Sydney Council Sets 2026-27 Household Rates, Fixing Charges from July

At its ordinary meeting on 6 July the City of Sydney Council passed the 2026-27 Rates and Charges Determination by 8 votes to 3. The determination sets the rate in the dollar for residential and business properties and confirms the domestic waste management charge for the financial year beginning 1 July.

Household budgets across the local government area already face pressure from higher grocery and energy prices recorded in the March quarter Australian Bureau of Statistics data. Council rates form one fixed component of those budgets for the 140,000 rateable properties inside the City of Sydney boundary.

Effect on quarterly notices

Under the adopted determination an average residential strata unit in Surry Hills will receive a rates and waste charge notice of $1,248 for the year, payable in four instalments. A detached house in Glebe faces a combined bill of $2,876. Both figures incorporate the 3.1 per cent rate peg set by the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal plus the separate domestic waste charge that covers weekly collection services.

Local advocates note that many households in the inner west receive rates notices alongside strata levies and mortgage repayments. The determination also maintains the existing pensioner rebate of $250 per year for eligible ratepayers, funded from council revenue rather than state subsidy.

Forward timetable

Rate notices will be issued in late July and first instalments are due by 31 August. Property owners who wish to apply for a payment plan or hardship relief must contact the council revenue team before the due date. The determination remains in force until 30 June 2027 unless amended by a subsequent council resolution.