Who has to pay Council Tax?

Joint responsibility

Everyone who has an equal interest in a property will be held jointly liable. This also applies to married couples, unmarried couples who live together and joint owners/tenants.

Usually, the person(s) living in the property will be responsible for payment of the Council Tax but sometimes it will be the non-resident owner who will be responsible if the following conditions apply

  • the property is in multiple occupation (HMO), for example, a house shared by a number of different households who all pay rent separately
  • the people who live in the property are all under 18 years old
  • the people who are staying in the property are there temporarily and have their main homes somewhere else
  • the property is a care home, hospital, hostel, or women's refuge

If you are a landlord renting out a property, the responsibility for paying the Council Tax bill depends on what sort of letting arrangement you have.

If you think you have been made liable for a charge you are not responsible for, please contact the Council Tax team straightaway.

Get in touch about Council Tax

The quickest way to contact us is by using our online forms which are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. If you need to speak to us give us a call during office hours and talk to our Customer Services team who will be happy to help.