London · 2025-26
Business Rates in Islington
Businesses in Islington paid £294.7m in net business rates during 2025-26, above the average English council's £93.2m.
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Relief granted in Islington
Share of £68.2m total relief, 2025-26.
Islington at a glance
Islington granted £68.2m in relief overall, higher than the national council average of £26.3m. This included £8.6m in Small Business Rate Relief and £18.2m in retail, hospitality and leisure relief.
A further £28.5m went to charity relief and £12.5m to empty property relief, reflecting the mix of ratepayers across the local authority.
Islington has an estimated 23,335 active businesses, according to the latest ONS Business Counts (2025).
Islington ranks 63 out of 296 local authorities in England on the 2025 Index of Multiple Deprivation, where 1 is most deprived and 296 is least deprived.
Following the 2026 revaluation, the total rateable value of office property in Islington rose by 14.8% — if this pushed your assessment too high, an appeal may be worth considering.
Frequently asked questions
How much are business rates in Islington?
Islington's local authority collected £294.7m in net business rates income during 2025-26, based on the national multiplier applied to each property's rateable value, less any relief granted.
What reliefs are available in Islington?
Islington granted £68.2m in business rates relief in 2025-26, including £8.6m in Small Business Rate Relief, £18.2m in retail, hospitality and leisure relief, £28.5m in charity relief, and £12.5m in empty property relief.
How do I know if I'm overpaying?
If your rateable value looks high compared to similar properties nearby, or you're not currently receiving relief you may be entitled to, it's worth checking your assessment. Use our free checker to compare your rateable value and see if you may be eligible for a reduction or backdated refund.
Islington compared with London and England
- Average rateable value
- £57,512£7,409 below the London average (£64,921)£23,522 above the England average (£33,990)
- Largest sector by value
- Office property, 60.8%15.4 percentage points above its 45.4% share in London
- Total rateable value, 2023 to 2026 list
- +19.4%London: +22.5%England: +19.6%
Counts and rateable values are from the stock of properties at March 2026, on the 2023 rating list. Changes are from the 2026 revaluation, comparing the 2023 rating list with the 2026 rating list.
Property mix
With an average rateable value of £57,512, Islington has the 20th highest figure of England's 296 councils and 9th of 33 in London. Office property also accounts for the most properties in Islington, at 44.3% of its rateable properties.
Shops and other retail property account for 24.7% of Islington's rateable properties and 13.7% of its value, lower than the 28.9% and 19.7% across London. 210 rateable properties in Islington were rated at £500,000 or more at March 2026, which is 1.2% of the national total, and 250 on the 2026 list.
Change at the 2026 revaluation
Of the 32 other councils in London, 19 saw a weaker change in total rateable value at the 2026 revaluation than Islington's +19.4% and 13 saw a stronger one. Other commercial property saw the biggest rise in Islington: total rateable value up 33.3% between the 2023 and 2026 lists, against +44.5% for other commercial property across London. Even the weakest sector in Islington, office property, rose 14.8% in total rateable value at the 2026 revaluation, in line with the +14.4% across London.
Reliefs
Total relief granted in Islington equalled 17.9% of gross rates payable in 2025-26, below the 21.2% across English councils taken together. Of the four main reliefs, charity relief accounted for the most in Islington: 41.8% of the total, above the England figure of 29.7%.
Source: HM Revenue & Customs, using Valuation Office Agency data, and MHCLG relief returns. Open Government Licence v3.0. Method and rounding: /methodology.
See how Islington compares with the rest of the region: Business rates in London, State of Business Rates in England 2026 →
Nearby areas
Compare with other councils in London
Other London councils with their average rateable value, listed from the closest to Islington's £57,512.
- Business rates in Tower Hamlets£57,398 average rateable value, £114 lower than Islington
- Business rates in Hammersmith & Fulham£56,779 average rateable value, £733 lower than Islington
- Business rates in Newham£58,457 average rateable value, £945 higher than Islington
- Business rates in Hounslow£61,024 average rateable value, £3,512 higher than Islington
- Business rates in Lambeth£49,473 average rateable value, £8,039 lower than Islington
- Business rates in City of London£151,053 average rateable value, £93,541 higher than Islington
Figures from MHCLG National Non-Domestic Rates statistics (2025-26), ONS UK Business Counts (2025), and English Indices of Deprivation (2025).
Updates for Islington
By email.