Rugby Council Tax 2026/27
Band D council tax in Rugby is £2,483.05 for 2026/27, up 4.4% (£105.01) on last year. That is £91.53 above the England average of £2,391.52 — the 184th lowest of 296 councils. Most homes here are in Band C (24%), so the average bill per home is about £2,343.
Updated 2026-10-03 · Shire district, West Midlands · Official England government statistics
Rugby council tax bands 2026/27
| Band | Property value (1991) | Annual | 10 instalments | 12 instalments | Living alone (−25%) | Homes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | Up to £40,000 | £1,655.37 | £165.54 | £137.95 | £1,241.53 | 9,190 |
| B | £40,001 to £52,000 | £1,931.26 | £193.13 | £160.94 | £1,448.45 | 12,180 |
| C | £52,001 to £68,000 | £2,207.16 | £220.72 | £183.93 | £1,655.37 | 12,680 |
| D | £68,001 to £88,000 | £2,483.05 | £248.31 | £206.92 | £1,862.29 | 7,530 |
| E | £88,001 to £120,000 | £3,034.84 | £303.48 | £252.90 | £2,276.13 | 5,390 |
| F | £120,001 to £160,000 | £3,586.63 | £358.66 | £298.89 | £2,689.97 | 3,640 |
| G | £160,001 to £320,000 | £4,138.42 | £413.84 | £344.87 | £3,103.81 | 1,940 |
| H | More than £320,000 | £4,966.10 | £496.61 | £413.84 | £3,724.58 | 110 |
- Rugby
- England average
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Where your Rugby council tax goes
Your bill is collected by Rugby but shared between 4 bodies. Of the £2,483.05 Band D charge, £230.32 (9%) stays with the council itself; the rest pays for county council, police and crime commissioner, parish/town council.
| Body | Band D | Share | Band C |
|---|---|---|---|
| District council | £230.32 | 9.3% | £204.73 |
| County council (incl. adult social care) | £1,903.86 | 76.7% | £1,692.32 |
| Police and crime commissioner | £318.71 | 12.8% | £283.30 |
| Parish/town council (average) | £30.16 | 1.2% | £26.81 |
- District council £230 9.3%
- County council (incl. adult social care) £1,904 76.7%
- Police and crime commissioner £319 12.8%
- Parish/town council (average) £30 1.2%
The parish or community council figure is an average across Rugby; your own bill is higher or lower depending on which parish you live in, and is shown on your bill.
Rugby council tax history
Band D in Rugby has risen from £1,635.01 in 2016/17 to £2,483.05 in 2026/27 — 52% in 10 years. Over the last five years it rose 23.6%, the 225th biggest increase of 296 councils in England.
- Rugby Band D
| Year | Band D | Change | Band C |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026/27 | £2,483.05 | +4.4% | £2,207.16 |
| 2025/26 | £2,378.04 | +4.8% | £2,113.81 |
| 2024/25 | £2,269.87 | +4.8% | £2,017.66 |
| 2023/24 | £2,165.97 | +4.0% | £1,925.31 |
| 2022/23 | £2,082.17 | +3.6% | £1,850.82 |
| 2021/22 | £2,009.33 | +3.4% | £1,786.07 |
| 2020/21 | £1,943.65 | +3.9% | £1,727.69 |
| 2019/20 | £1,870.94 | +5.5% | £1,663.06 |
| 2018/19 | £1,772.74 | +4.9% | £1,575.77 |
| 2017/18 | £1,690.37 | +3.4% | £1,502.55 |
| 2016/17 | £1,635.01 | – | £1,453.34 |
Homes by council tax band in Rugby
Rugby has 52,660 homes on the valuation list (31 March 2026). 41% are in Bands A or B. The most common band is C, which costs £2,207.16 a year (£220.72 a month over 10 instalments).
Rugby compared with West Midlands
Rugby is the 21st cheapest of 30 councils in West Midlands, where the average Band D across councils is £2,399.67 (£83.38 less than here). Cheapest: Dudley (£2,144.84); most expensive: Walsall (£2,627.48).
| Council | Band D 2026/27 | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Warwick | £2,461.55 | +4.5% |
| Redditch | £2,462.95 | +7.6% |
| Bromsgrove | £2,478.65 | +7.6% |
| Rugby | £2,483.05 | +4.4% |
| Stratford-on-Avon | £2,484.17 | +4.4% |
| Nuneaton and Bedworth | £2,502.16 | +4.3% |
| Wyre Forest | £2,512.47 | +7.9% |
Discounts and reductions
- Living alone: 25% off — a Band C bill in Rugby drops from £2,207.16 to £1,655.37.
