Council Tax reminders and final notices

If you don't pay a Council Tax instalment, we'll send you a reminder. If you keep missing payments, we'll send you a final notice.

You can receive reminders and a final notice for non-payment, or for late payment.  

Reminder letters

We'll send you a first reminder letter if you don't pay an instalment.

If you pay the amount on the reminder within 7 days, you don’t need to do anything else. The debt will be cleared and you’ll be able to continue paying by instalments.

If you miss another instalment in the same Council Tax year, we'll send you a second reminder.

If you don't pay

If you don't pay within 7 days of a reminder, you'll lose the right to pay by instalments. You'll have to pay the outstanding balance for the whole year in one go.

If you don't pay the outstanding balance within 7 days, a court summons will be issued. This will add court costs of £92.50 to your bill.

What you should do

If you receive a reminder or second reminder you should:

• Pay the amount on the letter within 7 days - see all the ways you can pay Council Tax
• Consider paying by Direct Debit - payments by Direct Debit are automatic and can help you stay on top of your bill

You should also visit If you're struggling to pay Council tax for guidance on: 

• Contacting us if you can't afford to pay
• Exemptions, discounts, reductions - these could reduce your bill
• Spreading your payments over 12 months instead of 10
• Debt and money management services 

Final notices

If you pay two reminders and then miss a payment for the third time in a Council Tax year, we'll send you a final notice.

When a final notice is issued, you lose the right to pay by instalments. You must pay the the outstanding balance for the whole year within 7 days.

If you don't pay

If you don't pay the outstanding balance within 7 days, a court summons will be issued. This will add court costs of £92.50 to your bill.

What you should do

If you receive a final notice you should:

• Pay the outstanding balance on the notice within 7 days - see all the ways you can pay Council Tax

You should also visit If you're struggling to pay Council tax for guidance on: 

• Contacting us if you can't afford to pay
• Exemptions, discounts, reductions - these could reduce your bill
• Debt and money management services

Disputes and issues

This guidance can help if you dispute or have an issue with a reminder or final notice.

Letters were sent to my old address

It's your responsibility to tell about any changes to your address details. 

Reminders and notices are correctly served if we send them to your last known address.

As long as Council Tax remains unpaid, we'll continue our recovery process

Occupants in the property have changed

It's your responsibility to tell us if you move into or out of a property. You also need to tell us if the person liable for Council Tax in your property changes.

I'm a student and don't have to pay

If you're a full-time student you might be exempt from paying any Council Tax, or a discount could be applied to your household's bill. This depends on your circumstances.

You must apply to us for any discount or exemption - you will not receive it automatically.

If you haven't told us you're a student, you should do it immediately. Find out more about Council Tax for students.

I can't afford to pay

Visit If you're struggling to pay Council tax for guidance on: 

• Contacting us if you can't afford to pay
• Exemptions, discounts, reductions - these could reduce your bill
• Spreading your payments over 12 months instead of 10
• Debt and money management services