Based on your rateable value alone
Based on similar properties nearby, you don't appear to be overpaying — there's nothing to chase here. This is an estimate, not a formal valuation.
Why we think you are paying rates
A rateable value under £12,000 would normally mean Small Business Rate Relief wipes this bill out — but only if it is the only property your business occupies. The trading name on this property also appears on 2 other properties in the VOA's records, which usually means relief does not apply. Of similar properties where a council gave us the actual bill, 85% were paying. If that is wrong, tell us below and we will recalculate.
Is this the only property your business occupies in England?
Small Business Rate Relief only applies if it is — it changes the bill above.
Your Zone A rate of £290/m² is the rate the Valuation Office applies across your own parade — 12 other shops valued on the same scheme carry it too. So we don't see grounds for a reduction on the rate, and we're not going to invent one — no fee, no challenge needed. The floor-area and relief checks below don't depend on the rate and are where cases like yours are more often won.
The one thing we can't see is your actual measured size. Rateable value is built from floor areas measured to a standard code — and overstated areas are the single most common error we find. Pace out your unit (or check the VOA's published measurements against reality). If the area they hold is bigger than your real floor space, that alone can cut your rateable value, whatever the rate says.
For shops, the frontage zone (Zone A) carries the most value and it halves back as you go deeper. If the VOA has drawn your zones wrongly — treated storage or a return as prime frontage, or mismeasured the depth — your rateable value can be too high even when the headline rate looks standard.
With a rateable value of £6,300, you likely qualify for Small Business Rate Relief — up to 100% off your bill if this is your only business property (under £12,000), tapering to nothing at £15,000. Relief isn't always applied automatically — check your bill and ask your council if it's missing. This is a discount on the bill, separate from whether your rateable value is right.
Your use looks like retail, hospitality or leisure, which pays a lower 2026/27 multiplier (5p in the pound less). Your council decides eligibility on how the property is used — if your bill is using the full multiplier, that's worth querying.
If something physical has changed around you — long-running roadworks, scaffolding, a nearby demolition or redevelopment, a shopping centre losing an anchor — that can be grounds for a temporary reduction called a Material Change of Circumstances, even if your rate is otherwise fair. It has to be a physical/locality change, not just a downturn in trade. If that's you, a surveyor can advise whether it's worth a case.
Check the property description the VOA holds (the 'SCat' — what they think your property is). If it's wrong — a café recorded as a shop, an office recorded as storage — it may have been valued on the wrong basis. Getting the description right can change the whole valuation.
Your rateable value rose noticeably at the 2026 revaluation. That can be the market moving — but it's also exactly when measurement or zoning errors get baked in. Worth checking the floor areas and zones against the new valuation.
Your Zone A rate of £290/m² is the rate the Valuation Office applies right across your own parade — 62 other shops on that same scheme carry exactly the same rate. Shops elsewhere nearby may be assessed lower, but the Valuation Office prices each scheme on its own trading position, so that is a difference between locations, not an error in your assessment. Challenging it would mean arguing the whole scheme's rate is wrong, which affects every shop on it and is a specialist surveyor's argument, not a comparables one. So: no grounds on the rate, and no fee. The floor-area and relief checks below don't depend on the rate and are where cases like yours are more often won.
These are the shops the Valuation Office values on the same scheme as you — your own parade. That is the comparison that matters: the Valuation Office sets one shop-front rate per scheme, so that rate is what yours has to be consistent with.
Comparable properties on your parade, ranked by their shop-front value (£ per m²). A high £/m² value is what pushes your rateable value — and so your bill — up. Yours is highlighted in amber.
Every shop on your valuation scheme is shown — we haven't filtered any out by size or shop type, because a rate per square metre doesn't depend on how big you are or what you sell. Addresses are kept private by the Valuation OfficeThe 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., so they appear by postcode and distance. Figures are estimated annual bills before any business-specific reliefs, so every property is compared on the same basis.
Your property is pinned on the left; the closest matches are shown here in full (the chart above ranks every comparable). Scroll sideways for more.
