Wandsworth's 2026/27 Band D council tax is £1,020.35 — the lowest in England. The headline rise of 3.1% is driven entirely by the adult social care precept and the GLA's increase; the council froze its core charge for the fourth consecutive year.
Last updated: April 2026 · Sources: VOA, MHCLG, Wandsworth Borough CouncilAnnual and monthly rates for every council tax band in Wandsworth for 2026/27, sourced directly from Wandsworth Borough Council's published schedule.
| Band | Annual | Per month (×12) |
|---|---|---|
| ABand A | £680.23 | £56.69 |
| BBand B | £793.60 | £66.13 |
| CBand C | £906.98 | £75.58 |
| DBand D | £1,020.35 | £85.03 |
| EBand E | £1,247.10 | £103.93 |
| FBand F | £1,473.84 | £122.82 |
| GBand G | £1,700.58 | £141.72 |
| HBand H | £2,040.70 | £170.06 |
The Band D bill of £1,020.35 is split between 2 authorities, each funding different services. Here's how it breaks down.
Like all London boroughs, Wandsworth's council tax has two parts: the borough's own charge (which includes its adult social care precept) and the Greater London Authority precept set by the GLA. The GLA element funds the Mayor's Office for Policing and Crime, the London Fire Brigade, Transport for London, and core GLA functions.
Properties within the Wimbledon and Putney Commons levy area pay an additional charge that funds the upkeep of the commons. For 2026/27 this levy is £41.38 for a Band D property — shown as a separate line on the bill.
For 2026/27, the council froze its core charge — meaning the headline rise of 3.1% comes entirely from the adult social care precept and the GLA's increase, not from Wandsworth itself.
out of 296 English councils. Wandsworth's £1,020.35 Band D rate is the lowest in England for 2026/27.
For decades Wandsworth held a reputation that felt almost mythological in London terms — a place where you could own a Band D property and still pay three figures on your annual council tax bill. That era ended in 2026: the bill now stands at £1,020.35. Before you assume the borough's "low-tax" identity is finished, look at the national picture. The average Band D bill across England sits at £2,392. Wandsworth residents still pay less than half that.
Here's what most coverage gets wrong: Wandsworth Council didn't raise its core services budget at all this year. For the fourth consecutive year it froze that element. The 3.1% rise in the headline figure comes from two places — the 2% adult social care precept (which all social care authorities apply) and the GLA's 4.1% increase on its London-wide precept. So while the bill has gone up, none of the increase is going to fund Wandsworth's own services.
Wandsworth has set the lowest area-average Band D council tax in England for 2026/27, at £1,020.35. The next-cheapest English authority charges over £400 a year more.
The council froze its core charge for a fourth consecutive year in 2026/27, applying only the 2% adult social care precept. The headline 3.1% rise is therefore driven primarily by the GLA's 4.1% precept increase.
Substantial business rates from the Nine Elms regeneration and Battersea Power Station development underpin Wandsworth's ability to keep residential council tax low — the council holds the highest financial reserves of any London borough.
Around 61% of Wandsworth's chargeable dwellings are flats, the highest proportion of any London borough outside the City and Tower Hamlets, reflecting extensive purpose-built apartment development along the river.
Wandsworth serves a population of 327,899 across approximately 142,400 chargeable dwellings. The most common band in the area is Band D. The median property value in Wandsworth stands at around £645,000 as of 2025 — though for council tax purposes, what matters is the property's notional value in 1991, not today.
The local housing stock breaks down roughly as: 60.9% flats, 28.7% terraced houses, 6.4% semi-detached, and 1.8% detached. The 60.9% share of flats is well above the English average and reflects the borough's dense urban character with extensive purpose-built apartment development.
Wandsworth offers a range of council tax discounts, exemptions, and reductions for 2026/27. Most need to be claimed — councils don't apply them automatically. Below are the discounts available, with the rules specific to Wandsworth.
25% reduction if you are the only adult in your household. On Band D, this brings the annual bill down to £765.26. On a Band D property, this is a saving of £255.09 a year.
Wandsworth's Council Tax Support scheme provides up to 100% reduction for low-income households, both working age and pension age. Means-tested with income, savings, and household composition all considered.
Apply on Wandsworth.gov.ukFull-time students are disregarded for council tax purposes. An all-student household is fully exempt.
Property bill reduced to the band below if it has been adapted for a disabled resident (an extra room, additional bathroom, or wheelchair access).
Severely mentally impaired residents are disregarded; the household may qualify for single person discount or full exemption depending on circumstances.
Full discount available for care leavers up to age 25, subject to eligibility criteria.
Wandsworth applies an empty property premium starting 12 months after the property becomes unoccupied and substantially unfurnished. The premium is staggered:
Long-term empty premium applies after 12 months unoccupied and substantially unfurnished. Tiered increases apply for properties empty 5+ and 10+ years.
100% premium on furnished second homes — a Band D second home is therefore charged £2,040.70 a year. Adopted April 2025. For a Band D second home, this means an annual bill of £2,040.70 rather than the standard £1,020.35.
Wandsworth accepts payment via a range of methods. The default is 10 monthly Direct Debit instalments from April to January, with a 12-month plan available on request.
Rates and precept information for Wandsworth are sourced directly from Wandsworth Borough Council's published 2026/27 schedule, and verified against the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government's annual statistical release.
Last reviewed: 2026-04-15. Next refresh due: 2027-04-15, when Wandsworth Borough Council publishes its 2027/28 schedule.