A house in Bristol lived in only by full-time students pays no council tax. At Bristol City Council's Band D charge of £2,714 a year, that exemption is worth about £226 a month — but only if you actually claim it.
| All-student household | Fully exempt |
| How to claim | Online student discount form, with certificates uploaded afterwards through the council tax contact form if asked. |
| Evidence they want | A student number or certificate for each student, plus names and move-in dates for every adult over 18, and dates of birth for students under 20. |
| Band D charge, 2026/27 | £2,714 |
The trap Bristol flags explicitly: if your tenancy starts before your course does, you are liable for the gap — and the same applies if the course ends before the tenancy. Halls need no application.
The councils nearest Bristol 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| Bristol | Bristol City Council | £2,714 |
| Nottingham | Nottingham City Council | £2,755 |
| Aberdeen | Aberdeen City Council | — |
| Belfast | Belfast City Council | — |
| Chester | Cheshire West and Chester Council | — |
| London (Greenwich) | Royal Borough of Greenwich | — |
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 discount form, with certificates uploaded afterwards through the council tax contact form if asked.
A student number or certificate for each student, plus names and move-in dates for every adult over 18, and dates of birth for students under 20.
Checked 18 August 2026 against bristol.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.