1991 value estimator
What was your home worth in 1991?
English council tax bands are set from the value your property would have had on 1 April 1991. Enter today’s value, pick a regional HPI factor, and see the band your home would fall into.
Estimated 1991 value
£61,321
That puts your home in Band C at the valuation date.
England 1991 band thresholds
- Band Aup to £40,000
- Band Bup to £52,000
- Band Cup to £68,000
- Band Dup to £88,000
- Band Eup to £120,000
- Band Fup to £160,000
- Band Gup to £320,000
Why 1991?
When council tax launched in 1993, the government needed a valuation date to place every home in a band. They picked 1 April 1991 — two years before launch — and valued properties in bulk based on drive-by inspections and estate-agent estimates. Every home built since is banded as if it had existed on that date. The valuation date has never been updated, so all English bands still trace back to 1991.
Wales did a full revaluation in 2003 (that’s why Wales has nine bands, A–I, not eight). Scotland has kept 1991 values but uses a different system (Scottish Assessors). Northern Ireland uses a completely separate rates system.
This tool uses the Land Registry House Price Index to work backwards. HPI tracks average price movement by region, so it works well for a typical home that has moved with its local market. It over-estimates for extensively extended or renovated homes, and under-estimates for homes that have been left behind.
FAQs
Why is my council tax band based on a 1991 value?
When council tax replaced the poll tax in 1993, every property in England was placed in a band based on what it was worth on 1 April 1991. That valuation date has never been updated — even new-build homes are banded as if they had existed in 1991. Wales was revalued once, in 2003, but hasn't been touched since.
How accurate is a reverse HPI estimate?
It's a starting point, not a valuation. The Land Registry House Price Index tracks average movement across a region, so it works well for a typical home in an area that has moved with the market. It's less accurate for extensively renovated or extended properties.
What do I do with the estimate?
Compare the 1991 value your estimate falls into against your actual band. If the estimate sits in a lower band, that's a signal to run the neighbours test — check whether identical properties on your street are banded lower than yours.