UK Landlord Forum / Life

Hi there,

New to the forum so hello! And, thanks for any advice forthcoming...

Does anyone know whether the council can ascertain whether you have a B2L mortgage or a repayment mortgage on any given property?

I am temporarily living at my property which has a B2L mortgage with a lodger and my council have written to me saying if I am renting out the property I need a license from them.

As I'm living here currently I don't believe I should pay for a license, but I don't want to ring alarm bells with the lender.

Isn't the problem just being kicked down the road? You currently have a Lodger, but you don't seem to intend to stay there yourself indefinitely. The Council is not likely to be able to tell what type of mortgage you have, I would be very surprised anyway... won't they just be tying together shreds of information from Council Tax records and, maybe, the Land Registry (this is where the potential discrepancy between ownership and Council Tax liability may arise from - and it's also where any Charge to your Lender would be shown)?

Don't go up against Councils. Their employees are robotic and process-driven to the point of incredulity... and they don't accept being told that they're wrong.

Generally speaking you don't need to participate in selective licensing (assuming that's what it is) if you have Lodgers, but - then - I'd always check on the specific rules for each authority because they can differ.

The Council want your money - but, don't worry, they'll persuade you that it's for your benefit.

Thank you.