A house in Canterbury lived in only by full-time students pays no council tax. At Canterbury City Council's Band D charge of £2,398 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 | Apply on the council's online form at https://forms.canterbury.gov.uk/xfp/form/626. |
| Evidence they want | Proof of student status: a student ID card and 'a copy of your student certificate given to you by the college or university'. |
| University sends your data directly | No — you must claim it yourself |
| Band D charge, 2026/27 | £2,398 |
'If you are a full-time student you don't have to pay council tax' — you must be 18+, on a course lasting at least 24 weeks a year with 21+ hours a week of study. The page does not mention any data feed from the University of Kent, Canterbury Christ Church, UCA or Canterbury College, nor automatic treatment of halls. Band D £2,397.99 is the charge for the unparished area (Canterbury, Herne Bay and Whitstable) for 2026/27; the surrounding parishes pay between roughly £2,437 and £2,525. Verified at https://www.canterbury.gov.uk/council-tax/council-tax-charges-202627
'You can get a 25% discount on your council tax bill if you live with students and you're the only other person over 18.' Under-20s on further education courses of 3+ months and 12+ hours a week also count; part-time higher education does not.
The councils nearest Canterbury 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| Plymouth | Plymouth City Council | £2,442 |
| Lancaster | Lancaster City Council | £2,461 |
| Cambridge | Cambridge City Council | £2,467 |
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 on the council's online form at https://forms.canterbury.gov.uk/xfp/form/626.
Proof of student status: a student ID card and 'a copy of your student certificate given to you by the college or university'.
'You can get a 25% discount on your council tax bill if you live with students and you're the only other person over 18.' Under-20s on further education courses of 3+ months and 12+ hours a week also count; part-time higher education does not.
Checked 18 August 2026 against canterbury.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.