Band D in Havering is £2,424.66 this year, £111.11 more than last. The full A to H table, the split the council buries in a PDF, and the 1.5% early discount.
A Band D household in Romford pays £2,424.66 in council tax this year, up £111.11 on the £2,313.55 charged in 2025/26. Havering’s own share rose 4.99%, the maximum allowed without a referendum, and the Greater London Authority’s share rose 4.1%, which blends out to a 4.80% rise on the bill you actually receive.
The council’s website publishes the totals and stops there. The split, which is the bit worth seeing, sits in the cabinet budget report agreed on 4 March 2026.
Every band, and where the money goes
Havering’s bill has three parts: the council’s base charge, the adult social care precept, and the GLA precept that pays for the Met, the London Fire Brigade, TfL and City Hall.
| Band | Havering base | Adult social care | Havering total | GLA | Total 2026/27 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | £1,058.43 | £217.67 | £1,276.10 | £340.34 | £1,616.44 |
| B | £1,234.84 | £253.95 | £1,488.79 | £397.06 | £1,885.85 |
| C | £1,411.24 | £290.22 | £1,701.46 | £453.79 | £2,155.25 |
| D | £1,587.65 | £326.50 | £1,914.15 | £510.51 | £2,424.66 |
| E | £1,940.46 | £399.05 | £2,339.51 | £623.96 | £2,963.47 |
| F | £2,293.26 | £471.62 | £2,764.88 | £737.40 | £3,502.28 |
| G | £2,646.07 | £544.18 | £3,190.25 | £850.85 | £4,041.10 |
| H | £3,175.29 | £653.01 | £3,828.30 | £1,021.02 | £4,849.32 |
What it was last year
The statutory council tax statement sets the two years side by side, with the 1991 property values that put you in a band in the first place.
| 1991 valuation | Band | 2025/26 | 2026/27 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under £40,000 | A | £1,542.37 | £1,616.44 | +£74.07 |
| £40,000 to £52,000 | B | £1,799.44 | £1,885.85 | +£86.41 |
| £52,001 to £68,000 | C | £2,056.48 | £2,155.25 | +£98.77 |
| £68,001 to £88,000 | D | £2,313.55 | £2,424.66 | +£111.11 |
| £88,001 to £120,000 | E | £2,827.67 | £2,963.47 | +£135.80 |
| £120,001 to £160,000 | F | £3,341.80 | £3,502.28 | +£160.48 |
| £160,001 to £320,000 | G | £3,855.92 | £4,041.10 | +£185.18 |
| Over £320,000 | H | £4,627.10 | £4,849.32 | +£222.22 |
Why it went up
Havering took the maximum: 2.99% on the general charge and a further 2% for the adult social care precept, 4.99% in total. The cabinet budget report is blunt about why, describing a £65.9m budget gap and saying the council “has little alternative but to recommend the maximum 4.99% increase”. The budget also assumes around £10m of new savings next year, on top of more than £40m found since the current administration took office.
Government money did go up. Havering says the settlement brings roughly £39m more in grant over three years, and council leader Ray Morgon’s response was that “we are pleased that the Government has given us more money, but this does not help us balance the books.” The pressures named are housing demand, children’s services and adult social care, in a borough with what the council calls the largest increase in London’s children’s population.
The GLA’s £510.51
The Mayor’s share went up £20.13, and all of it went to two services. From the GLA budget statement Havering publishes with the bill:
| 2025/26 | 2026/27 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Metropolitan Police (MOPAC) | £319.13 | £334.13 | +£15.00 |
| London Fire Brigade | £71.72 | £76.85 | +£5.13 |
| Transport for London | £77.09 | £77.09 | no change |
| Greater London Authority | £22.44 | £22.44 | no change |
| Total | £490.38 | £510.51 | +£20.13 |
The discount most people miss: 1.5% for paying up front
Havering runs an early payment discount that many London boroughs do not: up to 1.5% off if you pay the whole year in one lump sum before 1 April. On a Band D bill that is about £36, for doing nothing except paying early.
