UK Landlord Forum / Life

Hi
I am trying to get tenants out of the house who are not paying the rent. To add to my problems to council have sent me a council tax tax bill, reduced for being unoccupied. (The irony of all this is the tenants are DSS and the council stopped paying them therefore they stopped the rent - bastard council!)

I will get the tenants out this month but wanted to know if I can't refuse council tax on the basis the tenants should be paying it?

The tenants have not paid for 3 months and the council tax bill is for 3 months.

Thanks
David

It was in their contract to pay the council tax?  I presume you've tried telling the council they are still living there?

Tenants are liable for Council Tax if they are living there.

Even if they are not paying rent and, of course, that Council Tax.

It doesn't automatically fall back onto the Landlord if the Tenant doesn't pay... although the Council would absolutely cream themselves if this was the case.

If you have an AST wth the dates of the tenancy on it, send that to the Council, showing that the Tenants are (should be) in the property and are, therefore, liable for the Council Tax.

Lucky you to get a reduction in Council Tax for it being 'unoccupied'... my Council gives nothing... 100% all the way, no grace period, no discount of any kind.

Are you seeking a court order to get them out? I had a very similar problem last year. My tenants moved out but did not Surender the property and used my house as a clutter store. Whilst getting the council to pay housing benefit to their new house. I just took the tenancy agreement and the court order to the council offices, and their was know way could the tenant argue with the say of a judge. I had the last laugh when they got a bill for 300 quid.

Until you accept the surrender of the lease they are still liable, and you are not.