Council Tax Exemption Certificate

Hello,

Trying to get a council tax exemption certificate for our student household in Birmingham. Our bills were included in our rent, and so we don't have the reference number needed to complete this application online. Apparently the only way to get this certificate is by emailing the Birmingham council tax office, but I have emailed them multiple times over the last few months and heard nothing. I have phoned too, but as our tenancy started in 2021 I've been told we can't do it over the phone and I just need to try emailing again.

Does anyone have any tips or advice on how we can get this certificate?? I have emailed so many times now and heard nothing back. I know it's last minute, but we really need the certificate in the next week or two in order to get our rent deposit back. Any help is much appreciated!!

Hello,

Trying to get a council tax exemption certificate for our student household in Birmingham. Our bills were included in our rent, and so we don't have the reference number needed to complete this application online. Apparently the only way to get this certificate is by emailing the Birmingham council tax office, but I have emailed them multiple times over the last few months and heard nothing. I have phoned too, but as our tenancy started in 2021 I've been told we can't do it over the phone and I just need to try emailing again.

Does anyone have any tips or advice on how we can get this certificate?? I have emailed so many times now and heard nothing back. I know it's last minute, but we really need the certificate in the next week or two in order to get our rent deposit back. Any help is much appreciated!!

When you say, "Our bills were included in our rent", does this include your council tax bill? So your landlord has been paying the council tax each month, and adding it to the amount you need to pay for rent? Have you been paying your landlord that portion of the rent which represents council tax? Or have you been refusing to do so on the perfectly valid grounds that you're not liable to pay council tax. And now the landlord is concerned that he's going to end-up out-of-pocket and is saying that he'll withhold your rent deposit until you pay him the "missing" rent (which is really council tax)? And is it your landlord who is asking for the Council Tax Exemption Certificate, so (presumably) that he can present it to the council?

Finally, are you all studying at one of University of Birmingham, Birmingham City University, University College Birmingham, Coventry, or Aston University? Or are other education providers involved?

(I'm just trying to fill-in the gaps in your post to help myself and others understand the situation, as it will impact the advice given.)

I'd have thought that you'd be approaching your university to get an exemption certificate -- i.e. a letter from the university to confirm that you were a full-time student between date X and date Y. This would confirm to the council that you were not liable for council tax between those dates. Everyone in your house would need to get one.

You don't say which university you're at, but if it's the University of Birmingham, start here: https://intranet.birmingham.ac.uk/student/student-hub/solution.aspx?nodeId=356

Thank you so much for the response & for the thoughtful questions - it's the second situation, so the landlord hasn't been paying the council tax directly but nor have we, and now our landlord is asking for the certificate. We're all at the University of Birmingham.

OK. Then have a read of this on the Birmingham City Council web site. It says:

"If the student(s) is studying at the University of Birmingham, Birmingham City University, University College Birmingham, Coventry, or Aston University (for Aston, if the student has not opted out of the student evidence scheme with Birmingham City Council), you do not need to provide us with a Student Certificate. We check direct with the universities."