Prevent Council Tax bills being charged for individual bedroom lets
We have just come across a petition to ‘Prevent Council Tax bills being charged for individual bedroom lets.’ Click Here
Surprisingly, it’s been up and running for almost six months already. At the time of writing, there are only 4,999 signatures on it and 10,000 are needed to take it to the next stage. Imagine what could happen if we don’t get to 10,000! Unfortunately, time is now very tight as the petition closes this coming Wednesday, 9th March!
Clearly, we are a long way behind where we would wish to be, so the reason for contacting you is to see if you are in a position to be able to notify all Property 118 members of this petition to get us over the first line.
Maybe others are aware of this petition, but I wasn’t until now, so I presume that many more landlords won’t be aware either.
Many thanks
Bruce
We would like the Government to amend legislation on how Council Tax is charged to prevent the Valuation Office Agency from “disaggregating” Council Tax bands so individual bedrooms in properties are given their own band and Council Tax bill. The problem affects a growing number of room let tenants.
The All Party Parliamentary Group for the Private Rented Sector in their report of 2014, Access to Private Rented Housing for the Under 35s, highlighted evidence of people in these properties facing Council Tax arrears, and being driven into less economically vibrant areas. The group recommended that the Government consider banning the practice of Council Tax being applied to bedsit rooms or introduce a more realistic Council Tax band for such accommodation.
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Member Since March 2018 - Comments: 182
6:49 PM, 7th March 2022, About 4 years ago
signed. The haphazard way this valuation process works ruins the profitability for some and swells the profits of others even with identical properties. The uncertainty deters investors, reduces the housing options for renters, and increases Council Tax charges while providing renters with zero extra benefits from the Council.
Member Since August 2020 - Comments: 3
10:22 AM, 8th March 2022, About 4 years ago
Signed, I have an HMO and Valuation office applied 6 council tax bills costing £8k pa, 2 of the smallest bedrooms have a council tax bill each costing £1,300 each!!
Member Since August 2015 - Comments: 53
10:54 AM, 8th March 2022, About 4 years ago
Unfortunately it is still only on 5,228 so it’s unlikely to hit the target, although still worth signing.
If Shelter were any damn use they would have mobilised tenants to sign this and get it stopped.
Member Since May 2015 - Comments: 2197 - Articles: 2
12:20 PM, 8th March 2022, About 4 years ago
Surely this is the poll tax by the back door?
Member Since May 2016 - Comments: 1570 - Articles: 16
12:22 PM, 8th March 2022, About 4 years ago
The big Question should be, –
Why isn’t the Landlords ( so-called ‘ Representative ‘ [sic] ) bodies publishing this ?
Member Since April 2018 - Comments: 50
12:57 PM, 8th March 2022, About 4 years ago
Our asts for hmo state that the landlords are responsible for the council tax as it stands with the bills issued to the landlord at present how will this apply if the bills are sent to individual rooms would the landlord still be liable?
Member Since May 2015 - Comments: 2197 - Articles: 2
1:26 PM, 8th March 2022, About 4 years ago
Reply to the comment left by Derek t at 08/03/2022 – 12:57
You can bet your boots the landlord would be liable. The AST can only be changed by mutual consent but the government or council can change the rules at a whim.
Member Since August 2013 - Comments: 788
3:52 PM, 8th March 2022, About 4 years ago
If that happens I will close down my HMO, rent it hout as a house or sell it off. Martin Redif stated above that one of the smaller rooms is being charged £1300, sure that can’t be right when we are paying £1650 a year for a 3 Bed House in London. Something is drastically wrong with the valuation officers either they don’t know how to do their job or are simply incompetent and I do not know how such people get their jobs.