How much you pay is dependant on how much the flat/house you live in is worth.More expensive the house/flat the more you pay,obviously. Its payed to the local council,its seperate from the rent.
Take a look on http://www.upmystreet.com/property/c...led.php3?l1=s6
When you buy or rent, ask what the band is and there you have it. Eg If you live in a band B property then you will pay about £945 for this year. Usually paid in 10 monthly installments which means about £94.50 per month. If you share a property with 2 other people etc you could split the £945 into three.
Even better, if you go to http://www.voa.gov.uk/council_tax/cti_home.htm
you can type in the street name and find the council tax band of all the properties on it.
I´ve just looked in the Sheffield Council site and I found out that people who live alone can have a 25% discount! But sharing would be a good idea too.
I think the real estate agents should state the property bands in their ads!