Am I being greedy PLEASE HELP!? 23 May at 12:33AM in House Buying, Renting & Selling 14 replies 1.3K views

lara247

Hopefully by the end of the Month I will have the keys to my first ever home how exciting! I have been looking at the council tax bands and a handful of the houses on the same street and the one literally next door is in the BAND B category. The house that we will be moving in is BAND C, I have actually been in one of the houses ( family friend on the street) her house is exactly same if not slightly bigger their 3rd room plus a toilet downstair ( it is a row of terreced houses built at the same time the early 1900) My husband is all about the simple life and said do not appeal against it but what breaks my heart is why should we be paying more? exactly the same street the homes are the same. I do not want to cause any bother to anyone at all but if I was to pursue it do I even mention that I have seen a neighbours house and there really isn't much different ( ours is the smaller one of course I would never mention the door number!). I want to let it go but every penny counts at the moment. Has anyone ever appealed is it a long tiring process? How was it even worded? what was  your outcome? I tried to explain to my husband it is like two students studying the same degree and the other one is charged more when the course is exactly the same!

Am I being greedy? should I just let it go and embrace I will have my lovely home soon, or pursue it, the worse case scenario is everyone on the street gets pushed up to BAND C I definitely don't want that either.

any advice appreciated! TIA 

deannatrois

I'm not sure why you think getting the correct council tax band is greedy.  The following links may be useful if you haven't already seen them.  The first link says if you wait more than 6 months after moving in, a council tax band can only be challenged in certain circumstances.

I did it when I moved into a new place and was successful - this was some time ago though.  

https://www.gov.uk/challenge-council-tax-band
https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/reclaim/council-tax-bands-change/
https://www.gov.uk/challenge-council-tax-band/evidence-supports-your-challenge

lara247

Thank you for the links. 
There are 14 terraced houses side by side 12 are BAND B and two is C the one I have bought and another one is C.

I have read one of the links where a lady appealed and than the whole street was pushed up a band! I honestly don’t want to be “ that  hated neighbor” or ruin it for other people. It has made me more frustrated  when I just looked up the street and found 12/14 is a BAND B. Why on earth is mine a C.

Surly the council will understand where I am coming from?

cymruchris

lara247 said:

Surly the council will understand where I am coming from?

Yes - with two in band C already - they might up the other 12 from B to C so that all the homes on the street are of uniform rating. (It's been known to happen) - So you might also end up with some very upset neighbours You take a chance - and see what happens - it could go either way.

Catsacor

The 2 that are categorised as Band C are classed as semi detached, the others classed as terraced.
Semi detached and terraced will always be different because of this banding - when selling the asking prices can be slightly different too.
This was how my last house was categorised and I learned this when I thought about asking to change bands, I didn't in the end.

AdrianC

Banding is based on the nominal value of the properties in 1991. No more, no less.

If the properties are ostensibly identical, their values should have been. 85% of the properties being B suggests that's the correct band, assuming the other two really don't have any factor that would increase their relative value.

Marvel1

It's tricky as could go either way:
* Yours become band B
* Theirs become band C

blue_max_3

Ask the B owners for a contribution to keep quiet. Problem solved.

jimbog

The difference in my town between those bands is £200 a year

blue_max_3

I rent a flat (attic conversion) and the owners own two identical houses, next to each other. Both houses have the same conversion, by the same builder even. My flat has an additional bedroom, as the other was finished first and they were not allowed to make it two bedrooms.
Yet my band is C and the other is D! I'd be sore if I rented the other one for sure.

Mutton_Geoff

lara247 said:

next door is in the BAND B category .. The house that we will be moving in is BAND C .. it is a row of terreced houses built at the same time the early 1900

Is yours (and the other band C) the ends of the terrace and therefore semi detached rather than terraced houses?