Rateable Value is £21,746 higher than the median of similar shops in your area. This is an estimate, not a formal valuation.
Same use class and scheme, within about 1 km. The tall bar is you.
£/m² (overall) — rateable value divided by floor area, so properties of different sizes can be compared like-for-like, before anything is applied to it: the multiplier, reliefs or your final bill. This is a broad-brush screening check, not a floor-by-floor valuation. Source: VOAThe government body that sets every property's Rateable Value. From April 2026 the VOA is part of HMRC (see below), but 'VOA' is still the common name for the valuation side of the work. 2026 Rating ListThe public register listing every business property's Rateable Value. The current list is the '2026 list', based on rental values from 1 April 2024..
The Valuation Office’s floor area for this property is materially larger than the one on the Energy Performance Certificate lodged for the same address — and energy certificates are measured generously, so they normally read larger than the rating list, not smaller.
We’ve ruled out the usual innocent explanations for this one: there are no other floors a certificate could have missed, it covers the whole address rather than part of it, and it’s recent.
Your rateable value is driven by that area, so if the rating list is the record that’s wrong, your bill is too high. Correcting it is a Check — free, no surveyor needed, and unlike a Challenge it cannot be used to increase your rateable value. The full report shows both measurements, what the difference is worth on your bill, and how to file it.
All comparables match your use class, within about 1 km of you
| Comparable | Distance | Floor area | RV | £/m² (overall) | Match |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| same postcode | 525.6 m² | £27,750 | £53 | 77% | |
| 170 m | 661.8 m² | £29,000 | £44 | 97% | |
| 170 m | 726.9 m² | £32,500 | £44 | 94% | |
| 170 m | 768.6 m² | £49,250 | £64 | 88% | |
| 240 m | 554.8 m² | £28,500 | £51 | 81% | |
| 270 m | 848.3 m² | £23,750 | £28 | 76% | |
| 290 m | 497.2 m² | £32,750 | £66 | 73% | |
| 320 m | 574.1 m² | £20,500 | £35 | 84% | |
| Your property | — | 683.6 m² | £54,000 | £79 | — |
Median comparable £/m² (overall) ≈ £48/m². Your unit is assessed at £79/m² — about 66% higher. Distances are approximate and measured from your property.
Your rate of £79/m² is about 66% above the £48/m² median of genuinely comparable properties nearby (same use class, similar size). That gap points to an over-assessed rateable value, and aligning to the evidence suggests a rateable value near £32,254 — roughly £11,986/yr off your bill. Worth pursuing. One honest caution: a formal Challenge can occasionally see a rateable value rise as well as fall, so go in on the evidence, not a hunch.
Whatever the rate comparison shows, your Energy Performance Certificate records a smaller floor area than the Valuation Office has charged you on. Certificates are measured to the outside walls, so they normally read larger than the rating list, not smaller. Worth checking your own measurements against both — correcting an overstated floor area is a Check, which is free, needs no surveyor, and cannot be used to increase your rateable value.
Everything you need to challenge your rates with confidence — or to hand straight to a surveyor. One report, yours to keep.
Official VOA data · no account needed
This is an estimate, not a guaranteed saving. Business Rate Checker compares your property against similar ones in the official rating list to flag where your rateable value looks high. The figures shown — including any suggested rateable value, annual saving or backdated refund — are indicative and depend on the evidence the Valuation Office Agency (VOA, now part of HMRC) accepts. The actual outcome could be higher, lower, or nil, and in rare cases a review can leave a value unchanged or increased. Nothing here is a valuation, financial or legal advice; it's information to help you decide whether to look into your bill further.
Independent service — not endorsed by the VOA/HMRC. Business Rate Checker is an independent service. We use published rating-list data under licence, but the Valuation Office Agency (now part of HMRC) does not endorse, back, verify or take any responsibility for this site, our comparisons or our estimates. Official rateable values and any formal decisions come only from the VOA/HMRC.