change to council tax following loft conversion

[dollybird]

We have just had a loft conversion, so our house has gone from a 4 bed to a 5 bed. I am assuming the council tax band will change to reflect this, but will this happen automatically when all the building reg paperwork goes through the council, or do we have to let someone know?

[Quodlibet]

I don't actually think it will change. From what I understand it is really rare for council tax bands to change. They're all based on perceived values in about 1987 aren't they?

[titchy]

It won't change for you! It might change when the next person buys it. At some point it'll be added to this website https://www.gov.uk/council-tax-bands with an improvement flag (your building regs dept forwards details on) and when you sell someone will revalue it.

[cunningplan101]

If there is a change, I think it is usually applied after you sell. At least, there's a record against my property at the council since I did my conversion, saying that the band should be reviewed at the next sale.

[Lemonski]

We've just moved into a house thar was extended 13 years ago. The council have just written to us saying they are reviewing get the changes made to the property in the past and that any increase will be backdated to the day we bought it.

So not sure it will be you, probably the next owners unless they review a whole street at a time or something perhaps?

[dollybird]

That's brilliant, very pleased to hear that!!

[MrsJayy]

I live in the same band as my mum I am the same amount monthly but I have a loft conversion

[ThatsNotMyHouseItIsTooClean]

We also got caught buying a property that had been extended as it changed bands on sale.

[fiorentina]

Same as above, ours changed after we moved in

[TheLesserSpottedBee]

Any solicitor worth his/her salt should alert you to the possibility of a banding change on purchase of a property that has been amended/extended/altered by the vendor.

When any building work is done, planning an/or building regs notification is sent to the VOA. The valuation office band it and the council bill it (I used to work in council tax)

So there is a marker on the VOA website telling you that a banding change may take place on sale of the property.

In ye olden days of rates the change took place immediately therefore putting owners off improving the property. This changed with council tax. It now only occurs on the sale of the property. You keep the old band, new owner gets the new band.

The only time an entire street is rebanded is when they messed it up in the first place but usually it is the odd house, so in a block of 6 houses, 5 of them are 2 beds and just 1 is a 3 bed. So the 3 bed would be rebanded as far back as they can go. Or the reverse, it comes down and you get a lovely refund.