Council Tax banding - any point looking into this?

Snakey

I'm in Band C which is a 1991 valuation of £52-68k.

It's an ex-council property and the previous owner bought it under the Right to Buy scheme in January 2000. I have her lease here (since it's now mine) and it shows a purchase price of 36k and a discount of 39k, giving a total market value at that date of 75k.

If you backdate that to 1991, at least according to that quick checker that was in the main article - and I appreciate this is only a rough guess - you get to a price just above £40k, which brings it to the lower end of Band B (so it's not even as if it would be a marginal case).

But... when I look at all the other flats in the block, the two-bedroom ones are all in Band C just like mine. And the article seems to suggest that if that's your position then you are not going to succeed in a claim - that it's all about whether you are in the same band as your near neighbours (and so if, for instance, all of the properties were put into the wrong band, you could never do anything about it).

What's the position?

I have other queries and suspect this may not be straightforward (in particular the estimated 1991 value needs proper research), but if it's dead in the water because of the neighbours' bands then it's not worth me doing any more work on it. So if anyone who has looked into this stuff in detail could give me a steer on whether it's worth doing, that would be great.

lincroft1710

If it is less than 6 months since you bought the flat, you can appeal the CT banding, see the evidence the VOA believe supports the band and if not satisfied the Valuation Tribunal will determine the matter.

If you're outside the 6 months, then you will have to search for other 2 bed flats in the area in Band B and look at archived local newspaper property ads for 2 bed flats in 1991, which will give you an idea of the asking prices.

Snakey

So as long as I apply within the six-month time limit, it doesn't matter what bands my neighbours are in?

lincroft1710

It doesn't matter what bands your neighbours are in, you can ask for a band review at any time. But it is to your advantage to appeal the band if you bought the flat less than 6 months ago.

The VOA should properly investigate any band which is challenged. However they tend to be less thorough when a request is made outside the 6 month time limit, and can use the excuse "it's the same as others in the block, and no one else has appealed".

On-A-Mission_2

I have only just checked my council tax band after my neighbour with same property told me they are in Band B and I am in Band C ... on research I am the only property in a whole area in Band C they purchased their property 8 years ago and I checked it all out and clearly I have been paying too much for years! That is so unfair as I have struggled to pay an extra £30 per month on my own since 2011 when I divorced, never mind paying too much for years in the first place. I have taken a picture of all properties listed in my area showing my address sticking out like a sore thumb - lets see how far I get?