Who has to pay Council Tax?

You’ll usually have to pay Council Tax if you’re an adult (over 18) and own or rent a home.

You can use the list below to work out who is responsible for paying Council Tax. The person highest in the list (with 1 being the highest) is the person responsible for paying the Council Tax bill.

  1. resident owner
  2. resident leaseholder
  3. resident tenant
  4. resident licensee (someone with a license to occupy)
  5. resident
  6. non-resident owner (unoccupied properties)

These people are not counted as adults for Council Tax:

  • children under 18
  • 18 and 19-year-olds in full-time education
  • full-time college and university students
  • people on some apprentice schemes
  • young people under 25 who get funding from the Skills Funding Agency or Young People’s Learning Agency
  • student nurses
  • people with a severe mental impairment
  • people in prison
  • patients resident in hospital
  • people staying in certain hostels or night shelters
  • patients who are being looked after in care homes
  • care workers working on low pay for, or introduced by, charities or local authorities
  • live-in carers who look after someone who isn’t their partner, spouse, or child under 18
  • foreign language assistants registered with the British Council
  • diplomats
  • members of visiting forces and certain international institutions
  • members of religious communities (monks and nuns)

A full Council Tax bill is based on at least 2 adults living in a home. If you live on your own, or you live with someone who does not count as an adult, you may be able to claim a discount

Joint responsibility

If you live in a property, which is jointly owned, leased or rented by 2 or more people, you will be jointly responsible for paying Council Tax.

There is one Council Tax bill for each property, and the name of everyone who is jointly responsible will appear on the bill.

The bill cannot be split between the joint Council Tax payers, for example if there are 3 joint leaseholders, we cannot issue 3 bills for a third of the Council Tax that is due for the property.