Do students have to pay council tax and who qualifies for the exemption?

Full answer

Council tax is a local charge on residential property, and full-time students are 'disregarded' when the council counts adults in a home. To count as a full-time student for this purpose you generally need to be on a course lasting at least one academic year, studying at least 21 hours a week. Some under-20s on qualifying further-education courses and certain student nurses or foreign-language assistants also qualify. Your university or college issues a council tax exemption certificate as evidence. How it works in practice. If every adult resident is a full-time student, the property is exempt and the bill is GBP 0. If a household has one non-student adult plus any number of students, the non-student is treated as the only countable adult, so the household normally receives the 25% single-person discount. Once there are two or more non-student adults, no student-based discount applies and the standard bill is due, although the students themselves are not personally liable in a wholly student tenancy. Who it affects: university and college students in shared houses, halls of residence (which are usually exempt automatically), and mixed households such as a student living with a working partner. Important: exemptions and discounts are not automatic - you must apply to your local council and supply your student certificate. If you stop being a full-time student, the exemption ends and you should tell the council to avoid arrears. The exact council tax amount depends on your property's valuation band and your local authority's rate, which vary across the country and are not standardised. This rate card does not include specific band figures, so do not assume an amount - check your council's website or use the council tax calculator to estimate your band's charge before applying any student discount or exemption.

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