[jelly1000]

At the start of this month my tenancy for my 2nd year house started, and I don't know if I need to do anything to inform the council that we are students, and if so what?

[jelly1000]

(Original post by cfizzle)
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Educatio...lege/DG_071488

Thanks for trying but unfortunatley its not very helpful- the apply for council tax exemption just takes me to Norwich City Council (my local council at uni) council tax benefit page. And I've looked at the other pages and they haven't helped.

[Hopple]

You do need to inform them, you'll probably need to get a letter from your university saying you're a student, and whoever gives you that should be able to tell you more.

[marcusfox]

Most of the advice given (in posts above) to contact the council is wrong.

If you are in a HMO which you almost certainly will be if you are sharing a house with other students, you don't have to do anything, as it is up to the landlord to demonstrate exemption from Council Tax if an exemption applies.

You may have to provide the landlord with proof of student status, but that is all, no contact with the council is required whatsoever, since in HMO properties, the responsibility of paying Council Tax falls with the landlord only.

[jelly1000]

(Original post by marcusfox)
Most of the advice given here to contact the council is wrong.

If you are in a HMO which you almost certainly will be if you are sharing a house with others, you don't have to do anything, as it is up to the landlord to demonstrate exemption from Council Tax if it applies.

You may have to provide the landlord with proof of student status, but that is all, no contact with the council is required whatsoever, since in HMO properties, the responsibility of paying Council Tax falls with the landlord only.

ah cheers I didn't know that. I will check on Norwich City Councils website about what an HMO is their as there are only 4 of us in the house so its not an HMO according to the national definition. And the landlord knows we are students as he met us at my uni.

[jelly1000]

(Original post by marcusfox)
Most of the advice given (in posts above) to contact the council is wrong.

If you are in a HMO which you almost certainly will be if you are sharing a house with other students, you don't have to do anything, as it is up to the landlord to demonstrate exemption from Council Tax if an exemption applies.

You may have to provide the landlord with proof of student status, but that is all, no contact with the council is required whatsoever, since in HMO properties, the responsibility of paying Council Tax falls with the landlord only.

Checked and Norwich City Council only mention the national defintion which means its not an HMO, so should I call the council then?

[marcusfox]

(Original post by jelly1000)
ah cheers I didn't know that. I will check on Norwich City Councils website about what an HMO is their as there are only 4 of us in the house so its not an HMO according to the national definition. And the landlord knows we are students as he met us at my uni.

Generally (although not exclusively) a HMO is when more than one household and more than two people live in a property together.

It is not allowed for the landlord to let a property in circumstances that would make it a HMO without registering the property as a HMO.

If more than one household and more than two people live in a property together then by definition it is a HMO and must be registered as such.

4 unrelated students living together in one property make the property a HMO according to the 'national definition'.

This is legislated in the Housing Act 2004

[kpwxx]

(Original post by jelly1000)
Checked and Norwich City Council only mention the national defintion which means its not an HMO, so should I call the council then?

Hey, fellow UEA/Norwicher

You get a 'council tax exemption certificate' on UEA headed paper when you register. So you should have one of those somewhere. But if you can't find it just pop in to the registry (tower with flag on...) in September to pick one up. Well actually, it might be your school office or the accomm office, but if so the registry will direct you to the right place anyway

You can then give a copy of this to your landlord and a copy to the council (go in to the town hall).

Having said this the council sometimes don't care, in my second year house I wasn't once contacted by them, though the landlord may have sorted it out with them. I know others who have not had to do anything. Yet this year we have had to be really precise with providing them with stuff. You may be one of the lucky ones!

xxx

[jelly1000]

(Original post by marcusfox)
A HMO is when more than one household and more than two people live in a property together.

It is not allowed for the landlord to let a property in circumstances that would make it a HMO without registering the property as a HMO.

If more than one household and more than two people live in a property together then by definition it is a HMO and must be registered as such. This is legislated in the Housing Act 2004

The national definition is that 5 or more unrelated people live together, although different councils have their own: from HMO.org.uk
Landlords must register their HMO with the council if the property has 3 habitable storeys or more AND is occupied by 5 or more people in two or more households

[jelly1000]

(Original post by kpwxx)
Hey, fellow UEA/Norwicher

You get a 'council tax exemption certificate' on UEA headed paper when you register. So you should have one of those somewhere. But if you can't find it just pop in to the registry (tower with flag on...) in September to pick one up. Well actually, it might be your school office or the accomm office, but if so the registry will direct you to the right place anyway

You can then give a copy of this to your landlord and a copy to the council (go in to the town hall).

