A house in London (Islington) lived in only by full-time students pays no council tax — but the exemption is not automatic, and it is not backdated indefinitely if you never claim it.
| All-student household | Fully exempt |
| How to claim | Apply online for the student exemption or discount; you need your Council Tax account number from your bill. |
| Evidence they want | The page names no document — it asks only for the Council Tax account number to start the application. |
| University sends your data directly | No — you must claim it yourself |
Islington publishes the household outcome as a table, which is unusually clear: 100% / 25% / 0%. Qualifying study is 24+ weeks a year at 21+ hours a week, or under-20s at 12+ hours for 3+ months; evening classes, job-related study and day-release do not count. Student nurses, midwives and British Council foreign language assistants also qualify. Band D is null because the council's bands page returned 404 on every path tried.
Everyone eligible is a 100% exemption; one person not eligible is 25% off; two or more not eligible is the full bill.
The councils nearest Islington 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | — |
| London (Hillingdon) | London Borough of Hillingdon | — |
| London (Islington) | Islington Council | — |
| London (Tower Hamlets) | Tower Hamlets Council | — |
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 for the student exemption or discount; you need your Council Tax account number from your bill.
The page names no document — it asks only for the Council Tax account number to start the application.
Everyone eligible is a 100% exemption; one person not eligible is 25% off; two or more not eligible is the full bill.
Checked 19 August 2026 against islington.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.