New-ish development Council Tax Rebanding

FrenchDude

Hello,

I have just moved (first time owner!) into a 2021-2022 development of ~200 flats over a few buildings.

All of the 2 bedroom flats are Band C... except mine and the 2nd and 3rd floor version of my flat in my building which are D.

It doesn't make much sense, as even in my building the 2 bedroom flats around me are generally bigger were sold new for more than mine. The 2 bedrooms in the other buildings were also sold for a similar amount to mine or more.

So, I have pretty much 100 examples of directly comparable flats with a lower band as neighbours.

However... when using Nationwide and the MSE 1991 tool to estimate my home's band it falls either at the top end of D (or sometimes in E depending on what I put in - the initial new build selling price or what I paid for it now in March 2025)

So, is it worth challenging or is there actual risk of changing the bands up to D of pretty much the entire development (most of the flats are 2 bedrooms)?

lincroft1710

Possibly your flat is larger than the Band C flats, hence it is Band D. Also there is a possibility the Band C flats are too low. Usually house price indices tend to show 1991 values as lower than they actually are, so the fact they are showing Band D/E values indicates Band D could be correct.


The only people who know the answers will be the VOA (Eng & Wales) or the Assessor (Scot). So it is impossible to predict the outcome if you appeal the band.

FrenchDude

That is all understood, I just wanted to know if there are any people that were in a similar situation.

the other flats are definitely not smaller than ours, I have all of the floor plans from the developers and my flat is smaller than average by some margin. (My direct neighbours flats are all bigger and are all Band C)

lincroft1710

If there are versions of your flat in other buildings in Band C, then the probability is your band is too high. Check the band history of one of the earliest flats in the development to see if it was originally Band D and was subsequently reduced. The fact that yours and the 2 flats above are Band D could mean they were misidentified.


When you were comparing sizes did you use the developer's stated flat size or did you compare the areas of the individual rooms as the VOA only used the areas of lounges kitchens and bedrooms. Bathrooms, hallways and cupboards/stores off hallways were ignored 

FrenchDude

Good to know, I will check by comparing living room/kitchen and bedrooms sizes. 

My building was the first one to be finished and then 5 more were build next to it, in the 5 other buildings every single of the 2 bedroom flats are Band C, only 3 in my building are D (including mine).