Only people aged 18 or over have to pay Council Tax. If there is more than one person aged 18 or over in your home, the person nearest the top of the following list is responsible for paying Council Tax:
- resident freeholder
- resident leaseholder
- resident tenant
- resident licensee
- any other resident
- the owner, if the property is not occupied.
A resident is someone aged 18 years or over who has their only or main home at your property. If you have two or more residents in your home that meet the same description (such as joint freeholders), they are jointly responsible for paying the bill. This means we require all or any one of them to pay the Council Tax.
An owner is someone who is the freeholder or someone who has a lease for at least six months, such as a tenancy agreement.
Married couples, those living together in a spousal relationship or civil partners have joint responsibility, even if they do not have an equal interest in the property.