appreciated.

Thanks for the attachment slingshot, i will have a good read tonight and even print off should I need to present the findings to our local council office.

I know ppl who live in our area who get the 25% discount because they are on their own but as the council stated to me the reasons as first post that i couldnt have it - never mind.

thanks again everyone

Slingshot

it sounds like you were dealing with someone who was a right old jobsworth

as it stands, I would argue that you are entitled to the 25% on the basis that this is your partner's second home - see below. you can tell them if your OH does return home for good then you will inform them and they can revert to charging you 100%. if you don't want to have these discussions with them face to face, write a letter or send them an email. you may get a more understanding person next time around.

Tis Only Me

Ive decided that I will just leave it for now until I leave then go back to them to tell them Im leaving the property also.

They are going to love me this time, the family member moving in is a full time student.

I can still see this going pear shaped but here we go. We will see in a few weeks time when I have to visit them again.

Jim Smith

[QUOTE=Tis Only Me;7988635] Oh! I havent lived on my own since I was a student, in a bedsit! Havent resided in UK since 1977.

When we had a flat in Banstead we just left it empty, drained the water, and paid taxes as usual, guess I should have been more thrifty!!

The house was let as stated with tenants paying.

soukie

We keep our house in UK and receive 50% discount.

We have rented past houses out though and the tenants have paid the council tax as they are registered as the occupants on the voters list and also as the council tax payer. The best thing to do is to ask your tenant to contact the council and register his/her name as the tax payer. They can then apply for a discount / exemption without involving you at all.

chilled

Our tenant pays the council tax

Hello.Kitty

our council had no problems accepting I was living there on my own while Mr Kitty was in Dubai. You can generally get 100% exemption on a vacant property *only* if it is unfurnished, if it is vacant and furnished, then the 50% exemption applies.
I find it exceptionally cheeky that your council got you paying the full amount - if your OH is permanently abroad and HMRC is happy with that status, then so should the council be. Still, they do keep saying they are strapped for cash.
Note though that to have a convincing argument, it's worth also looking at the electoral roll - if your OH is still registered to vote at that address, then it weakens your position.
Tenants pay for the council tax as it is up to them how many people are in their own household.
As for renting the property out, look into working with an estate agent on this - many will deal with all the legalities for a small(ish) percentage.

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Oh and don't tell them it's a family member moving in. Treat it as a tenancy, pure and simple. Let your family member do all the talking with the authorities, otherwise you'll get caught in a never-ending circle.
Back in the UK we live in a house that my mum actually owns outright, but she's been living abroad for the past 20 years, so doesn't even appear on council tax records. The conversation with the council went something like this: "are you tenants?", "well, no... we don't pay rent", "are you the owner?", "er, no, my mum owns it", "does she live there?", "Er, no, she lives abroad", "ok... let's just put you down as a tenant then."