3 Things That Could Be Inflating Your Business Rates Without You Realising

Most business owners know they have to pay business rates—but few know how those rates are worked out.

And here’s the thing: many businesses are paying more than they should because the property has been assessed incorrectly.

At Waverly & Knight, we speak to business owners every day who are surprised to learn that something as simple as a toilet or a kitchen can actually lower their business rates.

So let’s break it down. These are three common ways we help clients lower their rateable value—and often, it starts with just taking a proper look at the building.

1. Your Floor Plan Might Be Costing You Money

One of the first things we look at is your floor plan. Why? Because not all space should be rated the same.

The rateable value is meant to reflect how much of your space is useful for business. But areas like:

• 🚻 Toilets

• 🍽️ Kitchens or staff break rooms

• 📦 Storage areas

• 🧗 Stairwells or corridors

…are not used for trading or generating income. These spaces should often be valued at a lower rate—or in some cases, not at all.

But here’s the issue: the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) frequently misses this. They might apply the same rate to your entire property, even if only part of it is your main business space.

✅ We review your floor plan, check what’s being overvalued, and put in a case to get it corrected. This is often one of the easiest ways to get a reduction—and it’s something clients immediately understand.

2. Is the Base Rate for Your Area Right? (Often, It’s Not.)

Every property is given a base rate per square metre, based on market rents in your area.

But here’s the problem: these base rates are set in broad categories. The VOA might be using outdated or overly optimistic figures—or worse, comparing you to properties that aren’t really like yours at all.

✅ We check what the going rental values are in your exact area, for your type of property, and see if the VOA’s numbers are inflated. If they are, we challenge it.

Even a small drop in the base rate—say, from £90/m² to £75/m²—can make a big difference across a whole property.

3. Missing End Allowances? These Could Slash Your Rates by 5%, 10%, or More

Once your rateable value is calculated, there are often further discounts that can be applied—called end allowances.

These are for specific disadvantages or challenges related to your site. Some of the most common include:

• 🌊 Flood risk

• 🚧 Long-term roadworks or access disruption

• 🔊 Noise from nearby railways, industry, or construction

• 💢 High-crime area

• 🧭 Split sites or awkward layouts that limit business use

These are often worth 5% each, and you can get multiple applied if several issues affect your property.

✅ We know what qualifies and how to present it. Many businesses don’t realise they’re entitled to these discounts—or simply don’t know how to prove it.

Let Us Find What You've Been Missing

Between floor plans, base rate errors, and missed end allowances, the majority of properties we assess have some kind of overvaluation. But most business owners wouldn’t know where to begin looking—or don’t have the time to deal with the VOA themselves.

That’s where we come in.

✅ Free review

✅ Proven Results

✅ Handled from start to finish by experts

📞 Let’s take a look at your building together.

If you’ve never had your business rates professionally reviewed, you could be leaving serious money on the table. Reach out today and let’s see what your property should be paying.