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Occupying and leaving a property

When you move home, you should tell your local Land & Property Services (LPS) rating office immediately about the change in property ownership or occupancy. If LPS doesn't know about the change, you might receive a rates bill for the property after the date you moved.

Rates assessment

LPS issues domestic rates bills at the beginning of April each year. Your rates bill is based on rates assessed for the rating year, from  1 April until 31 March the following year.  

To assess rates correctly, LPS needs accurate information about ownership or property changes.

Changes in ownership or occupancy

When the person responsible for paying the rates changes during the rating year,   LPS will reassess the rates.  You will be billed for the period you own or live in the property.

To avoid a backdated rates bill, you should tell LPS immediately a change takes place. You can use an online form to give LPS this updated information. When they get this information, they can send you a new rates bill. You can use this online form for domestic rate accounts only. 

Changes to owners or occupiers in rental properties

To report owner or occupier changes to rental or non-domestic properties, contact LPS:

  • telephone: 0300 200 7801
  • text relay: 18001 0300 200 7801

Empty homes

Property rates are payable on all domestic properties, including empty homes, with a capital value of £20,000 or more. The amount due is the same if the property is empty or occupied.

In certain circumstances, there are automatic and application based exclusions that benefit from 100 per cent rate relief.

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