A house in London (Kingston) lived in only by full-time students pays no council tax. At Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames's Band D charge of £2,608 a year, that exemption is worth about £217 a month — but only if you actually claim it.
| All-student household | Fully exempt |
| How to claim | Apply online for the student and apprentice discount. |
| Evidence they want | A student certificate for Council Tax from your university or college, usually in your registration pack — except at Kingston University and St Mary's University, whose students need only supply a student number. You also need the property address, the names of all adults over 18, your institution, and the course start and end dates. |
| University sends your data directly | Yes |
| Band D charge, 2026/27 | £2,608 |
'You do not need to pay council tax if all housemates are full-time students (exempt).' Band D 2026/27 of £2,608.12 is Kingston's £2,097.61 plus the £510.51 Greater London Authority precept, read from the council's bands and charges page. Properties within three-quarters of a mile of Wimbledon Common pay an additional Commons Levy of £41.38, taking Band D to £2,649.50.
No discount at all if you live with two or more non-students or part-time students; 25% off if all but one resident is disregarded, and 50% if all of them are.
The councils nearest Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Wolverhampton | City of Wolverhampton Council | £2,539 |
| Newcastle upon Tyne | Newcastle City Council | £2,541 |
| Bangor | Cyngor Gwynedd | £2,555 |
| Brighton | Brighton & Hove City Council | £2,579 |
| Salford | Salford City Council | £2,594 |
| London (Kingston) | Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames | £2,608 |
| Reading | Reading Borough Council | £2,613 |
| Liverpool | Liverpool City Council | £2,674 |
| Oxford | Oxford City Council | £2,676 |
| Bristol | Bristol City Council | £2,714 |
| Nottingham | Nottingham City Council | £2,755 |
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 and apprentice discount.
A student certificate for Council Tax from your university or college, usually in your registration pack — except at Kingston University and St Mary's University, whose students need only supply a student number. You also need the property address, the names of all adults over 18, your institution, and the course start and end dates.
No discount at all if you live with two or more non-students or part-time students; 25% off if all but one resident is disregarded, and 50% if all of them are.
Checked 19 August 2026 against kingston.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.