Flats to Rent or Houses For Sale in St John's Wood London & NW8

Home to some of the best properties in London and one of the most sought after places in the capital, St Johns Wood's serious development into the urban district we know now began in the early 19th Century. It's a place of refinement, lovely villas, excellent mansion blocks, and a very privileged air.

St John's Wood stretches from Lords round towards Camden, taking in a good section of Regents Park. It's superbly placed for the north of the city and for access to the West End, but this isn't why people who live in the area live here. They live here because this is a beautiful, green area of wide streets and truly epic homes. The centre of the St John's Wood area is a gorgeous little city village with a busy high street filled with excellent cafes and restaurants and nice little boutiques offering home furnishings and the like - a lovely place to relax and chat for the wealthy people who tend to be its inhabitants.

Living in St John's Wood is not cheap, and any property will be fiercely fought over. There are wonderful apartment blocks in the area that reaches up towards West Hampstead and South Hampstead, excellent apartments in managed blocks with lovely communal gardens. There are also excellent modern flats facing the park, and good 60s blocks as well. But really it's the fabulous Regency villas and Victorian houses that are the most distinctive. Roads such as Hamilton Terrace house some of the most distinctive large (truly massive) houses of their kind in the capital, no two exactly alike. Around the Abbey Road area are fabulous detached villas amid the apartment blocks. Every road in St John's Wood seems to hide a collection of breathtaking, unique houses from various periods. All are very sought after and all are - frankly - worth the money.

St John's Wood is in the City of Westminster which holds the responsibility for delivering services in your area.
For specific information on this borough, or to contact individual departments please click here to visit their website.

City of Westminster website: City of Westminster

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.

City of Westminster Council Tax