Full-time students do not have to pay Council Tax.

If you and everyone you live with are full-time students, you can apply for an exemption.

If you pay Council Tax on a property where a student lives, you can apply for a discount.

Who can apply

To count as a full-time student, you must be:

  • on a full-time course of education that lasts at least one academic or calendar year
  • required to study for at least 21 hours per week for 24 weeks a year at a university, college or further education establishment
  • under 20 years old, on a further education course that lasts at least 3 months with more than 12 hours of study a week
  • a foreign language assistant registered with the Central Bureau for Educational Visits and Exchange
  • a student nurse on a project 2000 course
  • a school or college leaver aged 18 or 19 years old who leaves after 30 April of an academic year. You will be exempt until 1 November in the same year.
  • a foreign spouse or dependent of a student prevented from working or claiming benefit

Student halls of residence are automatically exempt. For other types of property, you need to apply for an exemption.

If you live in a House in Multiple Occupation (HMO)

For an HMO, the owner is responsible for paying Council Tax and can claim a discount on behalf of any full-time students.

An HMO is a property occupied by 3 or more people, split between 2 or more households who pay rent separately.

How to apply

London School of Economics students can apply with our online form.

For all other students, you need to:

  1. get a student certificate from your place of study
  2. log in or register for a Camden Account
  3. register for Council Tax in the Camden Account
  4. upload your student certificate using the student exemption form in the Camden Account

You will need

  • a student certificate from your university or college
  • your tenancy agreement, if the property is rented

Your student certificate must include:

  • the name and address of the university or college issuing the certificate, this can be EU as well as UK based 
  • your full name 
  • your data of birth (if known to your university or college) 
  • a statement confirming that you are, or have followed a course of education as a student
  • the date when you became a student at the university or college, along with the date when your course is expected to end, or has ended 
  • the number of course hours each week

We cannot accept offer letters, acceptance letters or CAS statements. It must be a certificate from your university or college which includes the details above and confirms you are, or were enrolled on and undertaking the course. If you do not provide this, your application will be refused.

If your situation changes

On the date that the course ends, the discount or exemption will no longer apply.

You must also contact us if:

  • you drop out of your course
  • someone moves in or out
  • your course changes, for example if it has a different end date

If a new occupant moves in, and they are a student, they will need to provide their name, the date they moved in and their student certificate.