Selling Property With Council Tax Arrears

If you have fallen behind on paying council taxes on your home, there’s nothing stopping you from trying to sell the property but it may cause some complications.

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Your top questions when selling property with council tax arrears

✅ What does it mean to have council tax arrears at a property?

Council tax is a legally binding fee that local authorities charge freehold and leasehold property owners in exchange for providing important work in the community, such as fire and police services or rubbish collection. If you have fallen behind in making your council tax payments and now owe the local authority money, you currently have council tax arrears.

✅ Am I legally allowed to sell a house or flat with council tax arrears?

Yes, there are zero legal restrictions on attempting to sell your leasehold or freehold flat, house or other type of residential property even if you are currently dealing with council tax arrears. But you need to be aware that the debt will transfer with you to your next property, and it will not stay behind at your current home and be something that the buyer will need to pay.

✅ How might council tax arrears affect the sale of my property?

Although potential buyers will not be financially affected by the council tax arrears that you owe, this debt can create additional hurdles for you in trying to buy your next property. That’s because the debt will remain with you, so even if you purchase a new home, you’ll not only have to pay council tax on that property but you’ll also still be liable for paying your existing arrears.

✅ What solutions are available for resolving my council tax arrears?

You have a few choices for taking care of the debt that you owe the council, such as reaching out to the local authority and trying to set up a payment plan where you’d give them a set amount of money each month toward paying down the debt. A council could also place a charging order on your home that would pay the debt off using the property sale proceeds.

✅ Will I need to pay any fees when selling a home with council tax arrears?

No, but it depends on which approach you use for finding a buyer, because auctioneers and estate agents will charge you commission that will be taken out of the eventual sale proceeds, potentially along with any council tax charging order. You won’t pay any fees if you sell your home without any help or to an honest no-fee quick buying company like LDN Properties.

✅ What are the speediest methods to find a buyer for a property with council tax arrears?

Your best choice for swiftly selling your leasehold or freehold house or flat is likely contacting a quick home buyer such as LDN Properties, as they can usually finalise the process of buying a home in just a handful of weeks. Other methods, such as selling at an auction, via an estate agent or without any assistance might all take many months or even a full year.

✅ How can I be sure to trust a quick buyer when selling my home with council tax arrears?

The simplest way to check the legitimacy of a quick home buyer is to ask them if they are formally registered with an independent organisation known as The Property Ombudsman (TPO). All genuine members must adhere to policies that TPO writes which aim to guard homeowners against falling victims to scams, and this should give you peace of mind.

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