HROUS The right business rates agent depends on where the property is, what type of property it is, which stage of the official process you need help with, and the appointment terms each firm offers. You can also manage your business rates yourself; GOV.UK says using an agent or rating surveyor is optional.[2]
Start with the current rating list
The most recent revaluation came into effect in England and Wales on 1 April 2026 and is based on open market rental values from 1 April 2024.[1] At revaluation every property receives a new rateable value and the multipliers are revised, so a change in rateable value does not always mean the same change in your bill.[1]
The 2017 and 2023 rating lists are now historical background. GOV.UK says you can usually only challenge your current valuation, with two limited routes back to the previous 2023 valuation.[4]
- A legal decision on another property: you could challenge a 2023 valuation if a legal rating decision on another property applies to yours, but you had to raise a check case by 30 September 2026 first.[4] That date has passed. A case checked in time can still proceed to a challenge; a new case started now will normally concern the 2026 list only.
- A change the Valuation Office made to the 2023 list: if it changed your 2023 rateable value or effective date, or added your property to that list, you can still challenge, provided you raised a check case before 1 April 2026 or within 6 months of that change.[4]
Any agent proposal should state which rating list and liability period it covers, and if it relies on one of these 2023 routes, the date your check case was raised.
The official Check, Challenge, Appeal route
In England and Wales, valuation disputes go through the Valuation Office’s online service, and GOV.UK says an appointed agent can raise check, challenge and appeal cases for you.[3]
- Set up access: Register for a business rates valuation account and add the property.[3]
- Check: Raise a check case to confirm or correct the property details. A check is required before a challenge, even when the details are correct.[3][4]
- Challenge: After a check decision, you normally have 4 months to challenge.[4] The challenge must state grounds, include evidence and a supporting statement, and propose a new rateable value. Evidence must be submitted together, except in exceptional circumstances.[4]
- Appeal: If you disagree with the challenge decision, or the Valuation Office has not replied within 18 months of the challenge, you can go to the Valuation Tribunal.[3]
GOV.UK warns that a rateable value and bill can go up, down or stay the same after a challenge, and that knowingly submitting false information can lead to a penalty.[4]
Where to find an agent
GOV.UK says all agents must follow the Valuation Office’s agent standards. It lists RICS, the Institute of Revenues, Rating and Valuation and the Rating Surveyors Association as places to find one.[2] Advice may be charged from the start. Firms in the RICS Helpline Scheme give the first 30 minutes of a consultation call free.[2]
Compare five business rates surveyor routes
RICS Find a Surveyor and Helpline Scheme
Published coverage: The scheme page lists JLL, Martin M Saffer and Wilks Head & Eve LLP in London.[6]
Core service scope: Listed firms can advise on billing, rating assessments, rateable value, appeals and available reliefs.[6]
Likely fit: Ratepayers who want an initial consultation with a RICS-regulated firm before committing to an appointment.[2][6]
SHW
Published coverage: SHW promotes London and South East England and also says its surveyors operate across the UK.[5][8]
Core service scope: Assessment reviews, appeals, rates audits, relief identification, empty-property mitigation, budget reports and liaison with the VOA and billing authorities.[5][8]
Likely fit: Commercial occupiers and owners paying rates on vacant premises, including those wanting ongoing rates management.[5][8]
RVA Surveyors
Published coverage: RVA addresses UK commercial-property owners and tenants.[7]
Core service scope: VOA onboarding, site inspection, comparable-evidence research, property plans, Check, Challenge and Appeal work, and local-authority account auditing.[7]
Likely fit: Retail, office, education, industrial, hospitality and specialist properties where the owner or tenant wants an inspection alongside audit and appeal work.[7]
Cooke & Arkwright
Published coverage: The firm promotes its service throughout Wales and “beyond”.[9]
Core service scope: Viability reviews, Check, Challenge and Appeal documentation, VOA negotiation, tribunal representation, empty-property work, budget forecasts and historic-liability audits.[9]
Likely fit: Public- and private-sector owners or occupiers in Wales, including specialist properties and portfolios.[9]
Rabbette Chartered Surveyors
Published coverage: The service page does not state a geographic boundary, so confirm coverage for your property.[10]
Core service scope: Inspection-led appeals, VOA negotiation, tribunal work, forecasts, relief and empty-property advice, and historic rates audits.[10]
Likely fit: Clients who want inspection and valuation before an appeal is lodged.[10]
Pricing and contract terms
Apart from the free first 30 minutes through the RICS Helpline Scheme, none of these firms publishes a fee on the pages reviewed, so fees are quote-only.[2][5][7][8][9][10] Do not assume a firm charges a success fee until you have seen its quotation and engagement terms.
