Ratable Value

[Bazile]

On the Martin Lewis show the other day, there was information on how to check the rateable value of a domestic
property.

I have forgotten the information

Anyone know how and can provide a link please ?

[Buenchico]

Rateable values only apply to business premises, with this link being the one needed for England & Wales:
https://www.gov.uk/find-business-rates

For domestic premises, it's the Council Tax band that's what matters, with this being the relevant link for England & Wales:
https://www.gov.uk/council-tax-bands

Rateable values are assessed based upon the annual rent that a property could receive on the open market at a fixed date. Council Tax bands are assessed on the value of a property on 1 April 1991 in England or on 1 April 2003 in Wales. (If the property didn't exist at the relevant date, the assessor has to pretend that it did and then calculate a theoretical value for it, based upon the values of other properties in that area at the time).

[Bazile]

Chris
I'm looking at water bills for two houses

On the bills it shows how the bill is calculated .

One of the figures making up the bill is a calculation of -

'the property rateable value , multiply by the tariff charge '

So where do they get the ' the property rateable value ' , from ?

[Buenchico]

Scroll down to 'Rateable value' here
https://www.ofwat.gov.uk/households/your-water-bill/unmetered/

The (old) rateable value for a non-metered property will be shown on the water bill. For the property in this image, it's £190:
https://www.south-staffs-water.co.uk/media/3936/microsoftteams-image-86.png

[THECORBYLOON]

"The Valuation Office no longer changes rateable values. They cannot be changed by water companies and cannot be appealed by the customer. So any home improvements to a property since 1990 aren't considered. In cases where the rateable value is clearly invalid, for example, if a property is redeveloped and split into flats, the only alternative way to charge is to fit a water meter."

https://www.unitedutilities.com/my-account/your-bill/rateable-value-explained/

[Bazile]

Thanks

I was curious to know why the two similar properties only a few streets between them had a different rateable value .

It seems that ofwat can't answer the question from what's on the link

''We have no specific details about how properties were assessed and cannot tell you why similar properties have a different rateable value.''

However is there a way of checking that the figure appearing on the bill is at least quoted correctly - Is there somewhere you can check ?

[Bazile]

That was to Chris

I didn't see you there TCL , but of course , if you know the answer my question

[Buenchico]

THe information used by a water company will have been copied over from that used by the old water boards which, in turn, will have been provided to them by the Valuation Office Agency. To see if the VOA still retains the original data, try a phone call to 03000 501501. (Mon - Fri, 0900 - 1630).

[Bazile]

Ok thanks