Changing new build council tax banding. Social housing

desperatetobedebtfree

We have recently moved into a new build 4 bed Housing association property on a large newly developed estate.  

We are the only 4 bed at present for housing association with another 4 being built. These are also more dispersed into the estate and not with other social housing properties. 

The other 4 beds sold so far in this estate are private sales elsewhere on the estate and have different features. 

Those are mostly detached and We are semi detached although it’s more like a terrace whereas theirs are quite spaced out.  

Private driveway - ours is allocated parking but not a driveway for car insurance purposes. 

Garages - mostly double. We don’t have a garage. 

Most have a ulilty and an extra room for a home office. We don’t. 

All have 2 bathrooms ( en-suite and family) some have 2 en-suite. Plus downstairs WC. 

We have a family bathroom.  One one suite and downstairs shower room ( tiniest shower  but still a shower) 

We share however a E banding.  I just don’t think our home would have sold for the same value as theirs either now or in 1991. 

Firstly we are more densely populated, theirs is more executive homes whereas we are within a social housing quarter and regardless of what people thing there is still a stigma attached to that! 

I’m finding it really really hard to find comparative properties though to give to Valuation office. 

Most 4 bed estate houses in nearby areas are like theirs not mine. Plus the extra shower room isn’t a feature elsewhere! 

Is it worth still trying? 

Thank you. 

Ps extremely grateful for our home.  Love it. However I do feel it necessary to challenge the E banding both for ourselves and future tenants. 

For context the 3 bed 3 storey opposite us are C banded. The 2 beds B. 

teaselMay

It's worth a try isn't it. I'm also about to move to a house in the social housing bit of a new estate and as you say they're not the same spec or design as the private sale houses. They're great houses and I'm so grateful to have been able to part buy a secure roof over my head, but I think I'd challenge the banding too.

edit: I've just looked at the sold prices on the estate I'm moving to (it sounds similar to yours) the house opposite mine which is a privately owned freehold sold for 15K more than mine 2 years ago, and so may well be in the same price band for council tax. I'd still challenge it though.

desperatetobedebtfree

Thank you. It is worth a try. 

The difficulty I’m finding is there is no comparative houses to assess it against.  

The house type is only for social housing properties.  All of those in that part of estate are social housing so not like I even have private opposite me. There are some shared owners but they are 2 and 3 beds! 

teaselMay

You could do with a 4 bed shared ownership being built to compare the purchase price to couldn't you!

desperatetobedebtfree

It would be an idea but I have literally never seen a 4 bed shared ownership.  We looked into this ourselves at one point.  Reason they don’t build them here is uplift in price makes mortgages unobtainable apparently. 

desperatetobedebtfree

Very few social housing 4 beds too.  Trying to find some to check their council tax banding and what floor plan was on planning register. It’s proving hard! 

lincroft1710

Band E could be correct for your home if the 1991 values of the private 4 beds would have been £115K and yours £90K. Try and find 3 bed HA 2 storey semi detached in Band C or look further afield for a private built 4 bed in Band D.


Any future tenant can make their own appeal. But if your appeal fails, by a quirk of CT legislation, there can be no further appeals by successive occupiers of your home

desperatetobedebtfree

Thank you. 

I’ve been looking at several 4 beds.  Most with garages and two reception rooms. Estate houses. Recently built up to 20 years ago.  Mostly C or D banded.  Mostly detached too! 

Need to get my PADI as I’ve lost the letter ( how I don’t know!) 

Going to compile my appeal and go from there. 

desperatetobedebtfree

Ok. So does anyone know about the 

VSC (value significant code) they put on the property info. Mine has none and it’s a social housing area. Do they still use these? 

https://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ukgwa/20141002134547/http://www.voa.gov.uk/corporate/Publications/PropertyDetailsGuide/valueSigCode.html

Also the planning register said my house was 134.4sqm yet VO have it as 153sqm. I’m going to add this in. 

Thanks 

desperatetobedebtfree

Group: 32 - Better quality estate and individual dwellings built after 1945

•           Type : HS - Semi-detached house 

•           Age: Z - 2022 onwards 

•           Area: 153 Square Metres

•           Heating: Y - Central Heating

•           Rooms: 5

•           Bedrooms: 4

•           Bathrooms: 3

•           Floors: 2

•           Parking: O2 - Open parking space (within/reflected in unit of assessment) for 2 cars

•           Conservatory: N - No Conservatory Exists

•           Conservatory Area:  

•           Value Significant Code:

•           Plot Size:  (no longer collected)

lincroft1710

desperatetobedebtfree said:

Ok. So does anyone know about the 

VSC (value significant code) they put on the property info. Mine has none and it’s a social housing area. Do they still use these? 

https://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ukgwa/20141002134547/http://www.voa.gov.uk/corporate/Publications/PropertyDetailsGuide/valueSigCode.html

Also the planning register said my house was 134.4sqm yet VO have it as 153sqm. I’m going to add this in. 

Thanks 

VSC was before my time so, sorry cannot help you on this


There are three methods of measuring property

Gross External Area

Gross Internal Area

Net Internal Area


VOA use GEA for houses and bungalows which as it is external measurements will give a higher area than either GIA or NIA. 153 sq m is quite a large house.