Unoccupied property rating

You do not have to pay business rates on empty buildings for 3 months. This is extended to 6 months for certain industrial premises. For more information visit GOV.UK: Empty properties.

If the unoccupied property rate for the financial year has been reduced by order, it will be shown on the front of the bill. 

Applications for a discount or relief

We accept applications for a discount or relief with our online form:

Discount or relief application form on My Account

Partly occupied properties

The ratepayer is liable for the full non-domestic rate whether a property is wholly or only partly occupied.

Where a property is part occupied for a short period, we have discretion in certain cases to request that the Valuation Office Agency apportions the property’s rateable value between its occupied and unoccupied parts. This discretion means that the empty part will receive a complete exemption from rates for the first 3 months it is empty or, if it is an industrial property, the first 6 months it is empty.

After the initial rate-free period expires, the occupied business rate will apply to the whole property.  The ratepayer can then apply for other applicable reliefs on the whole property, such as small business rate relief.

More information

For more information, please send an enquiry:

Business rates general enquiry on My Account