A mortgage chief has accused local authorities of treating private landlords like cash machines.
Justin May, chief executive of EHF Mortgages, makes the claim in comments about the government consultation on council tax applied to HMOs. The consultation closes at midnight today.
Under the current rules, the Valuation Office Agency has the discretion to split an HMO up for council tax purposes, creating multiple bills for one dwelling. Under the current rules, if a landlord lets a property by the room – even if the rooms are not self-contained in any way – the VOA will usually have enough to justify creating multiple council tax bills.