Council tax for students/non-students

SuperhansFavouriteAlsatian

Next year I'm living with three other students and two graduates. The two graduates are splitting the council tax between them. Why shouldn't they? They'll be earning, we won't.

Reply 4

gianthead

12

my non-student brother is going to be living a in a house with his student gf and 6 other students and will have to foot the entire council-tax bill!
personally I think he should only have to pay an eighth of the tax and the rest be discounted by the council

Reply 5

gianthead

my non-student brother is going to be living a in a house with his student gf and 6 other students and will have to foot the entire council-tax bill!
personally I think he should only have to pay an eighth of the tax and the rest be discounted by the council

That would make the most sense, really, but oh well.

Reply 6

OP

Apricot Fairy

Next year I'm living with three other students and two graduates. The two graduates are splitting the council tax between them. Why shouldn't they? They'll be earning, we won't.

Thanks for the replies. I wasn't expecting that many people to know how it works. I agree with you, Apricot Fairy, but what if you've got six students and one non-student?

Plus to be honest, graduate salaries can be good but footing the bill for the council tax of a 7-bedroom house hurts. I'm not sure it's that fair that the non-students are paying for the students...

Reply 7

OP

gianthead

personally I think he should only have to pay an eighth of the tax and the rest be discounted by the council

Exactly. Fair enough if the students don't have to pay...but for the non-students to pay for the whole house is harsh...

Looks like there's no way out of this, is there? It's a shame then, that you can't really have mixed students/non-students households especially if the students are a majority.

Reply 8

Juno

20

SamTheMan

Thanks for the replies. I wasn't expecting that many people to know how it works. I agree with you, Apricot Fairy, but what if you've got six students and one non-student?

Plus to be honest, graduate salaries can be good but footing the bill for the council tax of a 7-bedroom house hurts. I'm not sure it's that fair that the non-students are paying for the students...

But the non-students aren't paying for the students, as the non-students don't have to pay.

Student houses are usually cheaper, but if the saving on rent isn't enough to make it viable living there, find somewhere else.

Reply 9

SamTheMan

Thanks for the replies. I wasn't expecting that many people to know how it works. I agree with you, Apricot Fairy, but what if you've got six students and one non-student?

Plus to be honest, graduate salaries can be good but footing the bill for the council tax of a 7-bedroom house hurts. I'm not sure it's that fair that the non-students are paying for the students...

But in most cases people living together in such a big house who aren't a family will be students. If they were living with non-students there probably wouldn't be more than four of them anyway, and I daresay the rent in a student house is probably a bit cheaper as well.

Reply 10

OP

Juno

But the non-students aren't paying for the students, as the non-students don't have to pay.

It depends how you look at it but say the council tax for a 4-bedroom house is 100 pounds. If there are 3 students and 1 non-student, then the 1 non-student pays the full bill (minus a small discount) for the WHOLE house, when he or she only occupies one bedroom. He or she is paying the council tax for the rooms in which there are students.

Apricot Fairy

But in most cases people living together in such a big house who aren't a family will be students. If they were living with non-students there probably wouldn't be more than four of them anyway, and I daresay the rent in a student house is probably a bit cheaper as well.

Council tax only depends on the value of the property though.

Reply 11

Ah well, they don't have to live with students, I suppose! Anyway, £100 is a drop in the ocean if you have a graduate job.

Reply 12

OP

Apricot Fairy

Ah well, they don't have to live with students, I suppose! Anyway, £100 is a drop in the ocean if you have a graduate job.

you wish. even with 25 or 30k (the richer type of grads), 100 quid is loads.

Reply 13

medic_rules

Only full student houses are exempt from Council Tax as soon as one other person who moves in who is NOT a student then that house is no longer in the eyes of the council a student house thus council tax has to be paid. Why is it Harsh that the non student has to foot the bill it's them that caused the bill to happen not the students. Even with the 25% discount I think you may be talking in excess of £1,000 depending on where the house is. I've stated it before best not to live in a mixed house cos the non student always thinks that this bill should be shared!!!!!! Sorry mate but you're the non student so NO WAY.
Normally it's when someone wants to move a 'friend' in or someone wants to stay on after finishing Uni, they have to understand that they move the status on the house with the council and if they are prepared to pay the council tax then far enough.

Reply 14

medic_rules

The Council exempts students because they are on a low income, most only receive their loan, so they don't have to sort out all the housing benefit forms. This automatically happens when you hand your letter in stating that you're a student exempt you from council tax (this letter is obtained free of charge by the Uni). Your Landlord will inform the Council who is living in the property and everyones name appears on the Council Tax bill and if you are all students then the balance will be £0.00
Just thought I'd explain the system to people who are moving into a student house for the first-time this year.
You are not exempt from Water Rates for your house.

Reply 15

SamTheMan

you wish. even with 25 or 30k (the richer type of grads), 100 quid is loads.

Didn't seem like it when I was on £20k...

Reply 16

gianthead

12

Apricot Fairy

Ah well, they don't have to live with students, I suppose! Anyway, £100 is a drop in the ocean if you have a graduate job.

there's no reason that students should be segregated from the rest of the human race, why should my brother be financially penalised for living with his gf? also he's not a graduate and £100 isn't a drop in the ocean to him

Reply 17

gianthead

there's no reason that students should be segregated from the rest of the human race, why should my brother be financially penalised for living with his gf? also he's not a graduate and £100 isn't a drop in the ocean to him

Students should be exempt from council tax because they have no income, and the reason they have no income is because they are studying for degrees which will make them more employable and give them the kind of skills which will eventually contribute to society and the economy. Well, that's the theory anyway.

I'm not saying it's necessarily fair. The taxes I have paid in the past and will pay in the future go too far towards things I don't believe I should have to help fund, and not far enough towards things I believe are important. There's nothing I can do about that, and there's nothing anyone can really do about council tax. The government are b*stards. But at the end of the day, non-students do not have to live with students, if council tax is an issue. You either live somewhere else, or deal with it.

Reply 18

OP

Apricot Fairy

Didn't seem like it when I was on £20k...

20k, that's what 1200 to 1300 quid a month?

100 quid should be a lot but all depends on your expenses. If you live at home with your parents then sure it all seems like pocket money but when you add 300/400 quid rent, a car to run, public transport, utilities, phone bills, food to buy, going out, holidays, it's hard to find 100 quid just to throw away. Especially if you're maybe thinking about more than just "getting by".

I don't think anyone's saying that students should foot the bill. I'm sure in some households that's what they end up doing if they really want to live with some non-student friends but nothing obliges them to.

But it's clear that the way the tax works, non-students end up paying for the tax on rooms they don't occupy. The solution is to segregate students and non-students but it's a bit of a shame that the law isn't a bit more flexible.

Reply 19