Unique Home Brings CT Band Challenge

Monkey635

Hi
My wife and I have exhausted our research into evidencing rebanding the council tax on our home. 

We are currently in band F and the 1991 index suggests band D. Our immediate neighbours are band D or E, in similar size properties. 

We live in part of a former pub (closed in the ‘50s) that was divided up into 4 terraced homes. The division of properties is unique due to the age and construction of the original building and in the number of flying freeholds we share. To say it doesn’t make much sense would be an understatement. 

Our challenge is to find similar properties to evidence a rebanding, however extensive searches have been unfruitful. 

Any experience, ideas or suggestions would be appreciated. 

lincroft1710

Sorry to answer a question with questions but the answers to the following may give me an idea of how to approach this (I'm ex VOA)

1. When did you buy your home?

2. You say the pub was closed in the 1950s, was the conversion to 4 houses carried out then and is there a possibility that there was a subsequent rearrangement of the accommodation?

3. Not a question but for info house price indices are inaccurate, so won't be much help.

4. Is this a "character property"?

5. Is your home the largest of the four?

Monkey635

Thanks Lincroft
Please forgive my tardiness, I hope I can answer here:
1. Purchased in Sept 2024, been resident and paying CT since Aug 2018
2. We believe the four properties were configured between 1957 & 1962
4. Yes, grade 2 listed
5. Yes, by a margin of a few square metres and we’re in the same or higher tax band as much larger properties on our road. 

FYI, we have provided details of what we thought were 5 similar properties to VOA but were told they were not comparable. 

lincroft1710

If you have been living in the property since 2018 and the VOA have rejected your evidence then it is is going to be a very steep uphill struggle. Were you a tenant between 2018 and 2024? Also as yours is the largest of the four then Band F may not be incorrect. Having larger properties in the same band is to be expected, top of Band F is over 30% higher than the bottom.


I would suggest widening your geographical search area, which I know will be difficult as character properties of a similar size can be difficult to find.