Correction, 4 October 2026. An earlier version of this page gave a Band D charge of £1,985 and a GLA share of £471. Both were wrong. The figures below are Hackney Council's published charges for 2026 to 2027. This page is an independent guide and is not a council service.
The 2026/27 Charges
Hackney Council says it increased council tax by 4.9% for 2026 to 2027. The full charge for each band, including the Greater London Authority's share, is:
| Band | Property value in 1991 | Annual charge 2026/27 | Over 10 instalments | With 25% discount |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | £40,000 or less | £1,373.53 | about £137 | about £1,030 |
| B | £40,001 to £52,000 | £1,602.45 | about £160 | about £1,202 |
| C | £52,001 to £68,000 | £1,831.38 | about £183 | about £1,374 |
| D | £68,001 to £88,000 | £2,060.30 | about £206 | about £1,545 |
| E | £88,001 to £120,000 | £2,518.15 | about £252 | about £1,889 |
| F | £120,001 to £160,000 | £2,975.99 | about £298 | about £2,232 |
| G | £160,001 to £320,000 | £3,433.83 | about £343 | about £2,575 |
| H | More than £320,000 | £4,120.60 | about £412 | about £3,090 |
The annual charges are the council's own figures. The instalment and discount columns are our arithmetic, rounded to the nearest pound. Council tax is usually split into 10 monthly payments, and you can ask the council to spread it over 12 instead.
Where the Money Goes
Your bill has two parts. Most of it goes to Hackney Council. The rest is the Mayor of London's precept, which the Greater London Authority sets for all 32 boroughs. For 2026/27 that precept is £510.51 at Band D, up 4.1% on the year, made up of £334.13 for policing and £176.38 for other GLA services.
| Band | Hackney Council | Greater London Authority | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | £1,033.19 | £340.34 | £1,373.53 |
| B | £1,205.39 | £397.06 | £1,602.45 |
| C | £1,377.59 | £453.79 | £1,831.38 |
| D | £1,549.79 | £510.51 | £2,060.30 |
| E | £1,894.19 | £623.96 | £2,518.15 |
| F | £2,238.59 | £737.40 | £2,975.99 |
| G | £2,582.98 | £850.85 | £3,433.83 |
| H | £3,099.58 | £1,021.02 | £4,120.60 |
Hackney publishes the Band A split (£1,033.19 and £340.34) and the totals for every band. The other rows apply the fixed ratios that link each band to Band D, so they may differ from your bill by a penny of rounding. About a quarter of every Hackney bill, 24.8%, goes to City Hall.
Which Band Is Your Home In?
Bands are based on what the property would have sold for in 1991, not what it is worth now. That is why the top band starts at £320,000 in a borough where the average home sold for £606,000 in July 2026. A flat that changes hands for £525,000 today can sit in Band C or D, because its 1991 value was a fraction of that.
You cannot work out a band from today's price. Look the address up with the GOV.UK council tax band checker, which also shows the bands of neighbouring properties. If you are buying or renting, do this before you commit: the gap between Band C and Band E in Hackney is £687 a year.
Who Pays
Hackney works down a list, and the first person on it who applies is liable: owner-occupier, then tenant, then licensee, then resident. In practice that means a tenant renting a whole flat pays the bill, not the landlord. If the property is empty between tenancies, liability falls back to the owner.
How This Fits Into the Cost of Living in Hackney
Council tax is a real monthly cost, but it is small next to housing itself. Using ONS figures for the borough and the current average mortgage rate:
| Average Hackney flat | Buying | Renting |
|---|---|---|
| Price or rent | £525,000 | £2,360 a month |
| Mortgage, 10% deposit, 5.63% over 25 years | £2,938 a month | n/a |
| Council tax, Band D, spread over 12 months | £172 a month | £172 a month |
| Housing cost plus council tax | £3,110 a month | £2,532 a month |
The mortgage figure is a repayment loan of £472,500 at the average five-year fixed rate for 90% loan to value on 3 October 2026. It leaves out service charge, insurance and maintenance, all of which an owner also pays. Band D is used for illustration, so check the actual band.
Council tax is the same whether you rent or own, which means it does not change the buy-or-rent comparison at all. It only raises the total you need to afford either way. To compare the two properly, including the deposit and what it could earn elsewhere, use our Buy vs Rent Calculator.
The Bigger One-Off Bill: Stamp Duty
Council tax is annual. Stamp duty is paid once, and at Hackney prices it is many years' worth of council tax. On the average flat at £525,000:
- Home mover: £16,250
- First-time buyer: £16,250. Relief is not available above £500,000, so it is the same bill.
- Additional property: £42,500 with the 5% surcharge
The average first-time buyer in Hackney paid £549,000 in July 2026. That is above the £500,000 limit, so the typical first-time buyer here gets no stamp duty relief and pays £17,450. Finding a home at £500,000 or below cuts the bill to £10,000 or less.
Calculate your exact SDLT →Common Questions About Hackney Council Tax
£2,060.30 for the year. Of that, £1,549.79 goes to Hackney Council and £510.51 to the Greater London Authority. Hackney Council says it increased council tax by 4.9% for 2026 to 2027.
Yes. You get 25% off if you live on your own, or if everyone else in your home is disregarded for council tax. On a Band D home in Hackney that reduces the 2026/27 bill from £2,060.30 to about £1,545.
People who are disregarded include under-18s, full-time students, student nurses, some apprentices, live-in carers and people who are severely mentally impaired. If everyone in the household is disregarded, the discount is 50%.
A household where everyone is a full-time student does not have to pay council tax. A full-time course normally lasts at least one year and involves at least 21 hours of study a week. If someone in the household is not a full-time student the household will get a bill, though it may still qualify for a discount.
Bands are set by the Valuation Office, not by Hackney Council. If you have a legal right to challenge you can make a proposal, and if you do not you can ask for a band review. Check the bands of similar neighbouring properties on GOV.UK first, because that comparison is the core of any case.
Sources
- Council Tax bands, Hackney Council. Source for the 1991 value ranges and the 2026 to 2027 charge in every band.
- Council Tax charges and who pays, Hackney Council. Source for the 4.9% increase, the Band A split between the council and the GLA, and the order of liability.
- MD3472: Approval of 2026-27 council tax and precepts, Greater London Authority. Source for the £510.51 Band D precept, its 4.1% increase and the police and non-police elements.
- Council Tax: who has to pay, GOV.UK. Source for the 25% and 50% discounts and the list of people who are disregarded.
- Council Tax: discounts for full-time students, GOV.UK. Source for the all-student exemption and the definition of a full-time course.
- Council Tax: paying your bill, GOV.UK. Source for the 10 monthly payments and the option to spread them over 12.
- Challenge your Council Tax band, GOV.UK. Source for the Valuation Office's role and the difference between a proposal and a band review.
- Housing prices in Hackney, ONS, released 16 September 2026. Source for the £606,000 average price, the £525,000 average flat, the £549,000 first-time buyer average (all July 2026) and the £2,360 average flat rent (August 2026).
- Stamp Duty Land Tax: residential property rates, HMRC. Source for the bands, the £500,000 limit on first-time buyer relief and the 5% surcharge.
- Current UK mortgage rates, Rightmove mortgage tracker, updated 3 October 2026. Source for the 5.63% average five-year fix at 90% loan to value.
Charges shown are for the 2026 to 2027 billing year. Your bill may differ if a discount, exemption or premium applies. This page is for information only. For your own account, use Hackney Council's website.