Council tax for international students
Lesson 12 of 13 in our free Housing & Renting guide: a 5-minute money game with the key points below.
Shown for England. Some rules here are different in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland: the lesson shows your nation's version.
This lesson is in the full version.
Free with a code from your uni, college, council, landlord or employer (worth £600/year). Lesson 1 of Housing & Renting is free for everyone.
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Questions you'll answer
Your all-student flat gets a council tax bill in October. What do you do?
Quick facts
- Four full-time international postgraduates sharing a flat → Exempt (all full-time students). Everyone is a full-time student, so the home is exempt.
- Three full-time students and one flatmate who works full time → Not exempt, or only a discount. Not everyone is a student. The students are ignored when counting, so the home usually gets a discount rather than an exemption.
- A full-time student and their non-British spouse, whose visa doesn't let them work or claim benefits → Exempt (all full-time students). A partner or dependant in that position is ignored, so the home can still be exempt. This doesn't apply if the partner is British or settled.
- A part-time student on a 10-hour-a-week course living with a full-time student → Not exempt, or only a discount. Full time means a course lasting at least a year with at least 21 hours of study a week.
- Myth: “International students can't get the council tax student exemption.” — They get exactly the same exemption as UK students.
- Fact: “Your university must give you a council tax certificate free of charge.” — Ask student services or download it from your student portal, then send it to the council.
- Myth: “The bill disappears on its own once the council finds out you're a student.” — The council needs your certificate. Ignore the bill and it can turn into arrears.
- Fact: “In Scotland, the exemption covers water and sewerage charges too.” — Scottish water charges are collected with council tax, so the exemption covers them.