Student Council Tax discounts and exemptions

If your home is only occupied by students it is exempt and you do not have to pay Council Tax.

Apply for a Student Council Tax exemption

You can apply online through our self-service portal using the link below.

Access the self-service portal    

You will also need to send us your student exemption certificate.

Applying for a student exemption certificate

If you are a student at the University of Hertfordshire, you can use your student status letter as evidence for this, contact Ask Herts to get one.

Once you have submitted the request to Ask Herts you will recieve an email which you can save and send to us as a PDF document.

Some students, such as research students may need a manual letter, you can contact Ask Herts for this.

If you are living in Halls of Residence you do not need to apply. Your place of education will apply for you.

Who qualifies as a student

  • those on full time education courses (at least 21 hours a week)

  • those under 20 studying for at least three months for 12 hours a week or more

  • those doing qualifying courses

  • foreign language assistants

  • student nurses (see below)

  • apprentices and school leavers (visit the Apprentices and Young People's Council Tax discount page)

  • youth training trainees

  • UK residents studying full time in an EU country.

Student nurses

A student nurse is:

  • studying academic courses at university or college or on a Project 2000 course

  • on the Nursing Register for first time

  • or on courses which lead to being on the Nursing Register (any of parts 1 to 6, 8, 10 or 11)

You should apply for a Council Tax exemption using the self-service portal.

Spouses or dependants of a student

If you are the spouse or dependant of a student you may be a able to get a Council Tax discount.

You must must be a non British Citizen. You visa must say either you cannot work here or you cannot have access to public funds.

You will need to send us:

  • your Certificate of Student Status
  • a copy of your passport.

Apply using the self-service portal.

Students who own a property

If you are a student who owns a property it may be exempt from Council Tax if:

  • you are a full-time student who has left your property in order to study
  • you became a student less that six weeks after you left
  • it was your main home before you left
  • no one is living there as their main home since you left.

Apply using the self-service portal.

You must let us know in writing that your property is exempt for these reasons.

The exemption will stop once you complete your course, even if you do not move back into your home.