You will need to notify the council of your student status.

Find your important letters in MyStudentRecord. Here you’ll be able to download your Council Tax Exemption, Confirmation of Studies and bank letters – which international students will need to set up a UK account.

If your council asks for a certificate, you should tell them you are a full-time student at Nottingham Trent University and that you can provide your student status:

• Nottingham City Council: 0115 718 1777
• Broxtowe: 0115 917 7777
• Rushcliffe: 0115 981 9911
• Gedling: 0115 901 3950
• NW Leicestershire: 01530 454499
• Erewash: 0115 907 2244
• Derby City Council: 01332 293 111

You can find additional council details here.

If you need council tax exemption for a property outside of the Greater Nottingham area, you can access a 'confirmation of student status' letter through MyStudentRecord.

• University-owned halls of residence (however, self-contained flats for tutors are classed as separate dwellings).
• Accommodation in which all the occupiers are full-time students or "relevant persons".

A full-time student is a "relevant person". In addition, a "relevant person" is a student's spouse or dependant who is not a British citizen and who is prevented, by certain terms, from working or from claiming benefits. Properties occupied only by an international student and their spouse and family should usually be exempt.

Registered undergraduate and postgraduate students on courses classed as full-time by the University will count as "students".

If you are taking time out of a full-time course and intending to return, this is known as "intercalation", and during this time you should still be regarded as a student. You should get a letter from your school confirming your course, and that you are taking time out of your course and intend to return to it.

If a full-time student lives in the same property as someone who is 18 or over and who is not a full-time student or "relevant person", it means that it is likely Council Tax should be paid.

However, full-time students are not usually jointly and severally liable for the Council Tax if someone else is attracting the Council Tax to the property, and they have equal status in the house with the full-time student (i.e. joint tenants).

The liable person(s) is the resident(s) of the dwelling with the highest legal interest in the dwelling. There is a "hierarchy of liability".

The liable person(s) will be either one or more of the occupiers of the property or someone who lives elsewhere, for example your landlord.

The amount of Council Tax charged by the local council depends on various factors including the value of the property compared to other dwellings in the area, whether a discount is available, whether the liable person can claim Council Tax Reduction (also called Council Tax Support), and whether any other reductions apply.

A discount of 25% applies if there is only one person resident in a property where council tax needs to be paid. When working out the number of residents in a property certain people are disregarded, including full-time students.

If you have completed your degree and are no longer registered as a student, it is likely you will be liable to pay council tax. For final year undergraduates, the last day of the summer term is the official last day of your student status. This means that after the end of term, you will usually be liable to pay council tax for as long as you live in the property, even if you are going to a different postgraduate course next year. Tell the council the date you move out so your liability stops.

Local councils do chase students for any Council Tax outstanding, so make sure you look out for letters from them.

For more advice and information about Council Tax, please contact the NTSU Advice Service.