Council tax applies to all domestic properties in London and elsewhere in the UK, including houses, bungalows, flats, maisonettes, mobile homes and houseboats, regardless of whether they are rented or owned outright. The purpose of council tax is to contribute towards useful local services that keep our streets safe and clean, such as policing and domestic rubbish collection.
What is my council tax band in London?
The Valuation Office Agency, a division of the Inland Revenue, determines the valuation band for each property. In England, properties are placed into one of eight bands, based on their capital value on 1 April 1991 – not what the property is worth today.
Each borough council in London differs in the amount of council tax you pay. This is dependent on the costs for services within each individual area.
Below is a list of all London councils and their council tax rates for 2020/21. Find the borough you will be living in after you complete your move to London, so you can calculate your monthly council tax payments.
London Boroughs
Barking and Dagenham
Barnet
Bexley
Brent
Bromley
Camden
City of London
Croydon
Ealing
Enfield
Greenwich
Hackney
Hammersmith and Fulham
Haringey
Harrow
Havering
Hillingdon
Hounslow
Islington
Kensington and Chelsea
Kingston
Lambeth
Lewisham
Merton
Newham
Redbridge
Richmond
Southwark
Tower Hamlets
Waltham Forest
Wandsworth
Westminster
Council tax discounts
There are a number of discounts available for council tax. A ‘full’ council tax bill is based on the property being inhabited by a minimum of two adults. Properties occupied by a single person will be eligible for a single person reduction of 25%.
If noone living in your home is legally coounted as an adult, you can get a discount of 50%. This includes:
- Anyone under 18
- 18-19 year olds in full time education
- People on apprenticeship schemes
- Full time university and college 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
If a property remains furnished but is not the primary residence of any individual then a second home discount may apply reduction at the discretion of each individual council.
If everyone in your household is a full-time student, you don’t need to pay council tax. However, even one working member of the household invalidates this discount.
How to apply for a council tax reduction
If you believe you are eligible for a discount, exemption or reduction on your council tax then it is important to get in touch with your local council as soon as possible.
Use the links to each London council above to find contact details for your relevant region.
Updated: September 2021