Council Tax Student Exemption 2026/27
How the student exemption actually works
If every adult living in a property is a full-time student, the property is fully exempt from council tax — no bill at all, regardless of the students’ ages, so mature full-time students are covered too. You count as a full-time student for this purpose if your course runs for at least one academic year, involves at least 24 weeks of study over that year, and normally requires at least 21 hours a week of study, tuition or work experience (12 hours a week if you’re under 20).
What happens in a mixed household
- If a full-time student lives with one non-student adult, the property is not exempt — the non-student is liable, but gets a 25% single person discount because the student is "disregarded" for counting purposes
- If two or more non-students share with students, the full bill applies as normal — the exemption and disregard only help when there’s no more than one liable adult
- Council tax exemption is not automatic — you need to apply to your local council and provide a certificate from your university or college confirming your course meets the criteria
- The exemption certificate is valid for as long as you remain enrolled; councils can and do ask for renewed confirmation
Common mistakes that cost students money
The most common issue is students assuming the exemption is automatic and never applying — councils won’t proactively check your enrolment status, so an unclaimed exemption just means an unpaid bill building up. The second is part-time or placement-year students wrongly assuming they still qualify; a placement year usually breaks full-time status unless your provider confirms otherwise.