Who is responsible for paying the bill?
There’s one council tax bill for each home. Usually it’s the owner-occupier, or the tenant living in the property, who has to pay the bill. If the property is empty, it’s the owner.
For details of the various methods of payment available please click Ways to Pay
Men and women who live together as husband and wife are both responsible for paying the bill, even if it’s only addressed to one of them.
Technically, the person who has to pay the council tax is called the ‘liable person’. The person at the top or nearest to the top of the following list is the liable person:
- lives in the property and owns it
- lives in the property and has a lease (this includes ‘assured tenants’ under the Housing Act 1988)
- lives in the property and is a ‘statutory’ or ‘secure’ tenant
- lives in the property and isn’t a tenant but has permission to live there
- lives in the property (for example a squatter)
- owns the property but doesn’t live there
Note: You can’t be a ‘liable person’ if you’re under age 18.
Joint responsibility for Council Tax
If you live in a property which is jointly owned, leased or rented by two or more people, you will be jointly responsible for paying council tax. There is only one council tax bill for each property.
In these cases the name of everyone who is jointly responsible will appear on the bill.
If the bill is in joint names you are all responsible for paying the whole Council Tax for the property. This applies as much to two owners who live in the property as it does to six squatters.
We cannot split the bill between the joint Council Tax payers, for example, if there are three joint leaseholders, we cannot issue three bills for a third of the Council Tax that is due for the property.
Joint responsibility also applies to husbands and wives or partners who live in the same property.
We cannot become involved in any arrangements you may have made with other people who are jointly responsible for paying the bill. If we have to take legal action to get back the Council Tax you owe, we will contact each of you separately for full payment.
Change of Address
To help keep your account as up-to-date as possible and ensure the correct balance is applied please inform us about any changes of address as soon as possible. You can contact us using the link below or download a form
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