Council Tax discounts

The Council Tax bill assumes there are 2 adults living in the property. There are discounts where there is only one adult, no adults, unoccupied properties, and in some other circumstances. 

If a discount has been given on your bill wrongly you must tell us. You must also tell us if your circumstances change. If you don't you could get a fine of £70. 

Single occupiers discount

You can get a 25% discount if you are the only adult living in the property. An adult is someone aged 18-years-old or over. 

Apply for a single occupier discount

Other discounts

You can get a 50% discount if everyone in the house is disregarded for Council Tax purposes, or 25% if all but one person in the household is disregarded for Council Tax purposes. 

Examples of people that can be disregarded for Council Tax purposes:  

• children under 18
• people on some apprentice schemes
• 18 and 19-year-olds in full-time education
• full-time college and university students
• young people under 25 who get funding from the Skills Funding Agency or Young People’s Learning Agency
• student nurses
• foreign language assistants registered with the British Council
• people with a severe mental impairment
• live-in carers who look after someone who is not their partner, spouse, or child under 18
• diplomats
• prisoners
• people who are permanently resident in a care home. 

Apply for an exemption or discount

Your can also find an application form in the related documents section of this web page. 

Care leavers

We work with Nottinghamshire County Council to support care leavers with their Council Tax. This can be a discount of up to 100% on their Council Tax bill until they are aged 25. 

Care leavers are not expected to apply for this discount as we work closely with the county council to identify who is entitled to the discount and apply it to their account. 

Unoccupied and unfurnished properties

Unoccupied and unfurnished properties or properties which are uninhabitable or need major repair works may have a discount or a surcharge applied to the Council Tax bill. This is a Class C discount.

The discount applies from the date the property became unoccupied and unfurnished and not the date the property required the work or changed owner.

The discounts are:

• unfurnished properties get a free period of up to one month after being vacated
• 25% discount for a further 5 months after being vacated
• after 6 months full charge applies for up to 18 more months. From 1 April 2024, after 6 months a full charge applies for up to a further 6 months
• properties empty for between 2 and 5 years will be charged an additional 100% premium. From 1 April 2024 properties empty for between one and 5 years will be charged an additional 100% premium
• if a property is empty for 5 years or more you will be charged an additional 200% premium.
• if a property is empty for 10 years or more you will be charged an additional 300%

If the dwelling is furnished but unoccupied, no discount will apply.

Second and holiday homes

There is no Council Tax discount for a second home or a furnished property used as a holiday home, and not as a main residence.