Council tax is going up in 33 London boroughs in April 2026 – here’s by how much in each borough

It’s less than two months until we enter a brand new financial year. Unfortunately that means, from gas and electricity to council tax, everyone’s monthly bills will be going up. Oh, happy days. 

The reassuring news is that you can start budgeting for those increases now, as London’s borough councils have revealed the exact percentage they’ll be putting their council tax up by in April. 

Nearly all London boroughs are raising their council tax by the maximum 4.99 percent, meaning Londoners will see an average of nearly £100 added to their annual council tax in the next financial year. So, on a monthly basis most of us can expect to be paying an extra £8 or so. 

None of the five boroughs that were granted special permission to raise their bills above the 4.99 percent cap have done so. In fact, two of the boroughs that were given the power to increase council tax more than anywhere else in the city have instead implemented the smallest increases this year.

Wandsworth and Westminster have both decided to freeze the main element of their council tax, only increasing the portion that’s spent on social care. That means residents will see a rise of just two percent and Wandsworth will have the lowest council tax in the entire country (£1,020 for the year). 

Elsewhere, Kensington & Chelsea has proposed doubling council tax bills for second home owners in the area, following in the footsteps of Wandsworth, Westminster and Hackney. Whether or not that goes ahead is yet to be confirmed. 

London council tax increases 2026

All London boroughs have now declared council tax increases set to come into effect from April 6 2026. Find the full list of increases below alongside what the average Band D home can expect to pay. 

• Barking and Dagenham: 4.99 percent (£2,198)
• Barnet: 4.98 percent (£2,132)
• Bexley: 4.99 percent (£2,366)
• Brent: 4.99 percent (£2,235)
• Bromley: 4.99 percent (£2,140)
• Camden: 4.99 percent (£2,207)
• Croydon: 4.99 percent (£2,600)
• Ealing: 4.99 percent (£2,138)
• Enfield: 4.99 percent (£2,267)
• Greenwich: 4.99 percent (£2,107)
• Hackney: 4.99 percent (£2,060)
• Hammersmith and Fulham: 4.99 percent (£1,519)
• Haringey: 4.99 percent (£2,313)
• Harrow: 4.99 percent (£2,511)
• Havering: 4.99 percent (£2,424)
• Hillingdon: 4.99 percent (£2,045)
• Hounslow: 4.99 percent (£2,185)
• Islington: 4.99 percent (£2,107)
• Kensington & Chelsea: 4.99 percent (£1,643)
• Kingston: 4.99 percent (£2,608)
• Lambeth: 4.99 percent (£2,047)
• Lewisham: 4.99 percent (£2,237)
• Merton: 4.99 percent (£2,188)
• Newham: 4.99 percent (£1,911)
• Redbridge: 4.99 percent (£2,294)
• Richmond: 4.99 percent (£2,486)
• Southwark: 4.99 percent (£1,967)
• Sutton: 4.99 percent (£2,378)
• Tower Hamlets: 4.99 percent (£1,837)
• Waltham Forest: 4.99 percent (£2,387)
• Wandsworth: 2 percent (£1,020)
• Westminster: 2 percent (£1,047)

What date does council tax go up?

You’ll have to watch out for higher tax bills from April 6 2026.