Take action

Think you’re overpaying? Here are your two routes to a lower bill.

Do it yourself for free, or bring in a professional — this page helps you choose. Some wins are quick: a discount your council owes you can be sorted in days. Challenging the valuation itself takes longer. Either way, the best first move is a free check, so you know whether you have a case before spending time or money.

England only. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland run separate rating systems — the process below and our own data cover England.

Check my rates free first

Two minutes · no account · no obligation

Start here

First, know which number is wrong

Two different organisations control your bill. Knowing which one to contact saves weeks — and one of them is often a free, five-minute win.

The valuer

Your rateable value

The Valuation Office AgencyThe 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. — the government’s property valuer, part of HMRC since April 2026 — sets the yearly figure your bill is worked out from. If that value looks too high, you challenge it with the VOA.

Contact: VOA / HMRC
The biller

Your reliefs and bill

Your local council sends the bill and applies all reliefs — like Small Business Rate Relief. These are free to claim and the quickest win. A surprising number of “overpayments” are simply a missed relief.

Contact: your council
Which route?

Do it yourself, or bring in a pro?

Route A · free

Do it yourself

Best when your case is straightforward.

  • A simple shop, office or unit
  • You're correcting the basic facts — size, description
  • You want to claim a relief from the council
  • You're comfortable filling in an online form
Route B · paid

Use a surveyor

Best when the case is complex or high-value.

  • A high rateable value — real money at stake
  • Valued on trade: pub, hotel, restaurant, cinema
  • You're disputing floor areas or the survey
  • A portfolio, or you're heading to a tribunal appeal
Route A

Do it yourself — free, through the official channels

There are two separate things you can do. Most people should do both.

Track 1

Challenge your rateable value with the VOA

The government’s Check, Challenge, AppealThe three-stage official process for disputing your Rateable Value: 'Check' the facts held about your property, 'Challenge' the valuation with evidence, then 'Appeal' to an independent tribunal if it's still unresolved. process. The steps run in order — you can’t jump straight to arguing the value.

  1. 0
    Step 0 · Set up

    Register and claim your property

    Government Gateway → Business Rates Valuation Account

    Create an account and add your property so you can see its details and figures.

  2. 1
    Step 1 · Check

    Confirm the facts

    With the VOA

    Check the property details the VOA holds — floor area, rooms, description — and correct anything wrong. You must complete this before you can challenge.

  3. 2
    Step 2 · Challenge

    Argue the value

    With the VOA

    Submit your proposed rateable value, effective date, a supporting statement and your evidence — rents and comparables.

    Within 4 months of the Check decision
  4. 3
    Step 3 · Appeal

    Take it to tribunal

    Valuation Tribunal — independent

    If you disagree with the Challenge decision, appeal to the tribunal. You can only use evidence you already submitted, so build a strong case early.

    Within 4 months of the Challenge decision
Set up your VOA account GOV.UK: how to challenge
Track 2

Claim reliefs from your council

The common one: Small Business Rate ReliefA discount for smaller properties. Below a certain Rateable Value you pay nothing at all; above that there's a sliding-scale ('tapered') discount up to a higher threshold..

RV £12,000 or lessUp to 100% off
RV £12,001 – £15,000Sliding discount
RV below £51,000Lower multiplier — applied automatically

Up to 100% applies if it’s your only property. Rules on second properties apply — your council will confirm.

Other reliefs worth asking about: charitable, rural, empty-property, hardship, transitional and supporting-small-business relief. For retail, hospitality and leisure the benefit is built into a lower multiplier from April 2026 for eligible properties under £500,000 rateable value — but your council decides eligibility on how the property is used, so check your bill is actually showing it.

Find and contact your council
Before you start

What to have to hand

  • Your property reference and VOA account access
  • Correct floor areas and a note of the layout
  • Rent and lease details — rent, term, review dates
  • Comparable evidence: rents or rateable values of similar nearby properties
  • Photos or plans that support your case
  • The rateable value you think is correct, and from what date
Grounds

Valid grounds for a challenge

A challenge needs a proper ground and evidence — not just “it feels too high”.

  • The valuation itself is wrong, against rents or comparables
  • The property details in the list are wrong — e.g. floor area
  • A change to the property or the surrounding area affects its value
  • The property should be split, merged, or not valued at all
  • A legal decision on another property affects yours

Read this before you challenge

A challenge can push your value up

The VOA reviews the valuation afresh, so it can rise as well as fall. Check your comparable evidence first.

Keep paying your current bill

You'll be refunded if you win, but non-payment risks enforcement while a dispute is open.

Deadlines are strict

The two four-month windows — Check to Challenge, Challenge to Appeal — are firm. Miss one and your case can end.

You challenge the 2026 list

Values effective 1 April 2026. Older lists can only be challenged in limited circumstances.

Wales works slightly differently: the same online service, but appeals go to the Valuation Tribunal for Wales and Welsh reliefs differ. Our own data and estimates cover England only.

Route B

Use a surveyor or rating adviser

A good rating surveyor earns their fee on complex or high-value cases. Here’s how to find a reputable one — and avoid the cowboys.

When to pay for help

When it’s worth it

  • Your rateable value runs into the tens of thousands
  • You're valued on trade or turnover — pub, hotel, restaurant, cinema, petrol station
  • You're disputing floor areas or how the space is split
  • You have several sites, or shops across different councils
  • Something has changed nearby, or your premises were split, merged or refurbished
  • You're stuck, or heading to the tribunal stage
Due diligence

What a good adviser looks like

  • RICS or IRRV membership — and the firm is RICS-regulated, not just one qualified employee
  • A rating specialist, not a general agency doing rates on the side
  • Carries professional indemnity insurance
  • Fees in writing before you commit, with a worked example
  • A clear written scope — Check, Challenge, and Appeal if needed
  • No big upfront fee and no long lock-in
  • A named contact and an honest view of your chances, not a guarantee

Red flags — the rating industry has a real cowboy problem

  • Cold calls or unsolicited emails that “guarantee” a reduction — no one can
  • Pressure selling — “sign today”
  • Large upfront fees before any work is done
  • Not listed on any professional register
  • Long, auto-renewing contracts with narrow cancellation windows
  • Implying they are “the VOA” or “government-approved” — the VOA never charges you or appoints agents for you
  • “No win, no fee” with hidden survey or admin charges
  • Charging a percentage for a relief you could claim free from the council

Golden rule: never give an agent authority to act until you’ve found them on a professional register and read the fee terms in full.

Where to look

The recognised registers

Always cross-check a firm against these registers.

Money

What fees are normal

Fixed fee

A set price agreed upfront. Best when the job is well defined.

Percentage of the saving

Usually a share of the first year’s saving. Broadly 10–25% is reasonable on a straightforward case. Watch for percentages taken over several years, which quietly multiply the cost.

Six questions to ask before you hire

  1. Are you RICS-regulated or IRRV-qualified?
  2. Fixed fee or a percentage? Over how many years?
  3. Anything upfront, or only if I save?
  4. Any tie-in or auto-renewal?
  5. Could my value go up?
  6. Who will handle my case?

Know whether you have a case first

Whichever route you take, start by seeing how your rateable value compares with similar properties nearby. It’s free, and it takes about two minutes.

Check my rates

Independent service — not endorsed by the VOA or HMRC. We are not a rating agent and we never cold-call.