Students and Council Tax When Moving House - SlothMove
Are students exempt from council tax when moving? Here’s what full-time students need to know about council tax exemption, mixed households, and what to do when you move.
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Students and council tax when moving house
Full-time students in the UK are exempt from council tax, but the exemption is not applied automatically and does not follow you from one address to the next when you move. Whether you are moving into student accommodation for the first time, moving between student houses, or graduating and moving into your first non-student property, the council tax rules are different at each stage. This guide explains what students need to know about council tax when moving, how to apply for an exemption, and what happens in mixed households. SlothMove can help you notify the council of your new address as part of your wider move.
Are students exempt from council tax?
Yes. Full-time students are disregarded for council tax purposes. This means they are not counted as adults when calculating council tax liability. The practical effect depends on who else lives in the property:
- All occupants are full-time students. The property is fully exempt from council tax. No bill is issued.
- Some occupants are full-time students; others are not. The non-student adults are liable. The students are disregarded, so the non-student adults may benefit from the single-person discount if only one non-student lives there.
- One non-student adult lives with multiple students. The non-student is liable but receives a 25% single-person discount because all other adults are disregarded.
If you are a tenant and you have ended your tenancy, your liability ends on the last day of your tenancy agreement. The landlord or freeholder then becomes responsible for any council tax during the empty period.
The discount applies to any property type and any council tax band. It reduces the full charge by a quarter, which on an average bill can save several hundred pounds a year.
It is worth noting that some NHS services, including individual dental practices and NHSBSA records for prescription prepayment certificates, hold their own separate records and may not update automatically. For those, a direct contact is still needed.
Two different things are at play here: an exemption means no council tax is charged at all (only happens when every adult in the property is a disregarded student). A discount is a reduction — usually the 25% single-person discount — that applies to a non-student adult living with disregarded students. Students themselves are never “discounted”; they’re disregarded.
What counts as full-time study
To qualify for the student exemption, your course must:
- Last at least one academic year
- Require you to attend for at least 24 weeks per year
- Involve at least 21 hours of study or supervised work per week during term time
That said, there are some circumstances in which an exemption or discount may apply:
Most undergraduate and postgraduate degree courses meet these criteria. Part-time students do not qualify. Foreign language assistants and student nurses have their own disregarded categories with different criteria.
How to apply for a student council tax exemption when you move
Moving house means the exemption at your old address does not carry over to the new one. You need to apply at your new address. Here is how:
- Contact your new council and tell them you have moved in.
- Tell them that you are a full-time student.
- The council will ask for proof of your student status. This is usually a council tax exemption certificate issued by your university or college.
- Request a council tax exemption certificate from your university’s student services or registry office. Most universities issue these on request, sometimes through an online portal.
- Submit the certificate to the council. If all occupants are students, the property will be fully exempt. If some are not students, the non-student adults will be billed.
What happens over the summer when students move out
During the summer vacation, students often move out of their term-time address. The council tax rules during this period depend on the tenancy:
If you are a tenant, make sure you have evidence of the date your tenancy ended, such as a signed surrender agreement or a letter from your landlord, in case there is a dispute about when your liability ceased.
- If you are still on a fixed-term tenancy over the summer. The tenancy continues, and someone remains liable for council tax. If the property is empty over the summer and you are the tenant, you may be liable even while not living there.
- If the tenancy ends before the summer. Your liability ends when the tenancy ends.
- If a mix of students and non-students lives there over the summer. The non-student adults remain liable.
This is one of the most common sources of unexpected council tax bills for students. Check your tenancy end date and contact the council if you are unsure of your liability over the summer months.
What happens when you graduate and move into your first non-student property
The student exemption ends when your course ends. Once you graduate and move into a new property, you are liable for council tax from the date your tenancy or occupation starts. You will no longer be disregarded, and neither will any other graduates in the same position.
Notify your new council when you move in. If you are the only adult at the property, apply for the single-person discount. If you are sharing with other non-student adults, the standard rate applies, and the bill is split between the liable adults.
