What Council Tax is
Your Council Tax bill is made up of:
- an amount independently set by the Greater London Authority
- an amount set by the council to cover the local services we provide and the statutory duties the government requires us to carry out
Who pays Council Tax
Anyone aged over 18 who rents or owns a property in the London Borough of Hounslow must pay Council Tax.
If more than one person owns or leases a property, they will be equally responsible for paying the bill. If the property is unoccupied, the owner is responsible for paying.
The person billed is the one who comes highest in this list:
- a freeholder living in the property
- a leaseholder living in the property
- a tenant living in the property
- a licensee living in the property
- any other person - including squatters
When the owner should pay
The owner is responsible for paying Council Tax (rather then the resident) for:
- properties that are nobody’s main home
- homes where the tenants have separate tenancy agreements for part of the property or where it has been adapted for partial occupation (for example, bedsits)
- care homes, nursing homes and night shelters
- religious communities (monasteries or convents)
- some second homes
- homes where a minister of religion lives and works
- properties occupied by asylum seekers who are receiving support directly from the Home Office.