| Line item | Your propertyMK2 2SF | Shop And PremisesMK2 2RN · 220 m | Shop And PremisesMK2 2UA · 200 m | Shop And PremisesMK2 2LY · 220 m | Shop And PremisesMK2 2UA · 200 m | Shop And PremisesMK2 2UA · 200 m | Restaurant And PremisesMK2 2SF · same postcode | Shop And PremisesMK2 2LY · 220 m | Restaurant And PremisesMK2 2LY · 220 m |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business name | Sonny'svia OpenStreetMap — may be inaccurate | Not published | Not published | Dragon Boatvia FSA — may be inaccurate | Not published | Not published | Bunzvia FSA — may be inaccurate | Rose of Indiavia FSA — may be inaccurate | Golden Curryvia FSA — may be inaccurate |
| Address | 3, OLIVER ROAD, MILTON KEYNES MK2 2SF | 2C, BROOKLANDS ROAD, MILTON KEYNES MK2 2RN | 4A AND 6, OXFORD STREET, MILTON KEYNES MK2 2UA | 8, DUNCOMBE STREET, MILTON KEYNES MK2 2LY | 4, OXFORD STREET, MILTON KEYNES MK2 2UA | 2A, OXFORD STREET, MILTON KEYNES MK2 2UA | 5, OLIVER ROAD, MILTON KEYNES MK2 2SF | 6, DUNCOMBE STREET, MILTON KEYNES MK2 2LY | 4, DUNCOMBE STREET, MILTON KEYNES MK2 2LY |
| Retail Zone A | £5,916 20.4 m² · £290 | £9,184 31.7 m² · £290 | £11,716 40.4 m² · £290 | £6,006 20.7 m² · £290 | £6,380 22 m² · £290 | £4,408 15.2 m² · £290 | £17,545 60.5 m² · £290 | £8,352 28.8 m² · £290 | £8,680 29.9 m² · £290 |
| Retail Zone B | — | £186 1.3 m² · £145 | — | — | — | — | £1,044 7.2 m² · £145 | £1,218 8.4 m² · £145 | £3,625 25 m² · £145 |
| Staff Toilets | £0 0 m² · £0 | £0 0 m² · £0 | — | — | — | — | £0 0 m² · £0 | — | £0 0 m² · £0 |
| Internal Storage | £464 16 m² · £29 | — | — | £221 7.6 m² · £29 | — | — | — | £173 11.9 m² · £15 | £165 11.4 m² · £14 |
| Kitchen | — | — | — | £464 16 m² · £29 | — | — | — | £496 17.1 m² · £29 | £326 11.3 m² · £29 |
| Office | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | £343 18.9 m² · £18 | — |
| Mess/Staff Room | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | £269 18.5 m² · £15 |
| Rateable value | £6,300 | £9,300 | £11,500 | £6,600 | £6,300 | £4,400 | £18,500 | £10,500 | £13,000 |
| Floor area | 36.4 m² | 33 m² | 40.4 m² | 44.3 m² | 22 m² | 15.2 m² | 67.7 m² | 85.1 m² | 96.1 m² |
| Zone A value (£/m²) | £290 /m² | £290 /m² | £290 /m² | £290 /m² | £290 /m² | £290 /m² | £290 /m² | £290 /m² | £290 /m² |
| Last known bill / yr | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| Occupied | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| Distance | — | 220 m | 200 m | 220 m | 200 m | 200 m | same postcode | 220 m | 220 m |
| MatchHow closely a comparable property matches yours, based on property type, size and distance. A higher percentage means stronger evidence for a challenge — but even a 100% match is only ever supporting evidence, not a guarantee. | — | 91% | 89% | 78% | 60% | 42% | 14% | — | — |
| Reliefs | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published |
Last known bill is the figure a council's own records show it charges (from Freedom of Information data) — shown only where we have it, like the Business name and Reliefs rows above. Where a council's response predates the April 2026 revaluation, this is its 2025/26 bill under the previous rating list. "Not published" means that council's FOI data doesn't cover this property, not that the bill is nil.
The lowest value in each row is highlighted green; your property is in amber. All figures are estimates until agreed with the Valuation Office.
Parade Zone A value ≈ £290/m². Your unit is assessed at £290/m².
Retail is valued zone by zone — the frontage (Zone AIn shops, the first 6.1 metres of depth from the shop front — the most valuable trading space, and the benchmark rate (£ per m²) used to value the whole unit.) carries the full value, halving back through B and C. We compare on the Zone A value (£/m²), not the blended average.
| Zone / use | Area | Value £/m² | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Retail Zone A | 20.4 m² | £290 | £5,916 |
| Staff Toilets | — | £0 | £0 |
| Internal Storage | 16 m² | £29 | £464 |
| Rateable value | 36.4 m² | blended £173 | £6,300 |
What's not included above: reliefs not yet loaded for your council — charitable, empty-property, rural, hardship or transitional — could lower this further. They depend on your business and circumstances, not just the property, so check your council bill for your final figure.
Retail/Hospitality/Leisure rate: we've used the lower 2026/27 RHL multiplier (38.2p, 5p below the national rate) because this property's use class looks like a qualifying retail, hospitality or leisure use. Final eligibility is set by your council and depends on the property being wholly or mainly used for a qualifying purpose — if it doesn't qualify, the national multiplier applies and the bill (and any saving) would be a little higher.
We compared the floor area on this property's Energy Performance Certificate against the Valuation Office's measured area. They're measured slightly differently, so we only flag a gap when it's big enough to matter.
An EPC (Energy Performance Certificate) records the building's total useful floor area, generally measured to the outside face of the external walls and including internal circulation such as stairwells and corridors. The Valuation Office measures the usable space to the inside of the walls, and for shops it further "zones" the space — the frontage counts fully, then halves back into the store. Because of this, the EPC figure is usually a little larger — so an EPC reading up to 20% over the Valuation Office's area is routine. A certificate coming in under the rating list is the more interesting direction, because the measuring difference should push it the other way: we treat a shortfall of more than 10% as worth checking. We hide this check entirely when the gap is so large that the certificate is almost certainly for a different footprint — for example one EPC covering a whole building rather than your single unit.
| 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. | Rateable value | Status |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 list (current) | £6,300 | In force |
| 2023 list | £5,000 | Previous |
| 2017 list | £3,300 | Previous |
No alterations on record. The Valuation Office has not changed this entry since the 2026 list came into force, which is true of most properties. We read its change files every week.
checked to 23 Sep 2026
How your rateable value has moved across the last two revaluations. RV only changes when a new rating list takes effect — 2017, 2023 and 2026 — not year to year, so the bars step rather than drift.
