A house in Birmingham lived in only by full-time students pays no council tax. At Birmingham City Council's Band D charge of £2,353 a year, that exemption is worth about £196 a month — but only if you actually claim it.
| All-student household | Fully exempt |
| How to claim | Online student exemption form, best done from a signed-in BRUM account. |
| Evidence they want | Nothing to send for students at Aston, Birmingham City, Coventry, University College Birmingham or the University of Birmingham — those five send the council an electronic list every fortnight. A student certificate or faculty letter for anywhere else. |
| University sends your data directly | Yes |
| Band D charge, 2026/27 | £2,353 |
Check your name actually appears on your university's fortnightly list. A full-time student who is the main tenant or owner can still be held liable. Decisions come within 14 days. Sutton Coldfield pays a higher Band D.
Part-time study means you pay. A part-time student sharing with a full-time student may still get a discount, or a single-person discount if solely liable.
The councils nearest Birmingham City Council on the Band D charge — what the exemption is worth where you might have gone instead. The full table has every one.
| City | Council | Band D |
|---|---|---|
| Leeds | Leeds City Council | £2,272 |
| Portsmouth | Portsmouth City Council | £2,292 |
| Hull | Hull City Council | £2,295 |
| Lincoln | City of Lincoln Council | £2,323 |
| Bradford | City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council | £2,333 |
| Birmingham | Birmingham City Council | £2,353 |
| Loughborough | Charnwood Borough Council | £2,378 |
| Bath | Bath and North East Somerset Council | £2,383 |
| Canterbury | Canterbury City Council | £2,398 |
| Bournemouth | Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council (BCP Council) | £2,400 |
| Huddersfield | Kirklees Council | £2,430 |
No, not if every adult in the property is a full-time student — the household is exempt. The exemption has to be claimed; it does not apply itself just because you are a student.
Online student exemption form, best done from a signed-in BRUM account.
Nothing to send for students at Aston, Birmingham City, Coventry, University College Birmingham or the University of Birmingham — those five send the council an electronic list every fortnight. A student certificate or faculty letter for anywhere else.
Part-time study means you pay. A part-time student sharing with a full-time student may still get a discount, or a single-person discount if solely liable.
Checked 18 August 2026 against birmingham.gov.uk. Councils change their forms and evidence rules; the council's own page is the authority when you claim.
Processes checked 19 August 2026 against each council's own pages. This is information, not advice, and the council's page is the authority when you claim.