Studio flat - council tax/ TV licence?

[tommygirl3]

Hello All

I have just moved into a studio flat and whilst it is apparent that we will deal with the electricity bills (there is no gas), we have been given conflicting info about council tax and TV licence.

In the flat there is a small kitchenette (sink, cooker, no washing machine) and an ensuite shower room. We can lock the door to our room, but the flat numbering system is precarious. Some residents in the 'block' refers to the different studios as Flat A-G, or Flat 1-7 or simply the basement flat or first/second/third floor flat.

The lettings agent is no use as he just tells us to pay for everything. That's fine, but I don't want to be contacting the coucil to pay council tax when I don't need to. Nor TV licence.

To make matters more complicated is that we'll only be living there for 3 months, and then we'll be moving out.

Please help!

[charliebaps]

Not strictly the most honest advice you'll get but if you are there for only 3 months I really wouldn't worry about the TV licence. Wait for them to contact you.

As for the council tax, if you are in good person mode then contact the council and ask them the situation, if you are in 'neutral' person mode then wait for them to contact you (especially if you are moving out of the borough).

As I said before, I am in no way advocationg dodging responsibilities but the TV licence people are so slow anyway (if you do buy one you can always transfer it to your next address) and the only people to give you the correct council tax information will be the council.

[tommygirl3]

Thanks for that!

I have had a look at those TV licencing resistence forums, and it does seem like it will take a while for the TV Lincencing ppl to catchup.

We will be moving into a completely different part of London too, so I think I will just sit tight and wait until I'm called to pay for the council tax. If anything, I can always just backdate the payment.

I was confused because I spoke to one of our new neighbours in passing and he didn't pay council tax! So we presume the landlord pays for the building.

Thanks again for your response.

[chazza]

If you do decide to get a licence, you can claim back any unused quarters (ie 3 months at a time). i did this when i left uni as we only used the tv licence for 9 months

[halfadaily]

tommygirl...it could be that your neighbour is on benefits and therefore doesn't have to pay council tax. I'd ask him if i were you or you might get a nasty shock from the council.

[Buenchico]

If you have a tenancy agreement which specifically relates to your studio flat as a distinct dwelling-place then you definitely need a TV licence. Even people who live in shared houses need a separate licence for each bedroom (assuming that there's a TV in each bedroom!) if the tenancy agreements give each resident exclusive use of their bedroom. See here:
http://www.tvlicensing.co.uk/information/students.jsp#li nk4

Similarly, if your studio flat is defined as a distinct residential dwelling by your tenancy agreement, then it will probably be classified as a Band A property for Council Tax purposes. When anyone in your building fills in the annual council tax form, they must state whether the building is in multi-occupancy or not. So the local council should already be aware that the building is sub-divided into flats (and that your flat exists as a distinct entity).

I had to insert the word 'probably' into that last paragraph, however, as there are certain circumstances where 'aggregation' can happen. (This is where several properties are grouped into one for Council Tax purposes. If, for example, an old Victorian house has been converted to bed-sits with minimal structural alteration to the house, then the properties might be grouped into one). If your tenancy agreement does not state that a contribution towards the landlord's (aggregated) Council Tax is included in the rent, then it is extremely unlikely that aggregation has occurred. (i.e. you need to pay your Council Tax separately). See here:
http://www.voa.gov.uk/council_tax/what_is_a_dwelling.htm

Chris

[tommygirl3]

Thank you all very much for your answers.

Just to update you all, my other half has had a word with the landlord, and he says that we will need to pay the council tax and TV licence. But it emerged that the tenant prior to our arrival this week has run up debts on the electricity, credit cards, presumably council tax and there was a letter from the TV licencing ppl threatening to send 'enforcers' to the property.

I suppose we will need to ring up the council to dispute the council tax debt? What do we need to proof in terms of the fact that we were living in the studio? Do we just have to show them our tenancy agreement? What about the TV licence? If my other half runs out to buy a TV licence now, do we still have to pay the backdated TV licence usage of the previous tenant?

[Buenchico]

You're only responsible for the bills from the time you took up the tenancy. Just tell the council tax people the date on which you took over the flat and you shouldn't have any problems with them at all. (If you get letters from them, adressed to the previous occupier, just put them in a post box marked 'No longer at this address'. In the unlikely event of a debt collector turning up to demand payment of any debts left by the previous occupier, you're not obliged to prove anything to him but you'll probably avoid future visits if you show him him some proof of identity together with your rent book or rental agreement).

There's no reason to worry about debts relating to the TV licence. Just buy one as soon as possible because it's obvious, from the 'threatening lettters' that your flat is already on the NTVLA'* '*** list'! So you know that if you don't buy a licence the detector van might turn up very soon!

Chris

[wallis1007]

I think i'm right in saying you don't pay council tax in Feb & March.