Business Rates for empty properties

Empty properties

If your business property is a shop or an office and it becomes empty you may not need to pay Business Rates for the first three months. This period is extended to six months for industrial properties, such as warehouses. After this period you will have to pay the charge in full. 

Some properties remain exempt from paying Business Rates while they are empty:

• properties with a Rateable Value under £2,900 - find out how to check your Rateable Value
• properties used by companies in administration or liquidation
• listed buildings
• properties that are not allowed to be legally occupied 
• properties where the owner is only entitled to possession in their capacity as the personal representative of a deceased person

If you have vacated your property and think you are eligible to receive this reduction please contact us.

Partly occupied properties

You may be eligible for a discount on your Business Rates bill if your property is only partly occupied for a short time.

Applications for this relief must be made in writing to the Revenues & Benefits service, giving us the following information:

• why your property is partly empty
• the date it became unoccupied
• how long you think it'll be empty for

Please include a detailed plan of the property which shows which areas of the property are empty.

We'll then contact you to arrange a visit to the property to confirm the partial use. If we grant relief we will contact the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) to reassess the property's Rateable Value.

Please note that this relief cannot be awarded retrospectively.

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