A house in Colchester lived in only by full-time students pays no council tax. At Colchester City Council's Band D charge of £2,241 a year, that exemption is worth about £187 a month — but only if you actually claim it.
| All-student household | Fully exempt |
| How to claim | Complete the council's online student discount/exemption application form; a revised bill is issued once the discount or exemption is applied. |
| Evidence they want | 'A certificate from the registrar of your school, college or university', or a document from your place of study confirming the course dates and whether you are full or part time; University of Essex students supply their PRID number. |
| University sends your data directly | No — you must claim it yourself |
| Band D charge, 2026/27 | £2,241 |
'Households which are occupied exclusively by full-time students do not have to pay Council Tax.' Note the domain migration — colchester.gov.uk/council-tax/student-discount/ 302-redirects to the new.colchester.gov.uk address. The University of Essex PRID number is asked for as part of the application; the page does not describe the council receiving enrolment data from the university, and says nothing about halls being automatic. Band D £2,240.94 is the Colchester City (unparished) figure from the table headed 'the 2026/2027 Council Tax amounts'; parishes range up to about £2,350. Verified at https://www.new.colchester.gov.uk/council-tax/council-tax-information-0/council-tax-bands-and-charges
'If only one person living in your household is not a full-time student they will have to pay Council Tax, but they can apply for a 25% disregard discount.' The course must last at least one academic or calendar year at a recognised establishment; student nurses, apprentices and Youth Training trainees are covered under separate conditions.
The councils nearest Colchester 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 |
|---|---|---|
| London (Westminster) | Westminster City Council | £1,048 |
| Edinburgh | The City of Edinburgh Council | £1,626 |
| Dundee | Dundee City Council | £1,730 |
| London (Lambeth) | Lambeth Council | £2,047 |
| Stoke-on-Trent | Stoke-on-Trent City Council | £2,183 |
| Colchester | Colchester City Council | £2,241 |
| York | City of York Council | £2,270 |
| Leeds | Leeds City Council | £2,272 |
| Portsmouth | Portsmouth City Council | £2,292 |
| Hull | Hull City Council | £2,295 |
| Lincoln | City of Lincoln Council | £2,323 |
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 discount/exemption application form; a revised bill is issued once the discount or exemption is applied.
'A certificate from the registrar of your school, college or university', or a document from your place of study confirming the course dates and whether you are full or part time; University of Essex students supply their PRID number.
'If only one person living in your household is not a full-time student they will have to pay Council Tax, but they can apply for a 25% disregard discount.' The course must last at least one academic or calendar year at a recognised establishment; student nurses, apprentices and Youth Training trainees are covered under separate conditions.
Checked 18 August 2026 against new.colchester.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.