A house in Cambridge lived in only by full-time students pays no council tax. At Cambridge City Council's Band D charge of £2,467 a year, that exemption is worth about £206 a month — but only if you actually claim it.
| All-student household | Fully exempt |
| How to claim | Apply online, uploading a certificate through My Account if your institution is not on the council's list. |
| Evidence they want | College name and unique student number only, if you are at Anglia Ruskin, Cambridge Regional College or any of the 31 University of Cambridge colleges; otherwise a certificate showing your dates of enrolment and course. |
| University sends your data directly | Yes |
| Band D charge, 2026/27 | £2,467 |
Halls need no claim. Properties left empty by full-time students are also exempt, and non-British spouses of students count as students. A non-student living with students may get 25% off. Foreign students with a partner who cannot work must send the partner's passport and visa page.
The councils nearest Cambridge 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| Guildford | Guildford Borough Council | £2,501 |
| Norwich | Norwich City Council | £2,503 |
| Sheffield | Sheffield City Council | £2,505 |
| Coventry | Coventry City Council | £2,516 |
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.
Apply online, uploading a certificate through My Account if your institution is not on the council's list.
College name and unique student number only, if you are at Anglia Ruskin, Cambridge Regional College or any of the 31 University of Cambridge colleges; otherwise a certificate showing your dates of enrolment and course.
Checked 18 August 2026 against cambridge.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.