Appealing council tax band?

Heather2603

Has anyone had any luck appealing the council tax band on their property? Buying a house in Band C at the moment but looking online seems like the majority of our neighbours are band B. So think we're going to give it a go once we move in.

Anyone any experience? Is it as easy as it seems on the guide?

tacticalbanjo

I don't have experience of doing it myself but I have heard of this going wrong - instead of getting your band lowered you get everyone else's band put up.

marliepanda

You may simply cause all the other houses to be moved up a band. It Dan go either way.

Heather2603

Yeah, I've seen there have been a few occasions where its gone the other way but given we're the mid terrace I fail to see why our council tax should be higher than the end terrace which would be arguably more valuable.

I was just looking to see if anyone had experience of the actual process.

teddysmum

Is your house identical or does it have one of the additions that means it's band valuation goes up on sale by the owner doing the alteration ?


Back in the 1970s there were all kinds of improvement that made your valuation for rates increase (or not) eg a brick garage added value but a brick effect prefab did not/ a fully tiled bathroom did, whilst a half tiled one did not. (This is why, on buying a newbuild, we went for half tiling and my parents opted for a prefab garage, even though my father was a skilled bricklayer.)

Slinky

Good grief, I'd no idea all those drive-by council tax valuations could see what tiling we had in our bathroom!

My Dad complained only when his neighbour built an extension that it affected his property value. Turns out he'd always been in the wrong band (from the drive-by days) and got about 20 years difference back.

Heather2603

Nah, no alterations that would be obvious from a drive by. In fact no alterations at all really. There is a wee wooden shed out the back and the bathroom was converted to a wet room a couple of years ago by the looks of it. It's just a basic mid terrace house, nothing fancy at all.

tacticalbanjo

Have you applied the two tests Martin recommends? Just being a higher band than your neighbours won't cut it. And if you manage to get them all put up a band you are going to be the most hated person on the street so it pays to make sure you have a good claim before proceeding.

http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/reclaim/council-tax-bands-change

Heather2603

Yes, both tests are met, in fact if you use the valuation that is on our home report the link on there actually puts the property value as Band A, though it is on the cusp of Band A to Band B.

Obviously don't want to be the most hated person on the street :eek: but £300 a year is better in our pocket than the councils. I really cannot fathom how they've come up with the bands though, the houses are all identical in the street(other than the flats which are Band A) so you would expect them all to be one or the other and looking at sales price history they've all sold within a £10 - £20k price bracket, the highest of which being when house prices were at their highest. Bizarre!

Thanetia

Can be some subtle differences sometimes. Years ago we lived in a mid-terrace house where one of the adjacent houses was in a higher band - reason being there was an alleyway through to the back between the houses at ground level, and the adjacent house extended over this at first floor level. Hence slightly bigger square footage = higher CT band

marliepanda

Heather2603 wrote: »

Yes, both tests are met, in fact if you use the valuation that is on our home report the link on there actually puts the property value as Band A, though it is on the cusp of Band A to Band B.

Obviously don't want to be the most hated person on the street :eek: but £300 a year is better in our pocket than the councils. I really cannot fathom how they've come up with the bands though, the houses are all identical in the street(other than the flats which are Band A) so you would expect them all to be one or the other and looking at sales price history they've all sold within a £10 - £20k price bracket, the highest of which being when house prices were at their highest. Bizarre!

The council don't band, the valuation office does. That's who you need to contact to pursue