Council tax
Am I in the wrong council tax band?
The quickest test is to compare your band with similar homes nearby. If most homes like yours are in a lower band, yours may be wrong, and you can ask for it to be looked at again for free.
England · Checked 28 October 2026 · Independent
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Check a property freeSigns your band may be wrong
- Homes of the same type, size and age on your street are in a lower band.
- Your home was split into flats, or lost a room or garage, since 1991, but the band didn’t change.
- A similar home nearby sold for much less, around 1989 to 1993, than your band’s 1991 range.
The neighbour check
Look up your band and your neighbours’ bands, then compare only homes like yours: a terraced house with terraced houses, a two-bedroom flat with two-bedroom flats.
- Our band checker lists every home in a postcode with its band, or use GOV.UK’s band search.
- Most similar homes in a lower band: worth asking for a review.
- Most similar homes in the same band: your band is probably right.
- Most similar homes in a higher band: don’t challenge. A review can raise your band too.
The 1991 values behind each band
Every band in England is set by what the home was worth on 1 April 1991:
| Band | Value on 1 April 1991 |
|---|---|
| Band A | Up to £40,000 |
| Band B | £40,001 to £52,000 |
| Band C | £52,001 to £68,000 |
| Band D | £68,001 to £88,000 |
| Band E | £88,001 to £120,000 |
| Band F | £120,001 to £160,000 |
| Band G | £160,001 to £320,000 |
| Band H | More than £320,000 |
Think it’s wrong?
You can challenge free with the Valuation Office, as an owner or a tenant. Gather up to 5 similar homes in a lower band first, and keep paying while you wait. How to challenge your council tax band.
How common is a wrong council tax band?
Most homes are in the right band, but not all of them. Money-saving campaigners, including Martin Lewis, have long urged people to compare their band with similar homes nearby before doing anything else.
I rent. Is it worth checking?
Yes, if you pay the council tax. A tenant can challenge the band, and a lower band cuts your bill for as long as you live there. It also matters before you rent: two similar homes on one street can cost hundreds of pounds a year apart.
Can I use what my home is worth now?
Not directly. Bands depend on value on 1 April 1991. Sales of similar homes between 1989 and 1993 are the best evidence, and website price estimates aren’t treated as strong evidence.
Band values: the Local Government Finance Act 1992, section 5. Outcomes: GOV.UK’s step-by-step guide. This guide covers common private tenancies in England and is general information, not legal advice. Different rules apply in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, and to lodgers, social housing and some specialist accommodation. RenterCheck is independent and not connected with the Valuation Office, any council or MoneySavingExpert.
Council tax band check
Reduce your council tax bill?
- Your home’s band against similar homes nearby: the same kind, size and age
- What they sold for, and what a lower band would save each year
- A review request for the Valuation Office with the evidence in it, ready to send
- Questions to email the council about a refund and paying it back
If similar homes aren’t in a lower band, it says so, so you don’t risk a review that could raise yours.
Whatever it finds, the £3.99 you pay goes towards a Complete RenterCheck (£6 instead of £9.99), so you don’t lose out. Not renting? Share it with family or friends who are.
Check my band — £3.99Check the property
Run a free check on the property before you commit.
Renting a home? Complete RenterCheck adds its council tax band and what it will really cost each month, with the energy rating, flood risk and crime free.