If you are heading to University for the first time or moving into private accommodation, understanding council tax can be confusing. As a student, you are likely wondering do I need to pay it? What if you live with non students in shared housing? And how do you prove your exemption?
We have broken it all down for you in this complete guide to council tax for UK students.
The short answer is yes. If you are a full time student, you are exempt from paying council tax. That means you will not receive a bill or have to pay anything, providing you meet the criteria and inform your local council.
Check the UK Government’s official council tax exemption criteria for full time students.
Yes, international students on a student visa (formerly Tier 4) are usually exempt from council tax, as long as they are:
This means that if you are studying in the UK on a student visa and living only with other full time students, you will not need to pay council tax.
Part time students do not automatically qualify for exemption. You may still need to pay council tax unless you:
Check with your local authority via the Gov.uk council finder to confirm your exact situation.
Mature students do not have to pay council tax if they are enrolled on a full time course that meets the exemption criteria, just like any other full time student.
However, if a mature student is studying part-time, they may be liable to pay council tax, unless they live with full-time students or qualify for a discount.
The key factor is your course status (full time or part time) not your age.
To be considered a full time student for council tax purposes, you must:
This applies to both undergraduates and postgraduate students.
A part time student is someone who is enrolled on a course but studies fewer hours per week than a full time student. Generally, part-time students:
Because of the reduced hours, part-time students do not automatically qualify for council tax exemption.
A full time student is someone who is enrolled in a course that meets all of the following criteria.
This applies to:
A mature student is anyone who starts an undergraduate degree at the age of 21 or older, or a postgraduate degree at 25 or older.
Mature students often return to education after time away, whether for work, travel, raising a family or life experiences. You will find mature students in almost every course, studying full time or part time, just like younger students.
You do not need to pay council tax.
If you are living in one of our Unilife luxury studios, rest assured that council tax will never be your worry. We make student living stress-free from the start.
The easy answer is your course enrolment letter that will have your name, course and enrolment dates on. Also, your university can provide you with a council tax exemption certificate.
At Unilife, we ask for your enrolment letter when making a reservation for a room. This is kept on the system and provided to the local council on request.
If you are wondering how to apply for council tax exemption as a student, it is easier than you think. Here is how:
It depends who they are.
Learn more about living with your partner on our couples accommodation page.
Even if you know you are exempt, councils may still send letters addressed to ‘the occupier’ if they are not aware you are a student. Don’t panic. Respond with your valid student exemption proof and it will be sorted.
If you are unsure about council tax or have any further questions, our Unilife team is available to help.
Email: [email protected] Call: +44(0)7446 271361
We help many students with advice on renting as student and our team would love to help you too.
