Skip to main content

Discounts for occupied properties

A full council tax bill assumes there are at least two adults living in the property.

If only one adult lives in a property, we can lower the council tax by 25%. We call this a ‘single person discount’. 

Some people are not counted as living in a property for council tax purposes, so even if there is more than one adult living in the property, we can still give a discount.

Check by counting how many people live in your property, leaving out:

  • apprentices and youth trainees
  • students, student nurses and foreign language assistants
  • hospital patients or care home patients 
  • people who are severely mentally impaired 
  • people for whom child benefit is payable
  • people aged under 20 years who have recently left school or college
  • carers and care workers 
  • people in prison or on remand 
  • members of religious communities, such as monks and nuns
  • residents of hostels or night shelters
  • spouses of students where they are prevented (by immigration rules) from paid work or claiming benefit
  • people who are diplomats, members of international headquarters, defence organisations and visiting forces

The amount of discount you can get will be:

  • 25 percent if only one person is counted as resident
  • 50 percent if no one is counted as resident
  • 50 percent annexe discount if it’s unoccupied or lived in by a relative of the main householder
  • 100 percent annexe discount if the person living there is a dependant relative

If no one counts as resident because all the residents are severely mentally impaired or students, the property will be exempt from council tax.

There are discounts and/or exemptions for homes that can’t be lived in, unoccupied homes and properties undergoing major repairs.

The person responsible for paying council tax must complete the below discount/exemption claim form if they want to apply.