Joint responsibility for council tax

Council tax fact sheet

If you live in a property which is jointly owned, leased or rented by two or more people, you will be jointly responsible for paying council tax. There is only one council tax bill for each property. 

In these cases the name of everyone who is jointly responsible will appear on the bill. 

If the bill is in joint names you are all responsible for paying the whole council tax for the property. This applies as much to two owners who live in the property as it does to six squatters. 

We cannot split the bill between the joint council tax payers, for example, if there are three joint leaseholders, we cannot issue three bills for a third of the council tax that is due for the property. 

Joint responsibility also applies to husbands and wives or partners who live in the same property. 

We cannot become involved in any arrangements you may have made with other people who are jointly responsible for paying the bill. If we have to take legal action to get back the council tax you owe, we will contact each of you seperately for full payment. 

You can contact us: 

• by phone on 020 8600 7777;
• by fax on 020 8753 1578;
• by typetalk on 0800 95 95 98; or
• by email at localtaxation@lbhf.gov.uk        

You can get this information as a leaflet, in large print, or in Braille.