Last reviewed: May 2026
Quick answer: Coventry City Council, a metropolitan borough, sets its Band D rate at a full council meeting in February; West Midlands Police and West Midlands Fire add separate precepts that the council collects on the same bill.Council Tax for Coventry City Council is set, collected and enforced by the city as a metropolitan borough. The city is the full-service local authority for Coventry: education, adult and children's social care, housing, waste, leisure, planning and roads all sit with the city council. There is no county council layer in the West Midlands.
This article explains how the council sets the rate each year, how the West Midlands police and fire precepts fit in, and how the city handles billing, collection and enforcement.
| Band | Property Value (1991) | Ratio to Band D |
|---|---|---|
| A | Up to £40,000 | 6/9 |
| B | £40,001 to £52,000 | 7/9 |
| C | £52,001 to £68,000 | 8/9 |
| D | £68,001 to £88,000 | 9/9 |
| E | £88,001 to £120,000 | 11/9 |
| F | £120,001 to £160,000 | 13/9 |
| G | £160,001 to £320,000 | 15/9 |
| H | Over £320,000 | 18/9 |
Band ranges set nationally in 1991. Coventry City Council sets the cash amount per band each February.
How Coventry City Council sets Council Tax
Coventry City Council approves its annual budget at a full council meeting in February. The decision sets the Band D rate, confirms the adult social care precept and lists the West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner and West Midlands Fire and Rescue Authority precepts.
The leader and cabinet draft the budget through the autumn; public consultation runs into January; the full council debate and vote happen in February. The budget book, medium-term financial strategy and equalities impact assessment are all published on coventry.gov.uk in the weeks before the vote.
The Band D figure is set within the referendum cap that central government applies each year; the cap has been the practical ceiling on annual rises since 2012.
Council Tax bands A to H in Coventry
The Valuation Office Agency assigns every home in England to one of eight bands, A through H, based on its value in April 1991. Coventry 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 Coventry 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.
West Midlands police and fire precepts on a Coventry bill
The West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner sets the police precept each February, within the Home Office cap. The precept funds West Midlands Police, which covers Birmingham, Coventry, Wolverhampton, Solihull, Dudley, Sandwell and Walsall. The same precept per band applies across the whole force area.
The West Midlands Fire and Rescue Authority sets the fire precept each February. It funds the West Midlands Fire Service, which covers the same seven local authority areas. The same precept per band applies across the whole service.
Coventry City Council collects both precepts on the same bill as a billing convenience, then passes the funds on to the police commissioner and fire authority.
How the city bills, collects and enforces
Coventry sends bills in March, covering 1 April to 31 March. The default is 10 monthly instalments April to January; residents can request 12 monthly instalments under the Council Tax (Administration and Enforcement) Regulations 1992 by asking in writing before the year starts.
Payment methods: Direct Debit (1st, 15th or last working day), online card payment, automated phone payment, PayPoint with the barcode on the bill, standing order.
If an instalment is missed, the council issues a 7-day reminder. A second missed instalment ends the right to pay by instalments and the whole year becomes payable. After a final notice, the council applies to the magistrates' court for a liability order, which gives access to enforcement agents, attachment of earnings, attachment of benefits or a charging order against the property.
Discounts and Council Tax Support in Coventry
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 Coventry 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. Coventry 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Coventry City Council a metropolitan or unitary authority?
It is both. Metropolitan borough councils in England were made unitary in effect by the abolition of the metropolitan county councils in 1986. So Coventry is a metropolitan borough that functions as a unitary authority.
Why is there no Warwickshire precept on my Coventry bill?
Coventry is a metropolitan borough; Warwickshire County Council does not bill in Coventry or set a precept here. Warwickshire CC covers the two-tier areas to the east, including Warwick, Stratford-upon-Avon and Rugby.
How does the section 114 history affect Coventry?
A section 114 notice (effective bankruptcy for a council) was issued by Birmingham City Council, not Coventry. Coventry City Council has not been in that position. Its budget process follows the normal annual cycle.
Can Coventry change its bill mid-year?
No. Once set in February, the Band D rate for the year is fixed and cannot be changed until the following February. Bills can be re-issued mid-year if a personal change (discount, address) affects the amount you owe.
How do I find the Coventry budget book?
On coventry.gov.uk in the area covering full council agendas and committee papers. The budget book is published with the agenda for the February budget meeting.
How We Verified This
Coventry as metropolitan borough verified against the Local Government Act 1972 and the Local Government Act 1985. Billing, collection and enforcement framework verified against the Local Government Finance Act 1992 and the Council Tax (Administration and Enforcement) Regulations 1992.