Rate information
Set up a rates direct debit
If you own a residential or commercial property you will pay rates to Council, unless your property (a church, school or hospital) is exempt from rates.
The rates you pay allow your council to administer various laws and regulations to help maintain and improve services and facilities for the community. These services may include community services, sporting and recreation services, environmental planning, public health, environmental protection and waste collection, treatment and disposal.
Rates notices
We issue annual rates notices in July. You can setup your own digital rate notices through Payreq or BPAY View.
Each year, Willoughby City Council collect rates from landowners across the LGA.
These rates generate about 40-45% of the income Council needs to provide its services and projects, including:
- Helping to maintain parks and recreation facilities, roads, footpaths, street lighting, and sporting and health facilities.
- Providing library and community services, building control and town planning, environmental planning and conservation, street cleaning, city rangers, pest control and much more.
Please read this fact sheet(PDF, 246KB) 
to understand, in more detail, how Council sets and spends rates.
Annual rates notices are issued in July, with payment due by:
- 31 August if you are paying in full. or
- 31 August, 30 November, 28 February and 31 May if you choose to pay quarterly.
If you pay quarterly, your notices will be issued a month before each due date.
Pensioners may be eligible for a rebate on council rates. To be eligible:
The name of the applicant on the pension card is to be the same as the ownership record of the property (as per the Land Titles Office) to be eligible for the rebate.
If you become an eligible pensioner during the year, your rebate will commence from the next quarterly billing period. Or if you are no longer eligible, your rebate will stop at the end of the current quarterly billing period.
Pensioner rebate application form
You may be eligible for Council’s reduced cost self-funded retiree domestic waste service. Residents must meet all of the following conditions to be eligible:
- own the property
- have lived continuously within the Willoughby Council area for the past 15 years
- reside in the property as the sole or principal place of abode
- be aged 70 years or older
- hold a current Commonwealth Seniors Health Card as at 1 July of the current rating year.
The name of the applicant on the Commonwealth Seniors Health Card is to be the same as the ownership record of the property (as per the Land Titles Office) to be eligible for the rebate.
Annual application is required.
Self-funded retiree domestic waste service application form
Self funded retirees domestic waste service policy(PDF, 83KB)
In May 2024, Council received approval to increase rates by 15% in the 2024/25 financial year. This increase is made up of:
- 5% NSW Government rate peg
- 10% Special Rate Variation.
In future years, rates are expected to increase in line with the NSW Government rate peg.
Council will use the rate increase to:
- Strengthen its budget position, including boosting its capacity to absorb future financial, weather and growth shocks and to maintain and renew community assets.
- Maintain existing highly-valued services.
- Set aside an additional $2 million a year, on an ongoing basis, to deliver a noticeable improvement in public area maintenance and urban tree canopy management.
Find out more: