Landlord charges £40 council tax “contribution” on renewal, is this allowed under the Tenant Fees Act?
Hi all, looking for some advice on a tenancy fee that I think might fall foul of the Tenant Fees Act 2019.
My tenancy agreement includes the following:
- Clause 9: the landlord agrees to pay council tax, gas, electricity, TV licence, etc (so it’s a bills-included setup)
- Clause 14: I have to pay a £40 “contribution towards council tax” when entering the tenancy and on each renewal
I originally signed in 2025 and paid the £40 then. I’ve recently signed a new contract after a rent increase, and was told that if I didn’t sign, the rent could be increased further, so I just signed it. I’ve also just started a new job, so I didn’t really have the capacity to push back at the time.
Now I’m being asked to pay the £40 again on May 1st.
From what I understand, tenants can only be charged certain permitted payments, and this looks like a fixed fee even though the landlord is supposedly responsible for council tax.
So my question is: Is this £40 charge actually legal?
I’ve already contacted the council and am waiting to hear back, but wanted to sense check here as well.
I am in England.
Thanks in advance!