Rother Council Tax 2026/27
Band D council tax in Rother is £2,700.95 for 2026/27, up 5.5% (£139.66) on last year. That is £309.43 above the England average of £2,391.52 — the 288th lowest of 296 councils. Most homes here are in Band C (22%), so the average bill per home is about £2,770.
Updated 2026-10-03 · Shire district, South East · Official England government statistics
Rother council tax bands 2026/27
| Band | Property value (1991) | Annual | 10 instalments | 12 instalments | Living alone (−25%) | Homes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | Up to £40,000 | £1,800.63 | £180.06 | £150.05 | £1,350.48 | 5,050 |
| B | £40,001 to £52,000 | £2,100.74 | £210.07 | £175.06 | £1,575.55 | 7,430 |
| C | £52,001 to £68,000 | £2,400.84 | £240.08 | £200.07 | £1,800.63 | 10,280 |
| D | £68,001 to £88,000 | £2,700.95 | £270.09 | £225.08 | £2,025.71 | 9,500 |
| E | £88,001 to £120,000 | £3,301.16 | £330.12 | £275.10 | £2,475.87 | 7,730 |
| F | £120,001 to £160,000 | £3,901.37 | £390.14 | £325.11 | £2,926.03 | 4,110 |
| G | £160,001 to £320,000 | £4,501.58 | £450.16 | £375.13 | £3,376.19 | 2,790 |
| H | More than £320,000 | £5,401.90 | £540.19 | £450.16 | £4,051.42 | 280 |
- Rother
- England average
Your result is ready
Where your Rother council tax goes
Your bill is collected by Rother but shared between 5 bodies. Of the £2,700.95 Band D charge, £234.13 (9%) stays with the council itself; the rest pays for county council, police and crime commissioner, fire and rescue authority, parish/town council.
| Body | Band D | Share | Band C |
|---|---|---|---|
| District council | £234.13 | 8.7% | £208.12 |
| County council (incl. adult social care) | £1,960.29 | 72.6% | £1,742.48 |
| Police and crime commissioner | £281.91 | 10.4% | £250.59 |
| Fire and rescue authority | £117.49 | 4.3% | £104.44 |
| Parish/town council (average) | £107.13 | 4.0% | £95.23 |
- District council £234 8.7%
- County council (incl. adult social care) £1,960 72.6%
- Police and crime commissioner £282 10.4%
- Fire and rescue authority £117 4.3%
- Parish/town council (average) £107 4.0%
The parish or community council figure is an average across Rother; your own bill is higher or lower depending on which parish you live in, and is shown on your bill.
Rother council tax history
Band D in Rother has risen from £1,707.10 in 2016/17 to £2,700.95 in 2026/27 — 58% in 10 years. Over the last five years it rose 27.4%, the 56th biggest increase of 296 councils in England.
- Rother Band D
| Year | Band D | Change | Band C |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026/27 | £2,700.95 | +5.5% | £2,400.84 |
| 2025/26 | £2,561.29 | +5.0% | £2,276.70 |
| 2024/25 | £2,439.42 | +4.8% | £2,168.37 |
| 2023/24 | £2,326.71 | +5.2% | £2,068.19 |
| 2022/23 | £2,210.83 | +4.3% | £1,965.18 |
| 2021/22 | £2,120.68 | +4.2% | £1,885.05 |
| 2020/21 | £2,036.10 | +3.9% | £1,809.87 |
| 2019/20 | £1,959.05 | +4.0% | £1,741.38 |
| 2018/19 | £1,884.35 | +5.4% | £1,674.98 |
| 2017/18 | £1,787.38 | +4.7% | £1,588.78 |
| 2016/17 | £1,707.10 | – | £1,517.42 |
Homes by council tax band in Rother
Rother has 47,170 homes on the valuation list (31 March 2026). 26% are in Bands A or B. The most common band is C, which costs £2,400.84 a year (£240.08 a month over 10 instalments).
Rother compared with South East
Rother is the 62nd cheapest of 64 councils in South East, where the average Band D across councils is £2,475.45 (£225.50 less than here). Cheapest: Windsor and Maidenhead (£1,952.62); most expensive: Lewes (£2,756.17).
| Council | Band D 2026/27 | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Eastbourne | £2,654.28 | +4.8% |
| Hastings | £2,676.58 | +4.8% |
| Oxford | £2,678.40 | +4.7% |
| Rother | £2,700.95 | +5.5% |
| Wealden | £2,728.43 | +4.6% |
| Lewes | £2,756.17 | +4.9% |
Discounts and reductions
- Living alone: 25% off — a Band C bill in Rother drops from £2,400.84 to £1,800.63.
- Council Tax Reduction: Rother runs its own scheme for people on low incomes or benefits — rules differ from council to council in England.
- Disregards and exemptions: full-time students, student halls, some carers and people with a severe mental impairment are not counted; all-student homes pay nothing.
- Disabled Band Reduction: if your home has been adapted for a disabled person you may be billed one band lower (Band A homes get a reduction of 1/9 of Band D).
