Property tax in London, Ontario is calculated by multiplying your property’s MPAC-assessed value by the combined municipal and education tax rate, then billed across five installments each year. For 2026, interim bills go out January 31 with payments due February 27 and March 31, and final bills follow with installments due June 30, August 31, and October 30.1City of London. Property Taxes Miss a date and penalties start the same day.
How Your Bill Is Calculated
Two rates combine to produce your tax bill. City Council sets the municipal rate each year during the budget process, and the province sets the education rate under the Education Act. For 2026, the residential education rate is 0.153% of assessed value and applies uniformly across Ontario.2Government of Ontario. O. Reg. 400/98 Tax Matters – Rates for School Purposes London’s 2026 budget approved a property tax increase of 3.6% over the prior year.3City of London. Mayor Morgan Reports Strong Progress and Fiscal Discipline in 2026 Budget Update
The assessed value comes from the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC), which values every property in the province under the Assessment Act.4Ontario.ca. Assessment Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. A.31 Ontario normally reassesses on a four-year cycle, but the province postponed the reassessment that was scheduled to begin in 2020. Assessments for the 2026 tax year are still based on January 1, 2016 market values.5Municipal Property Assessment Corporation. The Assessment Cycle Your tax bill reflects what your property was worth nearly a decade ago, not what it would sell for today.
The math is straightforward: assessed value times the combined rate. A home assessed at $400,000 at a combined rate near 1.6% produces an annual tax bill of about $6,400.
2026 Payment Dates
London bills in two phases. The interim bill, mailed January 31, 2026, covers roughly half of your expected annual taxes and is due in two installments on February 27 and March 31. The final bill, based on the newly approved rates, is due June 30, August 31, and October 30.1City of London. Property Taxes Five dates, spread across the year.
How to Pay
London accepts payment through several channels:
- Online banking, by adding the City of London as a payee and entering the roll number from your bill.
- The pre-authorized payment plan, which withdraws from your bank account on the last business day of each month from January through October. All outstanding taxes must be paid before you can enroll.
- In person at City Hall, 300 Dufferin Avenue, first floor, between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.
- The night depository drop box on the southwest corner of City Hall, available around the clock.
- Mail, with a cheque payable to the City of London, postmarked on or before the due date.
- Credit card, through the third-party provider Plastiq, which charges a service fee. The city does not accept credit cards directly.
Payments made at a bank teller must be date-stamped on or before the due date. Supplementary taxes for new construction or renovations are billed separately and are not covered by the pre-authorized plan.1City of London. Property Taxes If you’ve lost your bill, the City of London Tax Office can supply a copy with your roll number and balance.6City of London. Property Tax for Business
Late Payment Penalties
A penalty of 1.25% is applied to the outstanding balance on the first day you miss a due date, and again on the first day of each following month until the balance is paid.7City of London. Property Tax Collection By-law – A.-8426-294 On a $3,000 installment, one missed month costs $37.50, and the charges keep compounding.
For taxes still unpaid past December 31 of the year they were levied, interest accrues at 1.25% per month until the balance is cleared.7City of London. Property Tax Collection By-law – A.-8426-294 The city also charges a fee for each monthly reminder notice sent to accounts in arrears. Neither city staff nor Council can waive these penalties or reminder fees, except in the rare case where the city itself made a billing error.1City of London. Property Taxes
Disputing Your Assessment
If you think MPAC has your property’s value wrong, start with a Request for Reconsideration (RfR) filed directly with MPAC. It’s free. Explain why you disagree and include supporting evidence such as sale prices for comparable properties, photos, or zoning records. The filing deadline is printed on your Property Assessment Notice.8Municipal Property Assessment Corporation. Request for Reconsideration 2026 Property Tax Year
If MPAC’s response doesn’t resolve it, you can appeal to the Assessment Review Board, an independent tribunal. The residential filing fee is $132.50 per roll number, with a $10 discount for electronic filing.9Tribunals Ontario. ARB Fee Chart Because London’s assessments remain pegged to 2016 values, a successful appeal turns on proving that your property’s 2016 market value was lower than what MPAC assigned. What the current market is doing is not the issue.
Relief for Seniors and Persons With Disabilities
The Municipal Act requires every upper-tier and single-tier municipality in Ontario to offer property tax relief for low-income seniors and low-income persons with disabilities. Relief can take the form of a deferral or a cancellation of all or part of a tax increase on residential property.10Ontario.ca. Municipal Act, 2001, S.O. 2001, c. 25 – Section 319 London administers the program locally, so the specific income thresholds and documentation rules are set by city by-law.
Eligibility generally requires proof of age or disability status along with income verification such as a tax return or benefit statement. Some relief involves a lien registered against the property, meaning deferred amounts become payable when the home is sold. Contact the City of London Tax Office for current thresholds and forms, since these details change periodically.
What Happens If You Never Pay
Long-term non-payment can cost you the property. Under the Municipal Act, the city treasurer may register a tax arrears certificate against a property’s title once taxes have been outstanding since January 1 of the second year following the year they were levied. Once that certificate is registered, you have one year to pay the full cancellation price, which includes all arrears, penalties, interest, and administrative costs. If it isn’t paid within that year, the municipality can sell the property at public auction.11Ontario.ca. Municipal Act, 2001, S.O. 2001, c. 25 – Sections 379-380 Anyone falling behind should call the Tax Office to arrange a payment plan well before the arrears certificate stage.