Council tax band

[blanketbag]

WIBU to challenge my council tax band knowing that the most likely result is that my neighbours are incorrect and theirs will be increased?

Relatively new build house where the different house types are clear on the site plan so I know that two others houses of the exact same type are
3 bands lower than mine.

If their bands are increased there will be no backpay but their future bills will increase to the same as mine. If mine is decreased then I will be refunded the overpayment which could be up to £3k, and obviously my future bills will be lower.

Not even slightly unreasonable. Not your circus, not your monkeys.

Sort your own, if theirs goes up then they can argue the toss themselves.

Interesting, thank you. My OH takes the view that as it's unlikely to make a difference to ours and the only change will be to increase our neighbours, we shouldn't do it.

If it's not going to decrease yours then no I wouldn't do it just so my neighbours had to pay more! I get that it's irritating they aren't paying the right amount but bills are going up enough at the minute.

If you pass the two 'tests' that Martin Lewis says to check then I would definitely go ahead!

If it will help you, do it. If you can do it without mentioning/comparing your to the other neighbours houses that would be best.

We are getting money to help us with increasing fuel bills based on council tax bands, so if you change band will that mean you get that too? If so then remember to take that into consideration when deciding how to proceed.

There's a chance my band will be lowered which will also mean I'll benefit from the additional government help. However, I do think the most likely outcome is that my neighbours will be increased. I think the valuation office have the wrong details for those two plots so have valued it on the basis of it being a much smaller house. Of course I don't know that, but that's my suspicion.

In a way I do kind of resent that I am paying so much more than my neighbours. Between them it's an extra house worth of council tax that they are underpaying by and I feel like I'm partly subsidising them, even though it's not their fault and not deliberate.

@blanketbag

Interesting, thank you. My OH takes the view that as it's unlikely to make a difference to ours and the only change will be to increase our neighbours, we shouldn't do it.

I tend to agree with him. If their bands go up it won’t be of any benefit to you.

Do a calculation to find out the notional value of your property in 1991, the calculator on the Nationwide website is easy to use. That will give you the best idea of what band you should be in.

If it's unlikely your application will succeed, then don't do it. If you do, your neighbours will always think of you as the dickhead that increased their bills.

If my neighbours bands do change, they won't be told it's because of my challenge.

@blanketbag

There's a chance my band will be lowered which will also mean I'll benefit from the additional government help. However, I do think the most likely outcome is that my neighbours will be increased. I think the valuation office have the wrong details for those two plots so have valued it on the basis of it being a much smaller house. Of course I don't know that, but that's my suspicion.

In a way I do kind of resent that I am paying so much more than my neighbours. Between them it's an extra house worth of council tax that they are underpaying by and I feel like I'm partly subsidising them, even though it's not their fault and not deliberate.

I would do it if you genuinely think yours is wrong and it's a chance to get it fixed, no harm in doing that especially if it's going to save you money.

However, you are in no way "subsidising" your neighbours. If they're paying the right amount and yours is too much then they're not underpaying and you should get your money back. If they're not paying enough and your band is right then you would have been paying the same amount regardless so,again, not subsidising them - it's not how council tax works

I doubt the council will bother its star looking at the other properties tbh. Just yours.

Arse not star ⭐️ ha ha!

In a way I do kind of resent that I am paying so much more than my neighbours. Between them it's an extra house worth of council tax that they are underpaying by and I feel like I'm partly subsidising them, even though it's not their fault.

Yes I think you would be an arse, you sound vindictive.

You need to check your house valuation first and see if you past both checks. If you don’t check or don’t pass, I think yabvu.

Are your house and the other two that are paying lower the only three houses of that type on the estate? If so, it's probably worth a challenge.

If, however, there are many houses of your house type on the estate paying what you do, and these two houses are an anomaly in paying less, then I wouldn't challenge, as it's obvious that the only result will be to make them pay more. It's not going to actually benefit you in any way.

It's not the council that makes the decision on bandings it's the Government's Valuation Office - they will decide which properties need to change (if any) and notify the council to change their records.

@blanketbag

There's a chance my band will be lowered which will also mean I'll benefit from the additional government help. However, I do think the most likely outcome is that my neighbours will be increased. I think the valuation office have the wrong details for those two plots so have valued it on the basis of it being a much smaller house. Of course I don't know that, but that's my suspicion.

In a way I do kind of resent that I am paying so much more than my neighbours. Between them it's an extra house worth of council tax that they are underpaying by and I feel like I'm partly subsidising them, even though it's not their fault and not deliberate.

You only benefit from the £150 rebate if your house is band A-D on 1st April so you will miss that boat anyway.

I'm in a similar boat in that my house is the cheapest in the area. As its a newer build and the area has become massively expensive. So when mine was valued its been calculated as band F whereas houses valued in 1991, which are now double the cost of mine are band C. Its an imperfect system though and I'm not going to challenge as mine wouldn't go down and I would hate for my neighbours to go up.

I successfully appealed my band 3 years ago and received back pay. 3 identical houses (2014 build) on a cross road. We all overlook each other on each corner of said crossroad. Only difference between mine and the two other houses are postcode and that they have a double garage, I have no garage. Yet I'm in band E, one is band D and the other band C. My house is worth less due to no garage but I'm in higher tax band. On appeal I produced photos and site plan to prove the above. We were all put at band D, so I was moved down, one neighbour stayed the same and the other went up 1 band. I have said nothing to neighbours of course but in our case it was open and shut
.

I did this and got put down a band. I tried four times before I succeeded. I had a change of neighbours in between. If you think you are in the wrong band, unless you are really risking going up a band, you should try. I got a sizeable refund and it definitely makes a difference every month now.

I think it's worth applying as it will lower your bills. If you're put in a lower band you'd be justified in asking for the £150.

I'm in the opposite boat. All the houses in our road were built as 2-bed or 3-bed semis, to the same footprint (the 3-beds have a teeny g/f bathroom and smaller kitchen). They're all band C.

Over the years, they've almost all been extended and are now 4 or even 5 bedrooms. A couple have "garden rooms" with shower rooms and kitchens that the owners let out on airbnb. But they're still band C, despite having more than doubled in size!

Of course you should challenge. No doubt.

I would definitely do it. I appealed mine, which was very clearly wrong, when I moved in. I sent in loads of evidence and they refused it - clearly having not looked at it properly. I then said I’d take it to the next level (can’t remember what that was because it was 14 years ago) and they then accepted it. Just be prepared that your first appeal will almost definitely fail, if my experience is anything to go by.

If you can get last weeks Martin Lewis show on itv hub he talks about this. May be helpful @blanketbag

I would think of your household separately, don't feel emotionally unable to pay the correct amount just because others will be impacted - your house and your bills.
I'm curious to know how the bands are worked out. Ours is currently F but we had a very large annexe built recently which amounts to pretty much a second house in size. I'm assuming since it all went through planning that the council will readjust the band it if they want to. I don't want to poke the wasps nest!

Improvements only put houses up a band once they're sold on. So if you buy an extended house it might well go up a band when you go on the council tax...