The Autumn Budget landed today, and while it wasn’t the property tax earthquake some had been predicting, there were big moves, especially if you live in a higher-value home.

No, we didn’t get a broad property-value tax. Stamp duty hasn’t changed. Capital Gains rules are untouched. But one part of the Budget stands out above everything else:

A New “Mansion Tax” Arrives in 2028

From April 2028, homes valued over £2 million will face an annual surcharge on top of normal council tax. The amounts vary by value band but broadly range from around:

• £2,500 per year for homes just over £2m
• Up to £7,500 per year for homes over £5m

This affects only around 0.5% of UK homes, but the impact on that slice of the market, and on certain groups of homeowners, is more nuanced than it first appears.

Why This Matters: Not Everyone in a £2–3m Home is “Wealthy”

This is the part I think is most important, and it’s not being talked about enough.

Across parts of London, the South East, and even areas like Oxford, Cambridge, Bristol, and a handful of commuter belts, house prices have risen dramatically over the last 20–30 years. Some ordinary households, teachers, civil servants, and NHS workers who bought a home decades ago for £150k–£300k now find themselves living in properties worth £2m+ purely because the area exploded in value.

These are not ultra-wealthy individuals with investment portfolios and inheritance trusts.

They’re long-term residents whose only “crime” is staying in the same house for 25–40 years.

The concern: “Asset-rich, cash-poor” households get caught

Many older homeowners live in expensive homes but have modest incomes and very limited liquidity. Whether retired or approaching retirement, their income may be nowhere near high enough to cover an extra £2,500–£7,500+ per year in taxes.

In other words:

The mansion tax is based on property value, not household wealth.

House value does not automatically equal affluence.

This Creates a Real Dilemma for Long-Time Homeowners

For people who bought recently at high prices, fair enough, they purchased knowing the tax landscape might shift. But for someone who bought in 1988, renovated over time, raised a family, paid off their mortgage, and now finds their home is worth £2m on paper… the impact is very different.

For these owners, the mansion tax may:

1. Force people to sell their long-term home

Some households simply won’t be able to afford £2.5k–£7.5k extra per year. The pressure to downsize becomes real, even if they don’t want to.

2. Distort local communities

If long-term residents leave and wealthier buyers replace them, local economies and social makeup change.

3. Hit London hardest, but not only London

While the concentration is in inner London, many areas across the South East are now brushing against £2m valuations for fairly standard family homes.

4. Penalise homes with no mortgage

Many older owners are mortgage-free, but that doesn’t mean they have thousands spare annually.

But For Most UK Homeowners, Very Little Changes

It’s worth being clear:

Homes under £2 million see no new property taxes.

Stamp duty is unchanged.

Council tax is unchanged.

Inheritance tax rules on property remain untouched.

So if your home is £300k, £600k, £1.2m… nothing changes here.

What About Landlords?

The Budget did include tax rises for landlords:

• From April 2027, income tax on rental income rises by 2 percentage points.
• No new National Insurance charge (which was rumoured), but overall landlord profitability is tightening again.

Expect some landlords to try passing this on through higher rents, though the rental market is already at breaking point in many areas.

What This Could Mean for the Market Over the Next Few Years

High-end (£2m+) homes

• Could see softer prices
• Some owners may list earlier than planned
• International buyers may think twice if the UK becomes more expensive to hold property

Mainstream market (<£2m)

• Little direct impact
• Reduced uncertainty (no broad wealth tax) may support confidence

Rental market

• Higher landlord taxation + tight supply = potential upward pressure on rents

Final Thoughts

For most households, this Budget barely touches property. But for those living in homes valued over £2 million, especially long-term owners with modest incomes, this new mansion tax could be a serious financial burden and, in some cases, a push to leave the home they’ve lived in for decades.

The challenge for the government now is how to strike a balance between “fair taxation” and ensuring people aren’t taxed out of their own homes simply because the local market boomed around them.