A house in Durham lived in only by full-time students pays no council tax. At Durham County Council's Band D charge of £2,500 a year, that exemption is worth about £208 a month — but only if you actually claim it.
| All-student household | Fully exempt |
| How to claim | Through an online council tax account, or a PDF form emailed, posted or dropped in — one application per household. |
| Evidence they want | Nothing to send for New College Durham or Durham University students, whose lists the council receives; a student certificate for anywhere else. You always give names, dates of birth, student numbers and course dates. |
| University sends your data directly | Yes |
| Band D charge, 2026/27 | £2,500 |
One non-student in the house means 25% off rather than exemption; two means nothing at all. A separate exemption covers a property left empty by its student owner. The figure excludes town and parish precepts — the City of Durham area pays more.
The councils nearest Durham County 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| Leicester | Leicester City Council | £2,529 |
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.
Through an online council tax account, or a PDF form emailed, posted or dropped in — one application per household.
Nothing to send for New College Durham or Durham University students, whose lists the council receives; a student certificate for anywhere else. You always give names, dates of birth, student numbers and course dates.
Checked 18 August 2026 against durham.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.