Flats or Houses to rent or buy in the London Borough of Lambeth

For specific information on this borough, or to contact individual departments please click here to visit their website.

London Borough of Lambeth: http://www.lambeth.gov.uk

In General:
The London boroughs are administrative centres responsible for collecting local taxes (Council Tax and Business Rates) and then spending the funds received on local services. They are run by Borough Councils who are elected by borough residents on a four year cycle. The totals that they spend will depend on the rates of tax that they levy plus funds allocated from central government and other sources.

While many of the services (schools, roads, planning, rubbish collection and social services) are standard, levels of provision will vary according to the overall political will as expressed by the voters.

Your tax liability (as a resident) will be based on the council tax band of your home. These bands are set by Valuation Officers and there is scope for appeal. The rate bands are then used to determine the amounts of tax levied. So, while the bands will remain largely constant the levels of tax can go up and, in theory, down.

You may claim discounts or exemptions based on your circumstances. For example, as the only adult in a property you can get a 25% reduction on your bill. Other reductions are available for qualifying second adults and Council Tax Benefit claimants.

There is more information available at the HM Customs & Excise website.

Lambeth has managed to generate all the wrong kind of headlines over the past twenty years. The Brixton riots in 1981; loony left councillors and corrupt officials, high crime and unemployment, little to pursuade Londoners to move to the borough. To the contrary, good transport links, reasonably priced property and a vibrant street culture have continued to attract new residents, especially in Brixton and Clapham.

Lambeth stretches from the plush new riverside developments on the Southbank to the suburban climbs of Streatham and West Norwood deep in South London. Vauxhalls traffic congested roads and the urban mix of Victorian terraces and council blocks of Kennington and Stockwell give way to the vibrant, multi cultural Brixton. To the west lie the well-kept Victorian terraces of Clapham Park and the Georgian town houses of Clapham Old Town, ever popular with the trendy young set and middle class professionals.