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.
You've got the full picture on your rateable value — the next step is making your claim. See how to challenge it yourself for free, or with a chartered surveyor.
Evidence: HMRC/VOA 2026 rating list. Comparables matched on use class and locality. Figures are estimates until agreed by the VOA — outcomes aren't guaranteed and can go down as well as up. A formal Check/Challenge is a separate step we don't perform here. Business Rate Checker is independent and is not endorsed by the VOA/HMRC.
Every zone, area & £/m² value for the closest comparables, side by side. Your property is pinned on the left.
| Line item | Your propertyMK2 2SF | Shop And PremisesMK2 2RN · 220 m | Shop And PremisesMK2 2UA · 200 m | Shop And PremisesMK2 2LY · 220 m | Shop And PremisesMK2 2UA · 200 m | Shop And PremisesMK2 2UA · 200 m | Restaurant And PremisesMK2 2SF · same postcode | Shop And PremisesMK2 2LY · 220 m | Restaurant And PremisesMK2 2LY · 220 m |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business name | Sonny'svia OpenStreetMap — may be inaccurate | Not published | Not published | Dragon Boatvia FSA — may be inaccurate | Not published | Not published | Bunzvia FSA — may be inaccurate | Rose of Indiavia FSA — may be inaccurate | Golden Curryvia FSA — may be inaccurate |
| Address | 3, OLIVER ROAD, MILTON KEYNES MK2 2SF | 2C, BROOKLANDS ROAD, MILTON KEYNES MK2 2RN | 4A AND 6, OXFORD STREET, MILTON KEYNES MK2 2UA | 8, DUNCOMBE STREET, MILTON KEYNES MK2 2LY | 4, OXFORD STREET, MILTON KEYNES MK2 2UA | 2A, OXFORD STREET, MILTON KEYNES MK2 2UA | 5, OLIVER ROAD, MILTON KEYNES MK2 2SF | 6, DUNCOMBE STREET, MILTON KEYNES MK2 2LY | 4, DUNCOMBE STREET, MILTON KEYNES MK2 2LY |
| Retail Zone A | £5,916 20.4 m² · £290 | £9,184 31.7 m² · £290 | £11,716 40.4 m² · £290 | £6,006 20.7 m² · £290 | £6,380 22 m² · £290 | £4,408 15.2 m² · £290 | £17,545 60.5 m² · £290 | £8,352 28.8 m² · £290 | £8,680 29.9 m² · £290 |
| Retail Zone B | — | £186 1.3 m² · £145 | — | — | — | — | £1,044 7.2 m² · £145 | £1,218 8.4 m² · £145 | £3,625 25 m² · £145 |
| Staff Toilets | £0 0 m² · £0 | £0 0 m² · £0 | — | — | — | — | £0 0 m² · £0 | — | £0 0 m² · £0 |
| Internal Storage | £464 16 m² · £29 | — | — | £221 7.6 m² · £29 | — | — | — | £173 11.9 m² · £15 | £165 11.4 m² · £14 |
| Kitchen | — | — | — | £464 16 m² · £29 | — | — | — | £496 17.1 m² · £29 | £326 11.3 m² · £29 |
| Office | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | £343 18.9 m² · £18 | — |
| Mess/Staff Room | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | £269 18.5 m² · £15 |
| Rateable value | £6,300 | £9,300 | £11,500 | £6,600 | £6,300 | £4,400 | £18,500 | £10,500 | £13,000 |
| Floor area | 36.4 m² | 33 m² | 40.4 m² | 44.3 m² | 22 m² | 15.2 m² | 67.7 m² | 85.1 m² | 96.1 m² |
| Zone A value (£/m²) | £290 /m² | £290 /m² | £290 /m² | £290 /m² | £290 /m² | £290 /m² | £290 /m² | £290 /m² | £290 /m² |
| Last known bill / yr | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| Occupied | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| Distance | — | 220 m | 200 m | 220 m | 200 m | 200 m | same postcode | 220 m | 220 m |
| MatchHow closely a comparable property matches yours, based on property type, size and distance. A higher percentage means stronger evidence for a challenge — but even a 100% match is only ever supporting evidence, not a guarantee. | — | 91% | 89% | 78% | 60% | 42% | 14% | — | — |
| Reliefs | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published |
Last known bill is the figure a council's own records show it charges (Freedom of Information data), shown only where published — responses that predate the April 2026 revaluation are 2025/26 bills. The lowest value in each row is highlighted green; your property is in amber. All figures are estimates until agreed with the Valuation Office.