How long before you have to declare a guest to the council tax office

Question

How long before you have to declare a guest to the council tax office

Answer 1

There is no fix time in law, the rule is the person has to be 'usually residing in the property', the example in the other answer of 2 weeks is clearly an error in law.

If the other person has a house else where abd has their own liability for council tax then the defintion of 'usually residing' should be very long indeed

(also I see a lot about Council tax and housing benefit the term 'it may be different with other councils' - these benefits are UK national benefit administered locally, authorties can not set there own rules and are bound buy UK law)

Anything under 6 months should be appealed against if the council challenge you

Answer 2

A guest is meaning someone who stays a short while but has there own residence elsewhere, i would say to be safe after 2 weeks i'd ring your council and ask them. I think the council would only bother if the occupier was in reciept of council tax or housing benefit or got a reduction because they are the only person living there. If the occupier paid the full council tax amount, i dont think the council would care if someone else was there. The amount of council tax wouldnt change at all, its based on house price not the number of people living there. But if they were recieving benefit or claiming a discount after a few weeks the council would kick off.

Answer 3

Purely for Council Tax purposes - a person become can stay as a guest providing they do not use the property as their 'sole or main' residence. If they do so then they must be declared as a resident of the property.

Answer 4

I once stayed at someones house for only a fortnight and she was in receipt for housing and council tax benefit and she got penalised for my being there.

I believe if someone stays in your house for a total of 4 nights a week they are classed as living there.

It might be different with all councils but that is what it is in Uk South Shields