- Council Tax Reduction: Rugby 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).
Rugby's 4.4% 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.
Rugby switched to a banded Council Tax Reduction scheme in April 2026
Since 1 April 2026, Rugby Borough Council has worked out working-age Council Tax Reduction from your household’s net weekly income. The discount is 100%, 75%, 50% or 25%. If you get income-based JSA, income-related ESA or Income Support, you get the full 100%. The council ignores £25 a week of net earnings for each claim. It ignores a further £50 a week if you or your partner get a disability benefit.
- Lone parents and couples with the same number of children use the same income bands.
- You cannot get support if you have savings over £6,000.
- Example: a single person whose net income is £190 a week once the £25 earnings disregard has been taken off gets 50% off. On a Band B home (£1,931.26 at the borough’s average parish rate), they pay £965.63 for the year.
- Universal Credit’s standard allowance and child element count as income.
| Discount | Single | Couple | With 1 child | With 2 children |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 100% | £0–£125 | £0–£175 | £0–£225 | £0–£325 |
| 75% | £125.01–£175 | £175.01–£225 | £225.01–£275 | £325.01–£375 |
| 50% | £175.01–£225 | £225.01–£275 | £275.01–£325 | £375.01–£425 |
| 25% | £225.01–£275 | £275.01–£325 | £325.01–£375 | £425.01–£475 |
Empty homes premium from April 2026
Rugby introduced its stepped empty homes premium from 1 April 2026. A home that has been empty and unfurnished for more than a year now pays double. After five years it pays triple, and after ten years four times the normal charge. The council says the aim is to bring empty houses back into use, providing much-needed homes for the local community. On a Band D home that is £4,966.10 after one year and £9,932.20 after ten. Annexes, homes of armed forces members posted elsewhere, and homes being actively marketed for sale or let or undergoing major structural repairs (for up to 12 months) do not pay the premium.
If a home has been empty for two years or more, the council can write a letter confirming this. You can use it to claim reduced-rate VAT on some refurbishment costs.
Parish charges and paying
Rugby publishes separate 2026/27 charges for 41 areas: its parishes plus the Rugby town area, where the borough levies a special expense instead of a parish precept. Your bill depends on where you live, so the borough average of £2,483.05 at Band D is only a guide. The council says it keeps just 7p of every pound collected, around 76p goes to Warwickshire County Council and around 13p to Warwickshire Police, with the rest going to parish councils or the town-area special expense. Council tax account numbers have ten digits. If you pay by Direct Debit, the council gives you at least 14 days’ notice of any change to your payment amounts or dates.
Frequently asked questions
How much is Band D council tax in Rugby?
£2,483.05 a year in 2026/27, or £248.31 a month over 10 instalments. This includes police, fire and average parish precepts.
What council tax band are most homes in Rugby?
Band C: 12,680 of 52,660 homes (24%). A Band C bill is £2,207.16 in 2026/27.
How much has Rugby council tax gone up?
4.4% this year, from £2,378.04 to £2,483.05 at Band D. Since 2016/17 it has risen 52%.
Who gets the council tax I pay in Rugby?
District council £230.32; County council (incl. adult social care) £1,903.86; Police and crime commissioner £318.71; Parish/town council (average) £30.16 (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.
What income qualifies for 100% council tax reduction in Rugby?
From April 2026, net weekly income up to £125 for a single person, £175 for a couple, £225 with one child or £325 with two children. People on passported benefits also qualify.
When did Rugby start charging an empty homes premium?
The stepped premium of 100%, 200% and 300% on homes empty and unfurnished for over one, five and ten years started on 1 April 2026.
Can I get a VAT reduction for renovating an empty home in Rugby?
If it has been empty for two years or more, the council can confirm this in a letter that you can use to claim reduced-rate VAT on eligible refurbishment work.
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)
- Rugby Borough Council – Apply for council tax reduction
- Rugby Borough Council – Empty properties
- Rugby Borough Council – How much is my council tax?
- Rugby Borough Council – How to pay your council tax