Property tax uncertainty causes London luxury rents to soar Property Uncertainty over how the government might shake up property taxes at next month’s Budget is contributing to huge increases in the cost of renting a luxury house in London. Luxury property experts said fears that Andy Burnham could crack down on high-value homes, along with an influx of demand from the US and the Middle [...]
Tories consult senior barrister over ‘outrageous’ Wandsworth tax hike Legal Kemi Badenoch has said the Conservative party has consulted a senior barrister to challenge the government over local funding cuts, following the recent controversy over looming tax hikes at Wandsworth Council. Wandsworth Council, which is Tory-run, has recently announced that taxes will rise by 94 per cent for ‘band D’ residents, resulting in taxpayers having [...]
Wandsworth Council plans 94 per cent tax rise after Rayner’s cuts Politics Wandsworth Council has announced taxes will rise by 94 per cent for Band D residents after local leaders hit out at the government for cutting funding by £84m a year. The local authority, regularly dubbed Margaret Thatcher’s favourite council because of its historically low-levels of council tax, will make Band D council taxpayers stump up [...]
Barratt Redrow hopes to defy housebuilding gloom by splashing cash September 15, 2026 As some of London’s listed housebuilders take emergency measures to cut costs amid rising building costs and stagnant demand for homes, one firm is splashing the cash. Barratt Redrow, which will announce its full-year numbers on Wednesday, defied the miserly approach taken by its rivals earlier this summer when it said it will buy back [...]
HMRC mansion tax inspectors to target homes for property valuations August 23, 2026 HMRC will send mansion tax inspectors to homes across the UK to determine whether homeowners should pay more tax under the new levy. The taxman will deploy valuation agents who will be able to demand entry to properties in order to assess whether they are worth over £2m and therefore fall under The High Value [...]
House prices suffer biggest August slump in eight years August 17, 2026 House prices in the UK have suffered their biggest August drop since 2018, as a usually quiet period for the property market is stifled further by fears of Budget tax rises. The average house price slumped by two per cent this month to £364,999, according to property portal Rightmove. House prices are down one per [...]
Industry hits out at rumours as No 10 denies plan to abolish stamp duty and council tax July 27, 2026 Andy Burnham is “not considering” scrapping stamp duty and council tax, Downing Street has said, as the government moves to pour cold water on rumours of major tax changes that had spooked property sector leaders. Business chiefs condemned the government over the danger of property tax speculation after reports over the weekend suggested that Burnham [...]
Londoners should back Andy Burnham’s property tax reforms – not fear them June 26, 2026 Replacing Stamp Duty and council tax with a proportional property tax will make London’s housing market work better, says Andrew Dixon If a “London tax grab” were on the cards, Londoners would rightly be wary. They already face high rents, high mortgages and some of the largest tax bills in the country. Yet Fairer Share’s Proportional [...]
London homeowners should stand up to Burnham’s property tax grab plans June 24, 2026 Andy Burnham has previously a ‘proportional property tax’ which would mean Londoner’s taxes going to pay for leisure centres in the North, says Charles Amos When it comes to the question of Britain’s most hated tax, council tax is only beaten by inheritance tax. Yet for Andy Burnham its reform and increase of the upper [...]
Local authorities thwart housebuilding with ‘manifestly unfair’ council tax raid on developers May 28, 2026 Cash-strapped local authorities across Britain are thwarting efforts to increase housebuilding by hitting property developers with steep council tax bills as soon as their homes are listed as complete, an influential industry body has warned. In a paper shared with City AM, the boss of the Home Builders Federation (HBF) accused local councils of slapping [...]