London council tax bands by borough (2026/27)
Data last updated
Band D council tax across London's 33 boroughs runs from £1,028.21 in Wandsworth to £2,609.20 in Kingston upon Thames for 2026/27, a gap of £1,580.99 a year. The simple average across the boroughs is £2,090.08. If your band looks wrong, the official challenge is free.
Every London borough compared, cheapest first
| Borough | Band D (2026/27) | Change on last year |
|---|---|---|
| Wandsworth | £1,028.21 | +£30.46 (3.1%) |
| Westminster | £1,049.55 | +£30.55 (3.0%) |
| City of London | £1,329.56 | +£55.49 (4.4%) |
| Hammersmith & Fulham | £1,519.51 | +£68.09 (4.7%) |
| Kensington & Chelsea | £1,666.65 | +£75.06 (4.7%) |
| Tower Hamlets | £1,837.78 | +£83.21 (4.7%) |
| Newham | £1,944.23 | +£88.27 (4.8%) |
| Southwark | £1,967.26 | +£89.36 (4.8%) |
| Hillingdon | £2,045.46 | +£93.08 (4.8%) |
| Lambeth | £2,047.11 | +£93.16 (4.8%) |
| Hackney | £2,060.30 | +£93.79 (4.8%) |
| Greenwich | £2,107.86 | +£96.05 (4.8%) |
| Islington | £2,108.15 | +£96.05 (4.8%) |
| Barnet | £2,132.60 | +£97.08 (4.8%) |
| Ealing | £2,138.53 | +£97.51 (4.8%) |
| Bromley | £2,140.04 | +£97.58 (4.8%) |
| Merton | £2,146.76 | +£52.33 (2.5%) |
| Hounslow | £2,185.56 | +£99.74 (4.8%) |
| Barking & Dagenham | £2,198.51 | +£100.37 (4.8%) |
| Camden | £2,207.55 | +£100.86 (4.8%) |
| Brent | £2,235.27 | +£102.12 (4.8%) |
| Lewisham | £2,237.33 | +£102.20 (4.8%) |
| Enfield | £2,267.67 | +£103.65 (4.8%) |
| Redbridge | £2,294.58 | +£104.91 (4.8%) |
| Haringey | £2,313.78 | +£105.84 (4.8%) |
| Bexley | £2,366.36 | +£108.33 (4.8%) |
| Sutton | £2,378.64 | +£108.92 (4.8%) |
| Waltham Forest | £2,386.96 | +£109.31 (4.8%) |
| Havering | £2,424.66 | +£111.11 (4.8%) |
| Richmond upon Thames | £2,486.10 | +£114.03 (4.8%) |
| Harrow | £2,511.07 | +£115.21 (4.8%) |
| Croydon | £2,599.91 | +£119.43 (4.8%) |
| Kingston upon Thames | £2,609.20 | +£119.86 (4.8%) |
Figures are the area Band D charge for 2026/27 including the Greater London Authority precept. Click any borough for its full band A to H table, band distribution data and challenge guidance.
Why inner London boroughs charge less than outer ones
The cheapest charges in the country sit in inner London: Wandsworth and Westminster have held Band D below £1,099.55through a combination of dense housing, high commercial income and historic spending decisions. Outer boroughs raise more of their budget from council tax, so their charges sit closer to the England average of £2,392 (MHCLG, 2026/27). Where your home sits in that spread is set by two things: your borough's charge, and your band.
The band matters more than the borough
You cannot choose your borough's charge, but you can check your band. Every London home is still banded by its estimated value on 1 April 1991, and those valuations were done quickly and rarely revisited. Moving one band down saves roughly a ninth of the Band D charge every year, and refunds are backdated. Of 39,590 challenges resolved by the VOA in the year to March 2024, 10,530 (27%) ended in a lower band and only 30 (0.08%) moved up. Challenging is free through gov.uk; our £9.99 evidence pack does the comparables research if you want the case built for you.
Check every band on your London street
Enter your postcode to compare your band with every similar property near you, using official data. If your band looks too high, we build the evidence pack; submitting the challenge is free.
Check my council tax bandFrequently asked questions
Which London borough has the cheapest council tax in 2026/27?
Wandsworth has the cheapest Band D council tax in London for 2026/27 at £1,028.21 a year. It is followed by Westminster at £1,049.55. Low-charging inner boroughs benefit from high commercial income and dense housing, which spreads costs across more properties.
Which London borough has the most expensive council tax in 2026/27?
Kingston upon Thames has the most expensive Band D charge in London for 2026/27 at £2,609.20 a year, £1,580.99 more than Wandsworth. Outer boroughs generally charge more than inner ones because they raise less from other income sources.
Why is council tax so different between London boroughs?
Each of the 33 boroughs sets its own charge on top of the shared Greater London Authority precept. Differences reflect each borough's other income (commercial rates, fees, reserves), historic spending decisions, and property mix. Your band, set from 1 April 1991 values, then determines your share of that charge.
Can I challenge my council tax band in London?
Yes. Challenging is free through the Valuation Office Agency on gov.uk, whichever borough you live in. London bands were set in a rush from 1991 values and errors persist. Of 39,590 challenges resolved in England and Wales in the year to March 2024, 27% ended in a lower band and only 30 increased.
Sources
- MHCLG: Council Tax levels set by local authorities in England 2026 to 2027
- VOA: Council Tax challenges and changes in England and Wales, year to March 2024
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.