Council Tax bands and appeals

Most rented or owned property will have to pay Council Tax. This includes a: 

• house 
• bungalow 
• flat 
• maisonette 
• mobile home 
• houseboat 

Each property has been given a band according to its open market capital value at 1 April 1991.

The Listing Officer of the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) decided the value.

Your Council Tax bill shows which band your property is in. If you don't have a bill, you can check your Council Tax band.

If you do not have internet access, you can get access to this list by visiting your nearest Ideas Store or the town hall: 

Tower Hamlets Town Hall 
160 Whitechapel Road 
London 
E1 1BJ 

Any questions about the banding of your property should be go to the Valuation Office Agency 

Standard charges

The rates in this table are the standard charges per year for your valuation band.

If you get a discount or have an extra charge for an empty property, then your charge will be different.

Find out more about empty properties or if you qualify for a discount.

These charges are pro rata if you moved into the property part way through the Council Tax year (1 April to 31 March).

Exempt properties 

Some homes are exempt, including properties occupied by: 

• only students 
• diplomats 
• only by people under 18 years old 
• only by severely mentally impaired people 

An annex or similar self-contained part of a property that is occupied by an elderly or disabled relative of the residents living in the main part might be treated as exempt from Council Tax. 

Council Tax Reduction Scheme 

If a person receives income support, they will normally pay no council tax. Other people on low incomes may have their bills reduced. See more information about the council tax reduction scheme 

Appeals

Any queries regarding the banding of your home should be directed to the Valuation Office Agency

If you believe the banding of your property should be changed because there has been a material increase or reduction in value, you can challenge your banding. 

A material increase in value may result from building, engineering or other work carried out on the dwelling. In these cases, revaluation does not take place until after a sale, so the person appealing would usually be the new owner or resident

A reduction in value may result from the demolition of any part of the home, any change in the physical state of the local area or an adaptation to make the home or dwelling suitable for use by someone with a physical disability.

In these cases revaluation should take place as soon as possible. The grounds for appeal about banding are restricted to the following:

• where you believe that the banding should be changed because there has been a material increase or material reduction in the dwelling's value
• where you start or stop using part of your dwelling to carry out a business, or the balance between domestic and business use changes
• the listing officer has altered the list without a proposal having been made by a taxpayer:
• where you become the taxpayer in respect of a dwelling for the first time (your appeal must be made within six months, but if the same appeal has already been considered and determined by a Valuation Tribunal, it cannot be made again).

You may also appeal if you think that you are not liable to pay Council Tax, for example: 

• if you are not the resident or owner, 
• your property is exempt, 
• we have made a mistake calculating your bill. 

You will need to continue pay your Council Tax while your appeal is being reviewed by the Valuation Office agency.

Further details of the appeals procedures (including the role of the valuation tribunals) are available via The Valuation Office Agency.