Can You Challenge Your Business Rates? Yes – And Here's How

Business rates are based on your rateable value—an estimate of your property’s rental value set by the Valuation Office Agency (VOA). But what if that value is too high?

You could be paying hundreds or even thousands more every year than you should be.

The good news? You can challenge it. And if successful, your business rates could be reduced permanently.

Here’s what you need to know—and how we can help.

What Is Rateable Value?

Your rateable value is essentially what the government thinks your property would rent for

on the open market. It’s updated every few years and is used to calculate your business rates bill.

But the system isn’t perfect.

Valuations are done based on broad data. That means important details about your specific property—like layout, condition, access, or location—can be missed. And that leads to overvaluations.

How Can Rateable Values Be Wrong?

There are lots of reasons why a rateable value might be too high:

• 🧱 Changes to the building – Has part of your space been closed off or made unusable?

• 🚧 Disruption nearby – Are you affected by building works, road closures, or noise?

• 📉 Market changes – Has demand for space in your area dropped since the last valuation?

• 🪞 Incorrect measurements – The VOA might have recorded the wrong floor area or layout- parts such as storage or toilets can often be lower rated and may be missed.

• 🏗️ Shared use – If you share space with another business, you may be overcharged.

Even if none of these stand out, it's still worth having your rateable value reviewed. Many errors aren’t obvious unless you're experienced in property valuation—and most businesses simply don’t have the time to dig into it.

How Do You Appeal?

The process to appeal your rateable value is called Check, Challenge, Appeal (CCA). It can be complex and time-consuming:

1. Check – First, you must review the information the VOA holds about your property and correct any mistakes.

2. Challenge – Then, you submit a formal challenge explaining why the valuation is too high, supported by evidence.

3. Appeal – If the VOA disagrees, you can escalate to an independent tribunal.

Each stage requires detailed data, clear reasoning, and expert negotiation.

Why Use an Agency Like Ours?

At Waverly & Knight, we handle the full process for you—from initial review to final decision. Here’s what we offer:

✅ Free assessment – We check your rateable value and tell you if we think there's a case.

✅ Expert representation – We deal directly with the VOA on your behalf, so you don’t have to worry about paperwork or procedures.

✅ Proven results – We’ve helped hundreds of businesses reduce their rateable value—and their bills.

Real Money Back in Your Pocket

If your appeal is successful, you’ll not only pay less going forward—you could get a refund for overpayments going back to the last valuation date.

In many cases, that’s thousands of pounds back in your business bank account.

Don’t Overpay Another Year

If your business rates feel high, don’t just accept them. You might be overpaying—and you can do something about it.

📞 Get in touch with us today for a free review. If your rateable value is too high, we’ll fight to bring it down—so you can keep more of what you earn.