Compare quotations on the same basis:
- upfront charges;
- any contingent charge and its precise trigger;
- whether VAT and minimum fees apply;
- which refunds or future savings enter the calculation;
- the payment deadline;
- the appointment period and any exclusivity; and
- cancellation and termination costs.
What authority the agent receives
RVA describes appointing or registering it as agent on the VOA website before inspection, research and Check, Challenge and Appeal work.[7] GOV.UK confirms that an appointed agent can raise these cases for you.[3]
Ask the written appointment to specify:
- the properties, liability periods and rating lists covered;
- whether the agent may submit checks, challenges or appeals;
- whether it may communicate with the VOA and billing authority and receive correspondence;
- whether it may accept, settle, withdraw or escalate a case without your approval;
- whether authority continues after the immediate review;
- any exclusivity, subcontracting or data-access provisions; and
- how authority can be withdrawn.
SHW warns that a poorly considered challenge can increase liability rather than reduce it, and GOV.UK confirms a challenge can lead to a higher rateable value.[4][5][8] The engagement letter should therefore say who pays which fees if the assessment rises.
Reading headline success rates
RVA reports an 85% success rate across Check, Challenge, Appeal and Audit, without a methodology, denominator or measurement period.[7]
Rabbette uses both “over 95%” and “over 96%” appeal-result figures on the same page.[10] It also reports a £46,400 average saving per successful appeal and average reductions of 22.3% over the last year.[10] Rabbette says it appeals only properties it considers to offer genuine savings opportunities, so the figures describe a screened group of cases.[10]
Because the populations, definitions and periods differ, the figures cannot rank the firms. Before relying on either, ask for:
- the number and property mix of cases;
- the measurement period;
- the definition of “success”;
- the treatment of withdrawn, unresolved or rejected cases; and
- any independent verification.
Check that the provider’s page is current
SHW’s main text discusses the 2017 Rating List, while related copy refers to the 2023 list.[5][8] Cooke & Arkwright describes the Welsh 2023 list taking effect on 1 April 2023.[9] RVA promotes the 2026 Revaluation, and Rabbette discusses the 2017, 2023 and 2026 lists.[7][10] Treat the older-list wording as background and ask each firm to confirm in writing that its proposed work applies to the list now in force.[1]
Checklist before appointing an agent
- Scope: List every property, assessment period and rating list covered. Specify whether the work includes assessment review, reliefs, billing errors, historic refunds, empty-property liability, check, challenge, appeal or tribunal representation.
- Deadlines: Confirm who tracks the 4-month challenge window after a check decision and who prepares the evidence pack.[4] If an agent offers to reopen a 2023 valuation, ask which route it relies on and when the check case was raised, because the legal-decision route required a check by 30 September 2026.[4]
- Success fee: Define the trigger, such as a reduced rateable value, revised bill, cash refund or avoided future liability. Confirm which periods and savings enter the calculation, along with VAT, minimum charges and the payment date.
- Commitment and exit: Record exclusivity, contract length, notice requirements, cancellation procedure, termination charges and what happens to work already submitted.
- Authority: State whether your approval is required before the agent files, accepts, settles, withdraws or escalates a case.
- Standards and protection: Ask how the firm meets the Valuation Office’s agent standards, and request its professional-indemnity insurance details and complaints procedure.[2]
How to choose
Shortlist by confirmed geographic and property coverage, then by the stage of work you need: initial advice, check, challenge, appeal, audit or empty-property support.[3][5][6][7][8][9][10] Compare total fees, authority and exit terms rather than headline savings claims.[7][10]
The RICS Helpline Scheme gives a free first 30 minutes for an initial view, and RICS says members giving non-domestic rating advice must follow its Rating consultancy code of practice.[2][6] SHW focuses on London and South East England, Cooke & Arkwright expressly covers Wales, RVA publishes an inspection-and-audit process for UK commercial property, and Rabbette emphasises inspection and valuation before a selective appeal.[5][7][8][9][10]
References
- Business rates: Revaluation – GOV.UK (gov.uk)
- Business rates: Get help with business rates – GOV.UK (gov.uk)
- How to challenge your business rates valuation – GOV.UK (gov.uk)
- Challenging your business rates valuation – GOV.UK (gov.uk, 2023)
- Business Rates Surveyor in London | SHW (shw.co.uk)
- RICS Find a Surveyor – Business rates and council tax (ricsfirms.com)
- RVA Surveyors (rvasurveyors.com)
- SHW Surveyors specialising in Business rates (shw.co.uk)
- Rating Surveyor | Business Rates Relief | Cooke & Arkwright (coark.com)
- Reduce your Business Rates | Rabbette Chartered Surveyors (rabbette.co.uk)
