Do you pay council tax on an empty BTL property?

If at any point your BTL property is going to be empty, for whatever reason, I strongly advise you to notify your local council tax office and inform them so you’re entitled to council tax exemption. Otherwise you’ll unnecessarily end up paying council tax on an empty property.

Can a landlord be entitled to council tax?

Update: This article is now out-of-date, and landlords may not be entitled to council tax exemption. Please read my new blog post which discusses the new Council Tax Support Scheme A month or so ago I had a tenant check out of tenancy so I was waiting for new arrivals.

Where can I go to challenge my rent increase?

There are other reasons why you can challenge your rent increase – contact your nearest Citizens Advice if you need help. If you and your landlord can’t agree on your rent increase you can ask a tribunal to decide for you – it’s free to apply.

Can a landlord challenge a section 13 increase in rent?

There are exceptions though so if you’re not sure if your landlord can increase your rent, get help from your nearest Citizens Advice. Your landlord has to give you a valid section 13 notice before increasing your rent. You can still challenge your rent increase even if the new section 13 notice is valid.

Do you have to pay rent if you claim Housing Benefit?

If Housing Benefit covers all your rent, this means you won’t have to pay rent to the council. You’ll still need to check your rent account regularly to make sure the rent’s being paid. If your claim is unsuccessful, you should get a letter from your local council telling you why.

Is it legal for landlord to raise rent by 25%?

So you got a 25% rent increase (or more!) – Is that even legal? Most likely, yes it is legal.* Landlords can charge whatever rent the market allows. State laws dictate how much notice a landlord must give before raising the rent on a month-to-month agreement. If you are on a lease, good news, your landlord cannot raise the rent on you.