Single resident, 25% off
| Band | Full | With single resident discount |
|---|---|---|
| A | £1,616.44 | £1,212.33 |
| B | £1,885.85 | £1,414.39 |
| C | £2,155.25 | £1,616.44 |
| D | £2,424.66 | £1,818.50 |
| E | £2,963.47 | £2,222.60 |
| F | £3,502.28 | £2,626.71 |
| G | £4,041.10 | £3,030.83 |
| H | £4,849.32 | £3,636.99 |
The rest
- Annexe discount, 50%, where an annexe is unoccupied and used by the resident of the main property, or occupied by a relative of the person liable.
- Disabled relief where the home has adaptations for a disabled resident.
- Exemptions including students, residents who are severely mentally impaired, homes left empty after a death, and empty charity-owned housing association property.
- Council Tax Support for low incomes: up to 100% for pensioners, up to 80% for working-age residents with disabilities, and up to 75% for other working-age claimants.
- Council Tax Discretionary Payment for short-term help in exceptional circumstances.
If your property is empty, the bill goes the other way
Havering’s empty property premiums are among the steepest in London, and they escalate:
| Empty and unfurnished for | You pay |
|---|---|
| 2 to 5 years | 200% of the normal bill |
| 5 to 10 years | 300% |
| 10 years or more | 400% |
A furnished second home with no resident has carried a 100% premium, so 200% of the bill, since 1 April 2025. Unlike the empty homes premium, it starts from the day the property becomes empty, with no grace period, and it does not apply for periods when another discount or exemption is in force.
Checking and challenging your band
Your band comes from the Valuation Office Agency, not the council, and it is still based on what the property was worth on 1 April 1991. Check any address free on gov.uk/council-tax-bands, which also runs the challenge process.
Two things to know before you challenge. The VOA will only look at a formal challenge in limited circumstances, most commonly when the property has changed physically or the surrounding area has, and a review can move a band up as well as down. Comparing yourself against similar houses in your street on the VOA list is the sensible first step, because if they sit a band lower on identical properties, you have the beginnings of a case.
Common questions
How much is council tax in Romford?
Band D is £2,424.66 for 2026/27. Bands run from £1,616.44 at Band A to £4,849.32 at Band H. Romford, Hornchurch, Upminster, Rainham and the rest of the borough all pay the same rate; Havering has no parish precepts.
How much did Havering council tax go up in 2026?
Havering raised its own share by 4.99%, the GLA raised its share by 4.1%, and the combined bill rose 4.80%. Band D is £111.11 more than last year.
What is the adult social care precept in Havering?
£326.50 at Band D, after a 2% increase this year. It is part of the £1,914.15 Havering charge, not a separate bill.
Can I get money off my council tax in Havering?
Yes: 25% if you live alone, up to 1.5% for paying the year in full before 1 April, 50% on a qualifying annexe, and Council Tax Support of up to 100% on a low income if you are a pensioner.
How do I challenge my council tax band?
Through the Valuation Office Agency at gov.uk/council-tax-bands, not through Havering Council. Bear in mind a review can move your band up.
Sources
- 2026/27 Budget and 2026-2029 Medium Term Financial Strategy, cabinet report, London Borough of Havering, Table 7, for the per-band split between the base charge, the adult social care precept and the GLA, plus the £65.9m gap and the 2.99% and 2% components.
- Annex C Council Tax Statement for the 2025/26 comparison, the per-band change and the 4.80% overall figure and 1991 valuation ranges.
- Council Tax bands and bills, London Borough of Havering, for the published totals and the single resident discount table.
- Full Council agrees budget for Havering for the 4 March 2026 meeting, the grant figure and the leader’s quote.
- Greater London Authority budget 2026/27, published by Havering with the bill, for the £510.51 precept and its four-way split.
- Reduce your Council Tax bill and its early payment, annexe and exemption pages, for the discounts.
- Who pays Council Tax for the empty homes and second homes premiums.
- gov.uk/council-tax-bands, Valuation Office Agency, to check or challenge a band.
Charges are for 2026/27 and apply to the whole borough. Your own bill depends on your band, discounts and any premium. Last checked 15 August 2026.
Also useful: Romford bin collection days, parking in Romford and Romford planning news.
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