Guide · Check and Challenge

How to challenge your business rates: Check, Challenge and appeal

You challenge a business rates valuation yourself, free, in your GOV.UK business rates valuation account. There are three stages: Check (confirm the facts), Challenge (argue the value is wrong, within 4 months of the Check decision) and, if you still disagree, an appeal to the Valuation Tribunal. You don’t need an agent.

Before you start

Register for a business rates valuation account and add (claim) your property. Claiming can take up to 15 working days.
GOV.UK says not to let an agent create your account for you.

Stage 1: Check

A Check asks the Valuation Office to confirm the facts it holds: floor areas, use, layout, parking. You must raise a Check and get a decision before you can Challenge, even if the facts are right. How to raise a Check.

Stage 2: Challenge

GOV.UK lets you Challenge your current valuation:

within 4 months of receiving a Check decision;
within 16 months of your Check submission if it’s about a change in the surrounding area (such as roadworks);
if the Valuation Office hasn’t decided your Check after 12 months.

The deadline runs from your Check decision, so there is no single date for everyone. With your Challenge you must provide the reason, evidence that the valuation is wrong (for example valuations of similar local properties), a supporting statement, a proposed rateable value and the date it should start, and rent details if the property is let. You must send all your evidence together. How to submit a Challenge.

Getting the paperwork right matters: Between April and June 2026, 250 of 1,340 Challenges on the new list in England (19%) were marked incomplete. (GOV.UK statistics).

Stage 3: Appeal

If you disagree with the Challenge decision, you can appeal to the Valuation Tribunal within 4 months of the decision (or 18 months after submitting your Challenge if there’s been no decision). You can only use evidence you submitted at Check and Challenge. You keep paying your rates while you wait.

Risks to know about

A Challenge can lower, keep or raise a rateable value.
You may have to pay a penalty if you knowingly, recklessly or carelessly give false information.
You can’t Challenge the same valuation twice on the same grounds.

What it costs

Check, Challenge and the Valuation Tribunal are free to use. Your options for help are a rating agent (many charge 25% to 50% of any saving, some less, and RICS-regulated surveyors are worth it for complex property), or a self-serve evidence pack. Ours costs £29 for the Check stage and £99, £199 or £349 for the Challenge, by rateable value, VAT included. Agent vs DIY compared.

Start with the evidence: is your valuation out of line?

Compare your 2026 rateable value with similar properties nearby. About 30 seconds, no sign-up, no card.

Questions

Can I challenge my business rates myself?

Yes. Anyone who occupies or owns the property can use the free GOV.UK business rates valuation account to raise a Check and then a Challenge. You do not need an agent.

What is the deadline to challenge business rates?

You can Challenge within 4 months of receiving your Check decision, or if the Valuation Office has not decided your Check after 12 months. There is no single national deadline: it depends on your own Check dates.

What is the difference between a Check and a Challenge?

A Check asks the Valuation Office to confirm the facts about your property. A Challenge argues that the rateable value itself is wrong, with evidence and a proposed value. You must complete a Check before you can Challenge.

What evidence do I need for a business rates Challenge?

GOV.UK asks for the reason, evidence that the valuation is wrong (such as valuations of similar local properties, legal decisions or photographs), a supporting statement, a proposed rateable value and effective date, and rent details if the property is let.

Can a challenge increase my rateable value?

Yes. GOV.UK says your rateable value and bill may go up, down or stay the same after a Challenge.

How do I appeal a business rates Challenge decision?

Appeal to the Valuation Tribunal for England or the Valuation Tribunal for Wales within 4 months of the Challenge decision, or within 18 months of submitting your Challenge if the Valuation Office has not replied.

Sources

Checked against GOV.UK and Business Wales on 13 October 2026. Rules change; if anything differs, GOV.UK and your council are right. Rightly Rated is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Valuation Office, HMRC or any council.

Related guides

Rightly Rated is a self-serve evidence tool, not a rating surveyor or adviser. Figures come from the Valuation Office’s published 2026 rating list and from what you tell us. We do not act for you with the Valuation Office, and a challenge can lower, keep or raise a rateable value.