Effects on Council Tax

If somebody dies and there are still two adults living in the property, the Council Tax bill will probably stay the same. If only one adult now lives there, a 25% discount is due. We may need to change the names on the bill, send out a new direct debit mandate or complete a new Council Tax support claim form. Discounts or exemptions might also be affected.

If the property was owned and is now empty, there is usually no Council Tax to pay while it is in the estate of the person that has died. Once probate is granted there is a further six months exemption, as long as the property remains in the estate of the deceased person.

If the property remains empty and unsold six months after the date of probate, full Council Tax may be payable (because it is an empty property). The executors or the new owner are responsible for this charge. Notify the council separately when the property is sold and to whom. Also notify the council if the property becomes occupied in the future and tell us who is now living there.

Please note: You have 10 minutes to complete each page. If you feel you need longer than this, please write your answers in a separate document, then copy and paste this into the form. This is to prevent any information being lost during the form completion.