My PAD data for my house is wrong - very wrong - Paying too much Council tax?

TheDimSleeper

• I’ve challenged the band G (£160,001–£320,000) since May 2025, arguing it should be band F.
• Provided six comparable detached houses  (built ~1930–1940, 139–180 sqm, £525,000–£700,000), all in bands F or E. These have similar or smaller sizes and higher valuations but lower bands.
• VOA rejected my comparables, stating they “differ” from my property but didn’t specify why (e.g., size, layout, or kerbside appearance).
• The VOA’s Property Attribute Data (PAD) contains errors: lists 5 bedrooms (actual: 4), 3 storeys (actual: 2), 289 sqm (actual: 182 sqm), and parking for 3 cars (actual: 2).
• Supporting evidence: 2010 Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) shows an unconverted attic (no third storey), and the LA  planning portal shows no applications for structural changes since 1991.
• I’ve requested corrections to the PAD and a band review, citing these errors and comparables, but VOA insists on “more compelling evidence” like 1989–1993 sales data, which is hard to obtain for my semi-rural area.

Where I Stand:

• The VOA’s latest response (July 2025) maintains band G and hasn’t addressed PAD errors or clarified why my comparables are unsuitable.
• I’ve offered to provide floor plans or a surveyor’s report and requested a property inspection to verify attributes.
• I’m concerned the VOA’s process feels opaque, and the errors inflate my 1991 valuation, unfairly keeping me in band G.

• Questions for the Forum:

  1. Has anyone successfully challenged a council tax band with similar PAD errors? How did you get the VOA to correct them?
  2. What makes a “comparable” property acceptable to the VOA? My comparables are similar in age, size, and type, but they have 2 bathrooms vs. my 1—does this matter?
  3. Any tips for finding 1989–1993 sales data for a semi-rural area ? Land Registry data from that period is scarce.
  4. Should I escalate to a formal Valuation Tribunal appeal, or try another informal review with new evidence (e.g., a surveyor’s report)?
  5. Any advice on pushing for a VOA inspection to verify my property’s attributes?

TheDimSleeper

The PAD says I have parking space for 3 cars; it's two. I have 5 bedrooms (it's four), and it's a 3-story house. it's not!

lincroft1710

You can only make a formal appeal if you have been the CT payer for less than 6 months.

If your home was built in the 1930s then the VOA would have inspected it in the 1950s. PADs were not in existence in 1992 when the CT banding exercise took place, so the band would have been based on details from the 1950s (and any subsequent) survey and visual inspection. VOA will do a reinspection if asked

TheDimSleeper

Thanks for that appreciated. I have mixed up my terminology. It's the informal rebanding I have requested. If i get a reinspection is that enough to get the banding changed or appeal matters? Or at least compare the simular houses in a lower band than mine ( not exact due to the semi rural location)