The rule: liable for Council Tax, living there as your main home
GOV.UK says the payment is for households “liable for council tax on, and live in, a property in council tax bands A to D as their main home”. Most private and social tenants with a tenancy of the whole home are liable for Council Tax, so most renters in bands A–D are in scope. Full criteria are still to be published.
Common renting situations
| Your situation | Who is usually liable | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| You rent the whole home and pay Council Tax yourself | You | In scope if the home is band A–D |
| Joint tenants (couple or friends on one tenancy) | All of you jointly | One £100 per household, not per person |
| Rent includes Council Tax (“bills included”) | Usually the landlord | Unclear — the landlord may not live there; wait for full criteria |
| Room in a shared house (HMO) with one landlord bill | Usually the landlord | Unclear — 2022’s rebate excluded HMOs; wait for full criteria |
| All-student household (exempt) | Nobody pays | Not yet known how exempt homes are treated |
“Usually” matters: liability depends on your tenancy. Your Council Tax bill, or your council, can confirm who is liable.
How tenants will get the £100
If you pay Council Tax by Direct Debit, the money is paid into your bank account automatically from January 2027. If you pay another way, your council will invite you to apply. If you moved home recently, make sure your council has your current details — through its own website, never a link in a text.
Check your household
Find your band with the Council Tax band checker, then use the £100 energy payment checker. If your rent includes Council Tax, ask your landlord or council before assuming either way.
Tenant questions
Do council and housing association tenants get the £100?
The rule is the same for every tenant: if you are liable for Council Tax on a band A–D home you live in as your main home, you are in scope. Most social tenants pay their own Council Tax.
Does my landlord get the £100 if my rent includes Council Tax?
It is not yet clear. The announced rule requires the liable person to live in the property as their main home, which a landlord usually does not. Full criteria are still to be published.
We share a house on a joint tenancy. Do we each get £100?
No. It is one payment per household, not per adult.