A ratepayer is liable for the full non-domestic rate whether a property is wholly occupied or only partly occupied. Where a property is partly occupied for a short time, Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead has discretion in certain cases to ask the Valuation office Agency (VOA) to issue a certificate dividing the rateable value between the occupied and unoccupied parts of the property for a temporary period.
This discretionary power is provided for in the Local Government Finance Act 1998 under Section 44A. It can only be awarded for a maximum period of three month or six months (the same as unoccupied property rates).
This relief is part funded by the council and so the interests of council tax payers will be taken into account when assessing every application.
We will require the following information:
- Account reference.
- Property address.
- A plan of the property identifying the occupied and unoccupied parts of the property.