Absurd council tax rebanding issue

fair21comic

Hi All

I live in a converted, 3-storey Georgian terraced property in London.  The property has been converted into 4 flats, of which I occupy the smallest, one-bedroom flat.

All 4 flats are in council tax band D.

I thought this was quite high, especially given I have friends in much bigger flats that are in lower bands so decided to look into it.

It turns out that most other properties on the street are in band C (lower than band D).  This is particularly shocking because none of these properties have been converted into flats.  So the situation is that a person living in a small, one-bed flat is paying more council tax than someone living in an entire 3-storey house next door.

This can't be right, so I emailed the valuation office, but they have asked me to provide evidence of similar properties in a lower band.  I'm worried they will refuse to reband on the grounds that my tiny one-bed flat and a 3-storey townhouse are not of a similar size, even though the size direction is the total opposite of what it should be.

Any advice from people who have had success with this would be helpful.

Best

Jamie

lincroft1710

Start looking in the area for 1 bed flats in Band C

gwynlas

As above search for 1 bed conversions in your borough of a roughly similar size. Try and stck to your postcode as some boroughs eg Camden stretch from Hampstead to West End. 

fair21comic

So the fact that the house next door is an entire house in band C and that my property is a tiny flat within a house in band D is irrelevant to them?

Am I alone in thinking that it's strange that a person who own an entire three-storey house pays less council tax than someone who rents a tiny one-bedroom flat?

-taff

Why don't you follow the advice you've been given so you have some evidence to back your complaint. Someone agreeing with you on the internet has no effect on your complaint.

phillw

fair21comic said:

So the fact that the house next door is an entire house in band C and that my property is a tiny flat within a house in band D is irrelevant to them?

It could be that the band D is correct and the C is incorrect. You could in effect be fighting for your neighbors to get charged more, so make sure you don't mention this to anyone.
Council tax is inherently unfair.

lincroft1710

fair21comic said:

So the fact that the house next door is an entire house in band C and that my property is a tiny flat within a house in band D is irrelevant to them?

Am I alone in thinking that it's strange that a person who own an entire three-storey house pays less council tax than someone who rents a tiny one-bedroom flat?

Who said it was "irrelevant"?

You have been asked by the VOA to provide some support for your claim in the form of similar properties in a lower band. I agree that this is doing their job for them, but this is how the VOA works nowadays.

There are 4 most likely outcomes to your request

1. Your band is correct and so are those of the houses, which is probably the least likely.

2. Your band is correct but those of the houses are incorrect and are increased.

3. Your band is incorrect and is reduced and those of the houses are also incorrect and are increased.

4. Your band is incorrect and is reduced, but those of the houses are correct.

lincroft1710

phillw said:

fair21comic said:

So the fact that the house next door is an entire house in band C and that my property is a tiny flat within a house in band D is irrelevant to them?

Council tax is inherently unfair.

Arguments can also be made for Income Tax, VAT, Inheritance Tax, Vehicle Tax, Duty on Alcohol and Tobacco, Corporation Tax, Insurance Premium Tax, Motor Fuel Duty, TV Licence etc etc also being inherently unfair

Grumpy_chap

Your property may not have been revised since splitting from 1 house to 4 flats.

lincroft1710

Grumpy_chap said:

Your property may not have been revised since splitting from 1 house to 4 flats.

OP says "all 4 flats are in Band D", which I took to mean each flat was in Band D.

Tim11111000111

Have you worked through the steps to work out what the "correct" band for your flat would be based on its value? https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/reclaim/council-tax-bands-change/