A house in Bournemouth lived in only by full-time students pays no council tax. At Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council (BCP Council)'s Band D charge of £2,400 a year, that exemption is worth about £200 a month — but only if you actually claim it.
| All-student household | Fully exempt |
| How to claim | Complete the council's online student exemption/discount form ('Start now'), which needs your Council Tax account number, and send a copy of your certificate. |
| Evidence they want | 'You need to get a Council Tax exemption certificate from your university or college that shows the dates of your course. You must apply and provide us with a copy of your certificate.' |
| University sends your data directly | No — you must claim it yourself |
| Band D charge, 2026/27 | £2,400 |
The page repeatedly refers to a student 'exemption' and to it ending when the course ends, but does not spell out the all-occupants-are-students rule in so many words — it says only 'Discount or exemption depends on the status of and if there are other occupants.' Exemption ends the day the course ends, not at graduation, and a gap between two courses is not covered. No Bournemouth University or AUB data feed is mentioned. Band D £2,399.99 for the unparished areas of Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP £1,980.46 + Dorset Police £322.58 + Dorset & Wiltshire Fire £96.95); parished areas add a precept. Band D verified at https://www.bcpcouncil.gov.uk/council-tax/council-tax-explained/council-tax-bands-and-charges
Under-20s not on a full-time course can still count as students if they study 12+ hours a week on a course of 3 months or more that is not higher education; 18 and 19 year olds who leave school or college after 30 April keep the discount or exemption until the following November.
The councils nearest Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council (BCP 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| Plymouth | Plymouth City Council | £2,442 |
| Lancaster | Lancaster City Council | £2,461 |
| Cambridge | Cambridge City Council | £2,467 |
| Durham | Durham County Council | £2,500 |
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.
Complete the council's online student exemption/discount form ('Start now'), which needs your Council Tax account number, and send a copy of your certificate.
'You need to get a Council Tax exemption certificate from your university or college that shows the dates of your course. You must apply and provide us with a copy of your certificate.'
Under-20s not on a full-time course can still count as students if they study 12+ hours a week on a course of 3 months or more that is not higher education; 18 and 19 year olds who leave school or college after 30 April keep the discount or exemption until the following November.
Checked 18 August 2026 against bcpcouncil.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.