Council Tax Band review fail

martincov

We bought a first floor flat in 2017 which was near enough the same footprint, layout and value as the one below us on the ground floor (we paid £50 (fifty) more than their purchase in 2016.) We saw that they were Band C and we were Band D so appealed. It was unsuccessful as the council said the ground floor flat was not close enough in size to ours(??) and gave us examples of other supposed 'similar' properties nearby which bear no resemblance to ours at all. No indication was given on their 'decline' letter that we could appeal to the VOA.
After reading recent articles in the news and looking at Martin's info. on "Council Tax Bands" we decided to give it a go and appeal to the VOA. After much 'toing and froing' trying to supply evidence of similar properties in the area we advised them that there weren't any, only the flat below us, which is almost exactly the same as ours and gave them as much info. about it and how similar it is to ours.  They have completely refused our appeal and referred us back to the council's refusal in 2017.
Whilst it seems we have to accept their decision it was very informative to look at the Council's website and check the bands local properties are in. As well as the flat below us, we have discovered that several properties in our street are obviously in the wrong band, especially one four bedroomed detached property valued at about £500k which is in Band C and another, probably in the region of £1 million plus, again probably 4/5 bedrooms also in Band C. We have 2 bedrooms and are at least half the size of these two.
Think this only goes to show that the whole system of 'Banding' is poor and needs a thorough review, not only for those of us conscientiously paying our dues each month, but also for the supposed 'cash strapped' councils who desperately need funds to supply us with the basic of needs.

jrawle

From what you said, there are a lot of wrongly banded properties in your street. Perhaps the flat below is also incorrect, so their comparison with other not quite identical flats in the area is fair. The only unfairness is that others are not paying enough council tax, but you can't submit an appeal to increase your neighbours' bands (and you would be very unpopular if you did!)

Jonboy_1984

Bear in mind that if any extensions/improvements have been done to the other properties in the street by the current owners the liability will not increase until they come to sell (this is why one of the searches done when buying a property is normally for improvement markers). https://valuationoffice.blog.gov.uk/2023/07/13/how-home-improvements-affect-your-council-tax-band/

@lincroft1710 may have further advice or information.

lincroft1710

There is nothing to stop you asking the VOA why the bands of these houses appear to be so low. It could be an error which, having been made aware, the VOA would probably correct