Council tax rebanding & square footage

Belisarius

Hi,

I am trying to get my council tax band reduced. I live in a two bedroom property on a very nice street, and am currently in band E.

I phoned the valuation people today, and gave them examples of two bedroom properties on the same street that were in a lower band (sometimes band B & C), and also one four bedroom property in a lower band!

However, they kept saying my square footage was bigger than these properties, implying I didn't have much of a case. I couldn't see any reference to this on the article I read on here. Is there anything I can do / say? Surely a two bedroom property is not going to be worth more than a four bedroom property, even if it does have a bit more square footage.

Thanks!

speccyblue

It sounds like they are fobbing you off.

Try this website about evaluating a property on size etc: voa.gov.uk.

The rest of the site is pretty good.

Ask them for PROOF that the square footage is bigger in the other houses than yours. It's all very well them saying it is but just ask them nicely if they could supply you with some figures and then take it from there.

lincroft1710

VOA compare properties on size and type, size is quite important. They will know how big both your home and the properties are as they will either have physically measured them or taken measurements from plans.

The theory is that of two houses next to one another, the larger one will sell for more money.

Belisarius - do you think the B and C banded properties would have sold for as much as your home in 1991?

Belisarius

lincroft1710 wrote: »

Do you think the B and C banded properties would have sold for as much as your home in 1991?

I am a tenant, so I just don't know & don't really fancy asking my landlord! However, I have just found an estate agent giving floor-plans of a house nearby that is in the same band as me but has three bedrooms & two bathrooms as the loft has obviously been converted. I wonder if I could use that as evidence?

I know this will probably sound stupid, but I can't work out how I'm supposed to use the VOA website to find house values ... any pointers?

lincroft1710

You can't use VOA website to work out values, it explains basis of CT and you can find CT band of any house in country.

There is a possibility that the loft extension isn't reflected in the band, or given the difference between bottom and top of Band E, both properties could be in correct band. I would still quote this however.

What would be helpful to know would be the type of property you rent and the type you are comparing your band with.

Belisarius

Hi,

Thanks for this. I rent a two bedroom terrace house, but it is very spacious for a terrace, which is what I am encountering problems with. I was told that it's 117 square foot. I am comparing it with properties that probably have similar or less square footage, but have more bedrooms. For example, a property just down the road in Band D has four bedrooms but only 94 square foot. I just can't see how a house with two larger bedrooms would be worth more than a house with four smaller bedrooms, whatever the square footage is. I have put in a request for them to look at it, but don't hold out much hope