Can this council tax be right?

MediumDino

I am new to looking at the council tax banding, so I don't know if I am doing this right.
I live in a one bedroomed (rented flat) in rural Scotland. It is in a big old house that has been converted in to three one bedroomed flats. When I look online all three flats are band C, but all the houses (terraced and freestanding, no other flats around) are band A or B.
Is it possible for a one bedroom flat to be band C when all the surrounding houses are A or B?

Caz3121

have a read if this article which covers how to challenge banding
https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/reclaim/council-tax-bands-change/

MediumDino

Thanks, I did. Using the value calculator the whole house would have been band A, but it is now three flats and there is nothing in the area to compare a one bedroomed flat with. And as I said, all the flats in the building are band C now.

Apodemus

MediumDino wrote: »

Thanks, I did. Using the value calculator the whole house would have been band A, but it is now three flats and there is nothing in the area to compare a one bedroomed flat with. And as I said, all the flats in the building are band C now.

You said before that it was “a big old house”. It would seem unlikely that it would then have been Band A as you now suggest.

Remember, also, that the neighbouring properties may not have been revalued for many years, where the conversion would be assessed at the time that the new units were created and reflect current property values locally.

p00hsticks

Apodemus wrote: »

Remember, also, that the neighbouring properties may not have been revalued for many years, where the conversion would be assessed at the time that the new units were created and reflect current property values locally.

I don't believe that's how it works - even if the properties weren't in existence in 1991, the valuation for council tax purposes is estimated as what it would have been at that date rather than being based on current property values.



It would be worth trying to find out what band the original house was in prior to the conversion as this would give some idea as to the valuation of the house as a whole.

lincroft1710

In Scotland a Band C represents a 1991 value of between £35,000 and £45,000. Band A is less than £27,000. I find it difficult to believe a house which could be converted into 3 flats, could be worth less than £27,000 in reasonable repair in 1991.

Medium Dino, I would suggest you contact the Assessor and ask them if they can explain the apparent discrepancies.

MediumDino

Thanks for your help.
I suspect it was in a bad state when it was last sold: in January 2004 for 32642 according to Rightmove.
Which according to the calculator thing on the above link is 16478 in 1991, band A.
This seemed unlikely to me too, but it is very rural and I can imagine at that time not a sought after place to live.
Which is why I am wondering if it seems likely for a one bedroomed flat to be band C or whether this is a normal thing. As I said, I'm from abroad, so don't have a reference.

lincroft1710

If the property is in disrepair, then this cannot be reflected in the CT band. So if the 2004 sale price was low because of the state of the property, you cannot use it to reference the 1991 price.