Mixed households: students and non-students
Mixed households are where the council tax rules become most complex. The key principle is that students are disregarded, not exempt. The property itself is not exempt unless all adults are students. If even one non-student adult lives at the property, council tax is due.
In a house of four people where three are students, and one is a non-student:
- The non-student is the sole liable adult.
- The three students are disregarded.
- The non-student receives a 25% single-person discount because they are treated as the only adult.
In a house of two non-students and two students, both non-students are liable, and the standard rate applies.
HMO landlord liability
In licensed Houses in Multiple Occupation, council tax liability rules sometimes shift to the landlord rather than the tenants, depending on the council and the HMO licensing definition used locally (this varies — some councils apply landlord liability to all HMOs, others only where tenants have separate/non-exclusive agreements). Add a short note: many student houses are licensed HMOs, and in some councils the landlord, not the individual student tenants, is named as the liable party on the bill — even though the student disregard still determines whether the property counts as exempt. Practical takeaway for the student: check your tenancy agreement and ask the landlord directly who’s listed as liable, since this affects whether the student needs to submit their own exemption certificate or whether the landlord handles it.
What to do if billed in error / certificate delayed
This is the single most searched “I got a letter and panicked” scenario. Cover:
- Don’t ignore the bill — contact the council immediately, even if the exemption certificate is still being processed by the university.
- Ask the council to put the account on hold or flag it as “exemption pending” while the certificate comes through, rather than letting a payment demand or reminder notice escalate.
- If a bill was issued before the certificate was submitted, request a backdated exemption — councils can and routinely do apply the exemption retroactively to the move-in date.
- If the council refuses or there’s a dispute, the next step is a formal appeal to the Valuation Tribunal (England) — mention this exists as an escalation path without going deep into tribunal mechanics.
Summary table
| Household | Who’s liable | Discount/Exemption |
|---|---|---|
| All full-time students | No one — property fully exempt | Full exemption |
| 1 non-student + students | The non-student | 25% single-person discount |
| 2+ non-students + students | All non-students, split | None (standard rate) |
| All non-students | All adults | None unless otherwise eligible |
Notify your council and sort your council tax exemption together
SlothMove helps you notify your new council of your move-in date as part of a wider address update that also covers energy, water, your bank, and more. If you are a student moving into a new property, getting the council notified quickly gives you time to submit your exemption certificate before a bill is issued.
Here’s why over 75,000 people have chosen SlothMove:
- Save 14+ hours of admin time: based on data from over 75,000 completed moves.
- One form updates everything: DVLA, NHS, HMRC, councils, utilities, and more.
- Cheaper than mail redirection: Just £30 versus up to £87 for mail forwarding.
- Secure and trusted: ICO-registered, GDPR compliant, with 256-bit SSL encryption, backed by Taylor Rose MW (one of the UK’s largest conveyancing firms).
SlothMove handles your Council Address update along with all your other essential updates. No chasing, no forgotten providers, no stress.
Related articles and Guides
For more on council tax when moving, see our main guide to council tax change of address. You may also find our guides to single-person council tax discount when moving and council tax empty property when moving useful.
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Frequently asked questions
Are students exempt from council tax?
Full-time students are disregarded for council tax purposes. If all occupants of a property are full-time students, the property is fully exempt. If only some occupants are students, the non-student adults are liable, though they may benefit from the single-person discount if they are the only non-student adults in the property.
Do I need to apply for a student council tax exemption when I move?
Yes. The exemption does not carry over automatically to a new address. When you move, contact your new council and tell them you are a full-time student. You will need to provide a council tax exemption certificate from your university. Request one from your student services or registry office.
What happens to council tax over the summer if I am a student?
It depends on your tenancy. If your tenancy runs through the summer, you may remain liable for council tax on the property even while you are not living there. If the tenancy ends before the summer, your liability ends with it. Check your tenancy end date and contact your council if you are unsure.
When does the student council tax exemption end?
The exemption ends when your course ends. Once you graduate and move into a new property, you are liable for council tax from the date you move in. Make sure you notify your new council and ask about the single-person discount if you are the only adult in the property.
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