Council Tax amendments will be actioned and enquiries responded to within 4 weeks
If tenancies change in properties that you own, it's important you tell us as soon as possible so we can send bills for Council Tax. Please note if the tenancy change is more than 14 days ahead of today’s date do not complete our online tenancy change form.
Once we have all of the details, we will send out new Council Tax bills within seven working days.
You should only complete this form if you are a landlord or letting agent who is reporting changes to a property that you own or manage. You can use this form to tell us about tenants moving into or out of your properties as well as any period where the property remains empty. Please note that if you are filling the form in as an agent you must provide us with the details of the owner of the property.
Please note that where properties are empty, you will be asked to confirm if the property is unfurnished, part furnished or furnished. If your property is furnished to the extent that it could be lived in but remains empty you should select the furnished option. In any other instance please select the unfurnished option.
Please note that completing this form will not automatically stop a customer’s Housing Benefit. You should contact the benefits team in order to avoid an overpayment of Housing Benefit.
If you are not a landlord or letting agent and want to report a change of address please go to our change of address page and fill in one of our forms.
Retrospective tenancies
We are often contacted by owners/landlords asking us to remove their name from Council Tax liability because they had a tenant in their property for the period in question.
If that tenant(s) has already vacated, we are dealing with a ‘retrospective tenancy’ and will require evidence that a tenant was in occupation before Council records are updated
Please provide as much evidence as possible. The more evidence provided increases the opportunity for establishing correct liability. A Council Tax tribunal in 2012 established that provision on a tenancy agreement alone is ‘…insufficient evidence of a tenant’ Evidence should be sent to Freepost RBSandwell.(No stamp is required)
Examples of evidence that can be provided are:
- Tenancy agreement. Copy of the full tenancy agreement which has been signed and dated by both the landlord and tenant
- Rental schedule/Proof of Rent paid. This could take the form of:
- Copies of receipts for rent paid
- Copies of bank statements that show a regular amount deposited into the owner/landlords bank account by a named tenant for the period in dispute
- Regular cash deposits where the entry on the bank statement indicates ‘Branch cash credit’ or similar wording does not constitute as proof of payment. There must be a way of identifying the person who made the payments
- Rent Book/Copy of Rent Book in the name of the tenant. This should show any rent payments, the amounts and dates payments made. Preferably we would want a signature or initials from Landlord & tenant indicating the payments were made and accepted
- Proof of payment of any deposit. This may include a receipt signed by the owner/landlord. However we need evidence that the money was deposited into the owner/landlords bank account at the start of the tenancy period
- Address history: Previous address and forwarding address of the tenant
- Contact Information: Any contact information for the tenant including phone numbers, email addresses, employer contact details
- Supporting documentation: Utility bills, insurance documents or any other paperwork addressed in the tenant's name, dated during the disputed period
- ID: Copies of any tenant ID such as drivers’ license or university ID
- Signed & dated correspondence: Any signed and dated letters, notes or correspondence, or any emails the owner/landlord exchanged with the tenant
- Guarantor Details: Details of anyone who stood as a guarantor for the tenant during the disputed period and any signed paperwork to that effect
- HMRC/Inland Revenue: Proof that the rental income has been declared to the HMRC (aka ‘Inland Revenue’).
- It is our understanding that owners/landlords who rent out property should keep detailed and accurate records of rental income generated as a result of the letting of their properties. We have been informed that information is required be sent to HMRC at least once a year as proof of their income
- If the owner/landlord has kept detailed and accurate records, they should be able to prove that they have declared the rental income for that property for the period in dispute
- Other proof or evidence. Any other documentation, proof or evidence in their possession to help confirm that the property was tenanted during the disputed period and that confirms the identity of the tenant
Provision of information does not guarantee that a change to liability will be made. Each case will be investigated on its own merits and a decision made based on the quality and quantity of the evidence provided.