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  1. Home
  2. Property and housing
  3. A guide to rates
  4. Your rate bill
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Occupying and leaving a property

When you move home, you should tell Land & Property Services (LPS) 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. 

  • Create or update your rate account

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.

  • Rating of empty homes

More useful links

  • Set up a Direct Debit online for rates
  • Change the billing address for your rates bill
  • Rate Rebate Scheme
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Your rate bill

  • Complaining to Land & Property Services
  • Domestic rate poundages
  • Getting a rates refund
  • How rate bills are calculated
  • Introducing your rate bill
  • Make changes online to a landlord rate account
  • Make changes to your rate account
  • Occupying and leaving a property
  • Properties you pay rates on
  • Rating of empty homes
  • Request a copy of your rate bill
  • Sign up for rates
  • What happens if you can't pay your rates
  • What happens if you don't pay your rates
  • What rates pay for
  • When a ratepayer has died
  • When you think your rates bill is too high

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Comments or queries about angling can be emailed to anglingcorrespondence@daera-ni.gov.uk 

If you have a comment or query about benefits, you will need to contact the government department or agency which handles that benefit.  Contacts for common benefits are listed below.

Carer's Allowance

Call 0800 587 0912
Email 
dcs.incomingpostteamdhc2@nissa.gsi.gov.uk

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Call 0800 587 2750 
Email 
customerservice.unit@communities-ni.gov.uk

Disability Living Allowance

Call 0800 587 0912 
Email dcs.incomingpostteamdhc2@nissa.gsi.gov.uk

Employment and Support Allowance

Call 0800 587 1377

Jobseeker’s Allowance

Contact your local Jobs & Benefits office

Personal Independence Payment

Call 0800 587 0932

If your query is about another benefit, select ‘Other’ from the drop-down menu above.

Comments or queries about the Blue Badge scheme can be emailed to bluebadges@infrastructure-ni.gov.uk or you can also call 0300 200 7818.

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If your query is about another topic, select ‘Other’ from the drop-down menu above.

For queries about your identity check, email nida@nidirect.gov.uk and for queries about your certificate, email covidcertni@hscni.net.

For queries or advice about criminal record checks, email ani@accessni.gov.uk

Application and payment queries can be emailed to ema_ni@slc.co.uk

For queries or advice about employment rights, contact the Labour Relations Agency.

For queries or advice about birth, death, marriage and civil partnership certificates and research, contact the General Register Office Northern Ireland (GRONI) by email gro_nisra@finance-ni.gov.uk

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For queries about:

  • Car tax, vehicle registration and SORN
    contact the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA), Swansea
     
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    contact the Driver & Vehicle Agency (DVA), Northern Ireland

If your query is about another topic, select ‘Other’ from the drop-down menu above.

For queries about your identity check, email nida@nidirect.gov.uk.

 

For queries or advice about passports, contact HM Passport Office.

For queries or advice about Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs), including parking tickets and bus lane PCNs, email dcu@infrastructure-ni.gov.uk

For queries or advice about pensions, contact the Northern Ireland Pension Centre.

If you wish to report a problem with a road or street you can do so online in this section.

If you wish to check on a problem or fault you have already reported, contact DfI Roads.

For queries or advice about historical, social or cultural records relating to Northern Ireland, use the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI) enquiry service.

For queries or advice about rates, email LPSCustomerTeam@lpsni.gov.uk

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