Last reviewed: May 2026
Quick answer: Take the current Brighton and Hove City Council Council Tax details from the council's own pages and the back of your bill; older third-party listings can be out of date.Brighton and Hove City Council Council Tax funds adult social care, children's services, waste collection, libraries and the local police and fire precepts in central Brighton, Hove, Patcham, Hangleton and Whitehawk and across the rest of the borough. As a metropolitan authority Brighton and Hove City Council acts as the billing authority for the whole area, so the bill arrives in one envelope even though several bodies take a share.
The amount per band is set each year, normally in February, when Brighton and Hove City Council approves its budget and the england police and fire authorities confirm their precepts. Bands are decided by the Valuation Office Agency using 1991 property values, and any change to the property (or to your circumstances) can affect what you pay.
How Brighton and Hove City Council sets Council Tax for 2026-27
Brighton and Hove City Council approves its annual budget at a full council meeting in February. The decision sets the Band D rate; every other band is a fixed fraction of Band D under the national 6/9 to 18/9 schedule.
The bill is split between Brighton and Hove City Council's own charge and the precepts collected on behalf of other bodies. For a metropolitan or London authority this includes the adult social care precept; for an English council the police and (where stand-alone) the fire and rescue authority add their own precepts; for a Scottish council the bill collects Scottish Water and waste-water charges on behalf of Scottish Water.
Full figures for the year are published on the council's own "Council Tax charges" page after the February budget meeting, alongside the explanatory budget book and medium-term financial strategy.
Council Tax bands A to H in Brighton and Hove City Council
The Valuation Office Agency assigns every home in England to one of eight bands, A through H, based on its value in April 1991. Brighton and Hove City Council then sets a Band D rate; every other band is a fixed fraction of Band D.
Band A is 6/9ths of Band D, Band B is 7/9ths, Band C is 8/9ths, Band E is 11/9ths, Band F is 13/9ths, Band G is 15/9ths and Band H is 18/9ths. This ratio is fixed by central government and applies the same way in Brighton and Hove City Council as it does in any other English billing authority.
To check your band, look up your address on the Valuation Office Agency search tool, or use the band shown on your annual bill. If you think the band is wrong because of evidence about your property in 1991, you have a narrow window to challenge it once you first move in.
How to pay Brighton and Hove City Council Council Tax
Most Brighton and Hove City Council residents pay by Direct Debit because it spreads the bill across the year and stops any reminder letters arriving. You can usually choose between paying on the 1st, the 15th or the last working day of the month, and you can switch between 10 instalments (the default) or 12 instalments.
Other options at Brighton and Hove City Council include paying online through the council website using a debit or credit card, paying by automated phone line around the clock, paying at a PayPoint with your bill barcode, or sending a cheque with your reference number written on the back.
If you want 12 instalments instead of 10, you have a legal right to ask for it under the Council Tax (Administration and Enforcement) Regulations 1992, as amended. Brighton and Hove City Council must agree provided you ask before the bill year starts in April.
Discounts and reductions in Brighton and Hove City Council
The most common discount is the 25 per cent single person discount. If you are the only adult living at the property, you should be paying three-quarters of the full bill. Apply through Brighton and Hove City Council with proof of who lives at the address.
Council Tax Reduction is the means-tested help available to people on a low income or claiming certain benefits. Brighton and Hove City Council runs its own scheme within the framework set by central government, and the amount of help depends on income, savings, household make-up and whether anyone in the home is disabled or a carer.
Other reductions worth checking: full-time students are disregarded, a property occupied only by under-18s is exempt, a person with a severe mental impairment is disregarded with a GP certificate, and the disability reduction scheme can drop your bill to the band below your current one if a disabled person needs adapted facilities.
Moving, appeals and arrears in Brighton and Hove City Council
Tell Brighton and Hove City Council as soon as you move in or out so the bill is correct from day one. You can usually do this through an online form, and you will need your moving date, the address you are leaving or entering, and details of any other adults at the property.
If you receive a bill you do not agree with, the first step is to write to Brighton and Hove City Council setting out why. Liability disputes (who should be paying, whether a discount applies) go through the council; banding disputes go to the Valuation Office Agency, then on to the Valuation Tribunal for England if you remain unhappy.
Falling behind on payments triggers a fixed legal sequence: a 7-day reminder, then the loss of your right to instalments and the whole year becoming payable, then a summons to the magistrates' court for a liability order. After that Brighton and Hove City Council can use enforcement agents, attachment of earnings or attachment of benefits to recover the debt.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is the most reliable place to find the current Brighton and Hove City Council contact details?
On the council's own contact page and on the back of your current bill. Both are updated each year. Older listings in third-party sites can be out of date.
How often does the council change its Council Tax?
The Band D rate is set once a year, at the February budget meeting. Once set, the rate is fixed for the year and cannot be changed until the following February.
Where do I find the year's actual band-by-band figures?
On the council's "Council Tax charges" page, normally updated within a few days of the February budget meeting. The page shows the band-by-band amounts including all the precepts on the bill.
Why has my Council Tax gone up by more than the council's headline rate?
Some increases come from precepting bodies (police, fire, county or mayoral authorities) rather than the council itself. The bill shows the breakdown line by line.
Can the council raise Council Tax by any amount it wants?
No. Each year central government sets a referendum cap on the increase that councils can make without holding a local referendum. No English council has won such a referendum, so the cap is the de facto ceiling.
How We Verified This
Framework facts (bands, single person discount, instalment rights, enforcement sequence) verified against gov.uk Council Tax guidance and the Local Government Finance Act 1992. Brighton and Hove City Council-specific procedures verified against published Brighton and Hove City Council Council Tax guidance.