Fatwa #4675514 July 2024India
I have a question regarding sharing of a bill with my house mate
Question
Assalaamualaikum Respected Ulama,
I have a question regarding sharing of a bill with my house mate.
Both of us moved to a house 2.5 years back with our families.
Rent per family was agreed upon and the utility bills, Gas&Electricity, Broadband, water usage and council tax was agreed to be shared equally.
Due to change in circumstances of my house mate, he applied for benefits. It resulted in the council tax being reduced.
Now, as the initial agreement was to share the bills equally, I am of the opinion that I pay half the discounted bill. But my house mate says that I should give him half the full bill, as the benefits were given to him.
Please let me know if I owe him half the full bill or half the discounted bill.
Jazak’Allah khair.
Answer
In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
As-salāmu 'alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.
Respected Brother,
You state that initially the agreement between you and your housemate was to share the bills equally. We wish to present few points regarding the council tax scheme:
1. The bill is based on the valuation band of a home according to that specific council.
2. Council Tax is usually paid if you're 18 or over and own or rent a home.
3. A full Council Tax bill is based on at least 2 adults living in a home. Spouses and partners who live together are jointly responsible for paying the bill.
4. There are certain reasons that a household may be completely exempted from paying council tax or may qualify for a discount. E.g. all the occupants of the house are students or some of them are students.[i]
Based on the above few points and other information gathered from local scholars, we understand thata council tax bill is billed taking into consideration the members of a household jointly. A single bill is sent to the household despite the fact that more than one person is responsible for the payment of the bill. Hence, if the council tax is reduced due to a single person of the household being a student, disabled, care-giver or due to any other benefit one qualifies for, then this reduction is shown on the council tax bill that is billed to the household jointly. Hence, the reduction is not directed solely to the individual who qualified for the specific benefit as it shown on the total amount due.
Furthermore, since it was mutually agreed between the two parties to share the total bill equally, a reduction on the total bill due to a benefit one housemate qualified for will not affect the agreement between the two parties. The total bill after the discount will be shared equally between the parties as was done in the past.
And Allah Ta'āla Knows Best
Abdullah Noorgat
Student Darul Ifta
South Africa
Checked and Approved by,
Mufti Ebrahim Desai.
(2021-01-06)