Council Tax in Bristol 2026/27: Bands A–H, Second-Home and Empty-Home Premiums
Bristol is a unitary authority in the South West. Band D for 2026/27 is £2,713.68 a year, up 5.0% on last year — above the England-wide average of £2,410.97 across all 296 billing authorities.
What council tax costs in Bristol in 2026/27
The figures below are MHCLG’s area council tax for Bristol: the full bill for a home occupied by two adults, including the adult social care precept and the county, police, fire and average parish charges that make up the total. Band D is the reference point every council and the government quote; your own band is on your bill or the VOA’s list.
| Band | Annual bill | Per month (over 12) |
|---|---|---|
| Band A | £1,809.12 | £150.76 |
| Band B | £2,110.64 | £175.89 |
| Band C | £2,412.16 | £201.01 |
| Band D | £2,713.68 | £226.14 |
| Band E | £3,316.72 | £276.39 |
| Band F | £3,919.76 | £326.65 |
| Band G | £4,522.80 | £376.90 |
| Band H | £5,427.36 | £452.28 |
How Bristol compares
- 2025/26 to 2026/27: Band D moved from £2,583.89 to £2,713.68, up 5.0% — the average change across England’s 296 billing authorities was 4.8%.
- In the South West: Bristol ranks 2 of 27 (1 = highest bill). The regional average is £2,511.40; the highest is Dorset at £2,765.02 and the lowest Isles of Scilly at £2,047.96.
- Across England: 7 of 296. The span runs from Wandsworth at £1,028.21 to Dorset at £2,765.02.
Second-home and empty-home premiums in Bristol
gov.uk: “You can also be charged up to 2 times your normal Council Tax. This is sometimes known as the second homes premium.”
Bristol applies the second-homes premium at 100%. A furnished property in Bristol that is nobody’s main home is billed at twice the standard rate: a Band D second home pays £5,427.36 a year rather than £2,713.68.
gov.uk on empty properties: “You can be charged additional Council Tax if your home has been empty for at least one year. This is also known as the empty home premium. How much you pay will depend on how long the property has been empty. You can be charged up to 4 times your normal Council Tax bill if your home has been empty for at least 10 years.”
Bristol charges the empty-home premium. The extra is a percentage on top of the normal bill, so 100% means the bill doubles; the table shows what a Band D property would pay at each stage.
| How long empty | Premium | Band D bill with premium |
|---|---|---|
| Empty 1–2 years | 100% | £5,427.36 |
| Empty 2–5 years | 100% | £5,427.36 |
| Empty 5–10 years | 200% | £8,141.04 |
| Empty 10+ years | 300% | £10,854.72 |
The premium data is from the council’s October 2025 return to MHCLG, so it describes 2025/26 policy; councils can change it each year, and the 2026/27 return is due around November 2026. Exceptions on gov.uk: the second-homes premium does not apply where the second home is an annex which forms part of the same property, and is being used as part of the main residence; your main or second home is provided by your employer and you need to live there for your job; the second home has planning restrictions or other conditions about what it’s used for and who can live there, which means you cannot use it as a permanent residence. For up to 12 months you may not have to pay either premium if you recently received a grant of probate (or letters of administration) for the second home or the second home is being marketed for sale or to rent, and the empty-home premium also pauses for up to 12 months where the empty home is undergoing major repairs or structural changes.
For landlords in Bristol
- Empty between tenancies: with no tenant in place the bill is yours. At Band D that is about £226.14 for each month a Bristol property stands empty. gov.uk: “You’ll usually have to pay Council Tax on an empty home, but your council can decide to give you a discount - the amount is up to them.” Ask Bristol what it gives, if anything. Council tax you pay during a void is an allowable expense against rental income — see council tax and utilities in void periods.
- The premium clock: the empty-home premium starts only after a full year empty, and a property that is being marketed to rent can be excepted for up to 12 months — keep the listing evidence.
- Holiday lets and furnished second homes: Bristol charges the second-homes premium, so a furnished let that is nobody’s main home is billed at double — £5,427.36 at Band D. The tax side is on our holiday-let calculator.
- Tenant affordability: a Band D bill adds about £226.14 a month to what your tenant pays to live in Bristol on top of rent — worth running through the rent affordability calculator before you set the asking rent.
Other councils in the South West
Bath & North East Somerset, Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole, Cheltenham, Cornwall, Cotswold, Dorset — all 27 councils in the South West, ranked. The full picture is on the council tax rates 2026/27 table and the second-home premium tracker.
Band D and bands A–H: MHCLG, Council Tax levels set by local authorities in England 2026 to 2027 (published 25 March 2026, Table 9 area council tax for two adults, including precepts); 2025/26 comparator and % change from the MHCLG live tables. Premiums: MHCLG Council Taxbase 2025 (CTB1 return, revised 21 January 2026) = policy for 2025/26; the 2026/27 return is due around November 2026. Rules quoted from gov.uk (checked 5 September 2026). Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Averages and rankings are ours, computed across the 296 billing authorities.
Asked about this council
£2,713.68 a year (£226.14 a month over 12). That is MHCLG's area figure for two adults including precepts, up 5.0% on 2025/26's £2,583.89.
Yes — in its 2025/26 return Bristol applied the premium at 100%, so a furnished second home pays double the standard bill: £5,427.36 at Band D.
With no tenant living there the owner is billed. gov.uk says an empty home usually pays council tax but the council can give a discount and the amount is up to them; a premium can only start after the property has been empty for at least a year.
It ranks 7 of 296 billing authorities for Band D in 2026/27 (1 is the highest), above the simple average of £2,410.97 across England and above the South West average of £2,511.40.