Do students pay council tax in Bristol?

Not if everyone living in the house is a full-time student. A household where everyone is a full-time student doesn't have to pay council tax. If you get a bill anyway, you apply to the council for an exemption.

Who counts as a full-time student

Bristol City Council counts you as a full-time student if you're over 20 and your course:

• lasts at least 24 weeks
• involves at least 21 hours of study a week
• is at a recognised educational establishment

If you're under 20, your course has to last at least 3 months and involve at least 12 hours of study a week.

If you live with someone who isn't a student

Full-time students aren't counted when the council works out how many adults live in a property. This is called a student disregard. So:

• One non-student in the house: the household gets 25% off the bill.
• Two or more non-students: the full bill is payable.

If a housemate finishes their course or stops studying full time, the house can go from no bill to a discounted one. If you get a discount or exemption you're no longer entitled to, you must tell the council. If you don't, you could be fined, and the council may ask you to pay it back.

Check your tenancy dates

If your tenancy starts before your course does, Bristol City Council doesn't count you as a full-time student for the time in between, and you could have to pay council tax for that period. The same applies at the other end, if your course finishes before your tenancy does.

For example, if your course ends in June and your tenancy runs to the end of August, you could be billed for July and August. Compare the dates before you sign.

How to apply

In Bristol you apply on the council's student exemptions and discounts page. You'll need:

• the address and postcode of the property
• the names of all adults over 18 living there
• the date each person moved in
• a student number or student certificate for each student
• the date of birth of any student under 20

The council may then ask you to upload student certificates. If you don't have one, ask your university for a council tax certificate.

If you live in halls provided by your university or college, you don't need to apply.

Filton is in South Gloucestershire, not Bristol, so houses there apply to South Gloucestershire Council instead. The rule that an all-student household pays no council tax is the same across England.

Sources

• Student exemptions and discounts, Bristol City Council
• Discounts for full-time students, GOV.UK
• Who has to pay council tax, GOV.UK

Checked against these pages on 21 October 2026. This is general information, not legal advice.