London council tax is going up across the board as the majority of London’s local authorities follow other councils around the country and increase council tax by the maximum allowed for the new financial year (beginning April 2023).
Most Londoners will see a 4.99% increase in their council tax bills, although that excludes the Mayor of London’s precept.
Sadiq Khan has announced plans to raise his precept by just under 10% to fund services provided by the Greater London Authority (GLA).
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This amounts to £38.55 on average for a D Band Property. The typical London household will pay over £434 next year to the GLA, that’s on top of the increases from local councils.
The London councils facing the highest increase in council tax
Croydon council tax is on track for the highest increase in the capital. Croydon Council has been given special permission by the government to raise council tax by 15% to raise money after it issued its third bankruptcy notice in two years in November.
Elsewhere, Lambeth council tax will be going up by 4.99% as the local authority pushes for the maximum allowed increase.
Among the handful of councils not hiking tax by the maximum allowed include Kensington and Chelsea. This council has said it plans to freeze its part of council tax, only implementing a 2% increase to fund social care.
Additionally, a one-off payment of £100 to households in bands A to D has been suggested by council members to help residents with the cost of living crisis.
Tower Hamlets’ council tax will also be frozen for the next year, with the local authority implementing only a 2% rise in the Adult Social Care precept.
These are the London boroughs that have proposed or confirmed council tax increases.
| Local authority | Council Tax Increase |
| Barking & Dagenham | 4.99% |
| Barnet | 3.8% |
| Bexley | 4.99% |
| Brent | 2.99% |
| Bromley | 4.99% |
| Camden | 4.99% |
| Croydon | 15% |
| Ealing | 4.99% |
| Enfield | 4.99% |
| Greenwich | 4.99% |
| Hackney | 4.99% |
| Hammersmith and Fulham | 4.99% |
| Haringey | 2.99% |
| Harrow | 4.99% |
| Havering | 4.99% |
| Hillingdon | 4.99% |
| Hounslow | 4.99% |
| Islington | 4.99% |
| Kensington and Chelsea | 0% |
| Kingston Upon Thames | 4.99% |
| Lambeth | 4.99% |
| Lewisham | 4.99% |
| Merton | 4.99% |
| Newham | 4.99% |
| Redbridge | 4.99% |
| Richmond Upon Thames | 4.99% |
| Southwark | 4.99% |
| Sutton | 4.99% |
| Tower Hamlets | 2% |
| Waltham Forest | 4.99% |
| Wandsowrth | 2% |
| Westminster | 2% |
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