A house in Brighton lived in only by full-time students pays no council tax. At Brighton & Hove City Council's Band D charge of £2,579 a year, that exemption is worth about £215 a month — but only if you actually claim it.
| All-student household | Fully exempt |
| How to claim | Register the property for Council Tax first, then apply online through the council's Council Tax portal by choosing the 'Discounts and exemptions' option. |
| Evidence they want | Council Tax account number, names of all other adults in the property, the name of the university/college, and student registration numbers or certificates; the council then checks course dates with your place of study. |
| University sends your data directly | No — you must claim it yourself |
| Band D charge, 2026/27 | £2,579 |
Exemption runs only for your course dates — 'none of you have to pay Council Tax during your course dates. You'll still have to pay Council Tax outside of these dates.' Full-time = course of at least one calendar/academic year with 21+ hours a week (or 3+ months and 12+ hours for under-20s at A-level). Band D figure is the standard 2026/27 charge for 2 or more adults (1-adult charge £1,934.58); Hanover Crescent, Royal Crescent, Marine Square and Rottingdean Parish pay slightly different amounts. Band D verified at https://www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/council-tax/council-tax-information/how-much-council-tax-2026-2027
If one resident is not a full-time student they pay all the Council Tax but get a 25% discount; with two or more non-students the full charge is due.
The councils nearest Brighton & Hove 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Coventry | Coventry City Council | £2,516 |
| Leicester | Leicester City Council | £2,529 |
| Wolverhampton | City of Wolverhampton Council | £2,539 |
| Newcastle upon Tyne | Newcastle City Council | £2,541 |
| Bangor | Cyngor Gwynedd | £2,555 |
| Brighton | Brighton & Hove City Council | £2,579 |
| Salford | Salford City Council | £2,594 |
| London (Kingston) | Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames | £2,608 |
| Reading | Reading Borough Council | £2,613 |
| Liverpool | Liverpool City Council | £2,674 |
| Oxford | Oxford City Council | £2,676 |
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.
Register the property for Council Tax first, then apply online through the council's Council Tax portal by choosing the 'Discounts and exemptions' option.
Council Tax account number, names of all other adults in the property, the name of the university/college, and student registration numbers or certificates; the council then checks course dates with your place of study.
If one resident is not a full-time student they pay all the Council Tax but get a 25% discount; with two or more non-students the full charge is due.
Checked 18 August 2026 against brighton-hove.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.