Having said this the council sometimes don't care, in my second year house I wasn't once contacted by them, though the landlord may have sorted it out with them. I know others who have not had to do anything. Yet this year we have had to be really precise with providing them with stuff. You may be one of the lucky ones!

xxx

Yeah their is a certificate on evision but I wasn't sure what do with it! I don't think we've heard anything from the council so far but then I've not been to the house since we looked at it in January. Hopefully as our landlord only lets to UEA students he should have contacted the council. Especially as I don't know where the town hall is!

[marcusfox]

(Original post by jelly1000)
The national definition is that 5 or more unrelated people live together, although different councils have their own: from HMO.org.uk
Landlords must register their HMO with the council if the property has 3 habitable storeys or more AND is occupied by 5 or more people in two or more households

"Landlords must register their HMO with the council if the property has 3 habitable storeys or more AND is occupied by 5 or more people in two or more households. For licensing purposes a household refers to members of the same family living together and couples who live together (whether or not they are married). A group of friends sharing does not constitute a single household.

The council will then assess whether (in their view) there is enough space for the occupants and if the property is well managed before granting a license. Councils also have the power to introduce licensing for individual smaller HMOs or all rental properties in certain areas they want to improve so always check with your local council to see what the rules are where your property is."

Just because a council doesn't require registration, it doesn't make the property not a HMO according to the Housing Act definition.

Norwich City Council's take on the deal is at http://www.norwich.gov.uk/Housing/Pr...ationHmos.aspx

We are talking about HMOs for Council Tax purposes. Licencing is more concerned with ensuring that the property is not overcrowded and meets fire regulations.

Just because your HMO may not require licencing to meet these requirements does not change your landlord's liability towards Council Tax.

If you looked at UEA's Students' Union's help pages regarding Council Tax at http://ueastudent.com/image_uploads/..._councilta.pdf you would find the following:

"Tenants living in a House of Multiple Occupation (HMO) are not directly responsible for paying the Council Tax bill. The nonresident landlord is liable, but they may pass on any cost in the rent. Please note that the definition of HMO used for Council Tax purposes is different to the definition of HMO used for safety requirements or licensing of properties."

[kpwxx]

(Original post by jelly1000)
Yeah their is a certificate on evision but I wasn't sure what do with it! I don't think we've heard anything from the council so far but then I've not been to the house since we looked at it in January. Hopefully as our landlord only lets to UEA students he should have contacted the council. Especially as I don't know where the town hall is!

Yeah well, I wouldn't worry about it too much either way. If you do get there and get a bill through the post then you can just contact the council and show your certificate and they'll cancel the bill. It's probably a good idea to just send a copy to at least your landlord now and then see where it goes from there.

And they're on e-vision now! Fancy! I can't look at mine because I'm locked out over the summer between courses

By the way the town hall (if you ever need it, I prefer taking stuff in to posting it!) is that huuuuuuge building next to the market and the forum with a big clock on top.

xxx

[jelly1000]

(Original post by kpwxx)
Yeah well, I wouldn't worry about it too much either way. If you do get there and get a bill through the post then you can just contact the council and show your certificate and they'll cancel the bill. It's probably a good idea to just send a copy to at least your landlord now and then see where it goes from there.

And they're on e-vision now! Fancy! I can't look at mine because I'm locked out over the summer between courses

By the way the town hall (if you ever need it, I prefer taking stuff in to posting it!) is that huuuuuuge building next to the market and the forum with a big clock on top.

xxx

are you in the transition between undergraduate and masters atm?

[kpwxx]

(Original post by jelly1000)
are you in the transition between undergraduate and masters atm?

Yeah, undergrad and PGCE. I had to pay like 8 days of council tax at the end of last term, it was frustrating lol.

Xxc
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[mabrookes]

(Original post by kpwxx)
Yeah, undergrad and PGCE. I had to pay like 8 days of council tax at the end of last term, it was frustrating lol.

Xxc
posted from the TSR Android app

Were you working? If not you would probably have been exempt, even if you were working part time if it wasnt much you would probably have been exempt.

[kpwxx]

(Original post by mabrookes)
Were you working? If not you would probably have been exempt, even if you were working part time if it wasnt much you would probably have been exempt.

No, I did one day of open day guiding during the time but that's it. Tbh I know this sounds really bad but I don't know if I could have been bothered to sort out all the forms for low income etc, it took a few Weeks for them to just get who lived in the house right lol.

Xxx

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