Rother's 5.5% rise compares with an England average of 4.9%. Councils responsible for social care can raise their own share by up to 4.99% without a referendum, districts by under 3% or £5, and police and fire bodies by fixed cash amounts — so the area total can move by a different percentage.
A new banded Council Tax Reduction scheme from April 2026
From 1 April 2026, Rother District Council gives working-age claimants a fixed discount based on their net weekly income and household size. The discount is 100%, 60%, 40% or 20%. If you get income-based JSA, income-related ESA or Income Support, you go straight into the 100% band.
- The scheme still counts a maximum of two children. Rother says the end of the two-child limit in Universal Credit does not apply to it.
- If you are self-employed, your income is assumed to be at least 35 hours a week at the National Living Wage (the scheme’s minimum income floor). This drops to 16 hours if you are a lone parent or get a disability benefit.
- £25 a week of earnings is ignored. Carer’s Allowance, disability benefits, Child Benefit, maintenance and several Universal Credit elements are ignored in full.
- You cannot get support if you have savings over £16,000. Savings above £6,000 are counted as £1 a week of income for every £250.
- Awards start from the date you claim and cannot be backdated, so apply as soon as your income falls.
- Example: a couple with £200 a week net income get 60% off. A Band B bill of £2,100.74 would fall to £840.30.
| Discount | Single | Couple | With 1 child | 2+ children |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 100% | £0–£124.59 | £0–£177.06 | £0–£242.66 | £0–£308.24 |
| 60% | £124.60–£190.18 | £177.07–£242.66 | £242.67–£308.24 | £308.25–£373.82 |
| 40% | £190.19–£255.77 | £242.67–£308.24 | £308.25–£373.82 | £373.83–£439.43 |
| 20% | £255.78–£321.38 | £308.25–£373.82 | £373.83–£439.43 | £439.44–£505.02 |
Second homes and empty homes in Rother
Rother approved a second homes premium on 26 February 2024. Since 1 April 2025, furnished homes with no main resident have paid 200%. A Band E second home pays £6,602.32 in 2026/27, at the average parish rate. To decide which home is your main residence, the council looks at where your family lives, where your children go to school, where you work, and where you are registered to vote, with a GP and with the DVLA. The exception for homes marketed for letting can be used more than once, provided the home has been let for at least six months since it last applied.
Empty homes have had no discount since April 2018, and homes that cannot be lived in have had none since April 2019. A premium of 100% applies after one year, 200% after five and 300% after ten.
Thirty-three parish and town councils
Every Band D bill in Rother includes a precept for one of 33 town and parish councils. The district average of £107.13 hides real differences, because each parish sets its own precept. Rother District Council’s own share is just £234.13. East Sussex County Council takes £1,960.29.
Frequently asked questions
How much is Band D council tax in Rother?
£2,700.95 a year in 2026/27, or £270.09 a month over 10 instalments. This includes police, fire and average parish precepts.
What council tax band are most homes in Rother?
Band C: 10,280 of 47,170 homes (22%). A Band C bill is £2,400.84 in 2026/27.
How much has Rother council tax gone up?
5.5% this year, from £2,561.29 to £2,700.95 at Band D. Since 2016/17 it has risen 58%.
Who gets the council tax I pay in Rother?
District council £234.13; County council (incl. adult social care) £1,960.29; Police and crime commissioner £281.91; Fire and rescue authority £117.49; Parish/town council (average) £107.13 (Band D, 2026/27).
How do I find my council tax band?
Search your postcode on GOV.UK “Check your Council Tax band”, run by the Valuation Office Agency. You can challenge your band if you think it is wrong.
Can council tax reduction be backdated in Rother?
No. Working-age awards start from the date of your claim and cannot be backdated.
What income gets 100% council tax reduction in Rother?
In 2026/27, net weekly income up to £124.59 for a single person, £177.06 for a couple, £242.66 with one child or £308.24 with two or more children. People on passported benefits also get 100%.
How does Rother decide if a property is a second home?
It looks at evidence such as where your family lives, where your children go to school, where you work and where you are registered to vote, with a GP and with the DVLA.
Sources
Figures are taken from official government publications and were last reviewed on 2026-10-03.
- MHCLG: Council Tax levels set by local authorities in England 2026 to 2027
- MHCLG: Council Tax levels 2026-27, Tables 1 to 9 (ODS)
- MHCLG: Council Tax levels set by local authorities in England 2026 to 2027, Table 10 local authority level data
- MHCLG: Council Tax levels 2025-26 (revised), Table 10 Local Authority Level Data (ODS), used for England % change
- VOA / GOV.UK: Understand how Council Tax bands are assessed
- GOV.UK: Council Tax – who has to pay (single person discount)
- MHCLG: Band D Council Tax figures 1993 onwards, Table 5 area Band D (live table, 2026-27 revised)
- VOA: Council Tax stock of properties 2026, Table CTSOP1.0 (properties by band at 31 March 2026, England and Wales)
- Rother District Council – Council Tax Reduction
- Rother District Council – Council Tax Reduction Scheme 2026-27 (PDF)
- Rother District Council – Council Tax second homes
- Rother District Council – Council Tax empty properties
- Rother District Council – How is Council Tax set?