Rates

Most home owners and tenants in Northern Ireland have to pay rates. Rates are taxes used to fund local and public services. Your annual rate bill is calculated and collected by Land & Property Services. You can pay it in full or by monthly instalments.

Failure to pay rates can lead to fines or even imprisonment, or the loss of your home. If you are in financial difficulties and cannot pay your rate bill, seek professional housing or debt advice.

Overview of rates

Rates are based on the capital value of your home. The government uses rates to help pay for services such as education, roads and housing. Your local council uses rates to help pay for services such as waste collection and leisure centres. More

How are rates calculated?

Important changes were made to the way rates are calculated in April 2007. More

Help with paying your rates

You receive automatic rate relief if the value of your home is over £400, 000. You don't need to apply for the discount which appears automaticallly on your rates bill. More

Rate relief

Rate relief is not always automatic. There are discount schemes and allowances available to those who do not qualify for automatic rate relief. More

Appealing the capital value

If you think the capital value of your home is incorrect, you can appeal. You must continue to pay any outstanding rate bill while your appeal is under consideration. If your appeal is successful, Land & Property Services will set a new rate bill for you and refund the difference.   More

Rates for private tenants

If you're renting your home from a private landlord or an agent you need to know who is legally responsible for paying rates on the property. Even if your tenancy agreement says the landlord is liable, you could end up with a big arrears bill More