Unoccupied properties
Unoccupied properties
You don’t have to pay business rates on empty buildings for 3 months. After this time, most businesses must pay full business rates.
Some properties can get extended empty property relief:
- Industrial premises (for example warehouses) are exempt for a further 3 months
- Listed buildings – until they’re reoccupied
- Buildings with a rateable value under £2,900 – until they’re reoccupied
- Properties owned by charities – only if the property’s next use will be mostly for charitable purposes
- Community amateur sports clubs buildings – only if the next use will be mostly as a sports club
If your property is not capable of beneficial occupation – for instance, if it is in poor condition and cannot be economically repaired – the Valuation Office may judge it should be taken out of rating altogether.
The quickest and easiest way to find the rateable value of any non-domestic property in England is on the Valuation Office Agency website.