Council Tax for Students: When You Pay and When You Don't

Student council tax catches people out every year. The basic rule is simple enough - full-time students are exempt. But the minute you mix students and non-students in one house, it gets complicated.

Who Counts as a Student?

You need to be on a course that lasts at least a year and requires at least 21 hours of study, tuition, or work experience per week during term time. That covers pretty much all full-time undergraduate and postgraduate courses.

You’re counted as a student from the day your course starts until the day after it officially ends - including holidays between terms. So if you’re finishing in June and starting again in September, you’re still a student over summer. You don’t lose the exemption during Easter or Christmas either.

Part-time students doing under 21 hours a week don’t qualify. You count as a regular adult for council tax purposes.

The Tricky Bit: Living With Non-Students

If everyone in the house is a full-time student, the property is exempt. No council tax at all. But add one non-student to the mix and things change.

Students are “disregarded” for council tax purposes - basically invisible. So if you’re a student sharing with one working friend, the friend pays the bill but gets a 25% single person discount because, as far as council tax is concerned, they live alone. Two non-students in the house? They split the full rate between them and the student still pays nothing.

This can cause tension in shared houses, especially if the non-student is a partner. If you’re a student living with a non-student partner, they’re liable for the bill (with 25% off if there are no other non-students). It’s worth discussing this before signing a tenancy together.

Getting Your Exemption Certificate

Your university or college issues a council tax exemption certificate. You’ll usually find it on your student portal, sometimes called a “council tax letter” or “student status letter.” It needs to show your name, course dates, and hours of study.

Send this to your council when you register for exemption. Some councils are happy to contact the university directly; others insist on the paper certificate. Either way, don’t delay - if you get a bill and ignore it, they’ll start enforcement proceedings regardless of whether you’re actually exempt.

Halls of Residence

If you’re in university-owned halls, you normally don’t need to do anything - the university handles it. Private halls are a bit different. Check whether council tax is included in your rent or whether you need to claim exemption yourself.

After Graduation

This is the one that trips people up. Your exemption ends the day after your course officially finishes. If you graduated in June and you’re still living in the same place in September, you’ll owe council tax from the end of your course. We hear from people every year who are surprised by a bill covering the summer months after they graduated.

Research Students and International Students

Research students (PhD, etc.) qualify as long as they meet the 21-hours-a-week requirement. Some research students are classified as part-time by their institution and don’t qualify - check with your university.

International students follow exactly the same rules. Your visa status doesn’t affect council tax exemption. If you’re full-time, you’re exempt.

If You Get a Bill You Shouldn’t

Don’t ignore it. Contact your council immediately, provide your student certificate, and ask for the bill to be cancelled. If you’ve been wrongly charged and already paid, they should refund you. Keep your certificate somewhere you can find it in case of disputes.

Housemates Not Paying

If you’re a student living with non-students, you’re not liable. But here’s the problem: if a non-student housemate doesn’t pay their share, the council can chase other people on the tenancy. Get written agreements about who pays what before you move in. It saves a lot of grief later.