Council tax is included in the rent for working tenants but is NOT included in the rent for students because if you are a full time student studying at the University you should not have to pay any council tax.
This is because, currently for all full time students the government provides an exemption from council tax. This only applies to full time students and must be claimed by providing a copy of your student exemption certificate to your Landlord. Your Landlord is required to complete an annual audit return for the council (usually in autumn each year) which must include copies of the student exemption certificates. The council will remove the exemption if the certificates aren’t provided in time so it is in your interests to ensure that you provide the certificate otherwise you may end up with a large bill from the council!
The exemption certificate can be downloaded from the Money section of your SOLE page and should be emailed to your Landlord. If you don’t provide the certificate in time, the council will issue a council tax bill. You may be able to contest this bill and re-gain exemption but this can be a long and complicated process which can be avoided by providing your Landlord with your exemption certificate at the start of your tenancy or promptly when requested.