I am a landlord in Australia, but currently a tenant in the UK. Yes, I have to pay council taxes in the UK as tenant (almost ?2,000 a year!) - in addition to the usual electricity, gas and water (yes, for both water charges and usage). And, I pay council taxes in Australia as a landlord.
So, the question is really whether you are a tenant or a landlord, your views will be different.
This is just a side gripe - in the UK, consumer laws are years behind Australia. It is time for the real estate agents here to be licensed and regulated. And, for tenant's deposit (which is 6 weeks rent, not 4 weeks like in Australia) to be protected by a government agency (not some private companies, or in the agent's account or the landlord's account).
Recently I moved from one rental house to another, and had to go through hell to get my deposit back (after threatening the landlord with a law suit). It should not have been that way, but I was told that it is common in the UK for tenants to "fight" to get their deposit back
There is no ombudsman in the UK to help tenants!