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When everyone has a home

Housing advice for Northern Ireland

Rates

CORONAVIRUS UPDATE

Lots of people are struggling to manage with housing issues because of the coronavirus crisis. Check out our Coronavirus section for information and advice on common problems, including help to pay your rent and mortgage, eviction and repairs.

Almost everyone who lives in a property in Northern Ireland has to pay rates.  Rates pay for services throughout Northern Ireland; like schools, hospitals and roads; and for services in your local area; like bin collection, parks and leisure centres.  The amount you pay depends on the value of your property and which council area it is in.

Make sure you know if it’s your responsibility or your landlord’s to pay rates if you rent from a private landlord or agency

Working out and paying your rates bill

Your rate bill is worked out by multiplying the capital value of your property by the total of the domestic regional rate and the domestic district rate. The regional rate is set by the NI Assembly each year. The district rates are set by each local council.

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Getting help with rates

Certain people can apply for housing benefit and rate relief to help with rates. You can only make a new claim for this assistance if you are over pension age or get certain disability benefits. People who don't fit in these categories can get only get help with rates if they are receiving Universal Credit. 

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Help with rates if you are claiming Universal Credit

You can’t get help with rates as part of your Universal Credit claim. Instead, you will be able to apply for a rates rebate. Land & Property Services will be in charge of managing the rates rebate system.

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Rates allowances

If you qualify for the Disabled Person's Allowance or the Lone Pensioner Allowance you will get a discount on your rates bill.

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Paying rates on empty homes

If you own a property you'll normally have to pay rates on it, even if the property is empty. You'll get a rates bill for the empty property automatically and you won't be entitled to an early payment discount. Some empty properties can be excluded from the rating system. It's worth checking to see if you can apply for an exclusion.

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Avoiding rates arrears

Get advice as soon as possible if you can't pay. The Land & Property Services have a strict procedure for recovering rates arrears. There are strict time limits. If you contact your local Land & Property Services office, you may be able to negotiate a payment plan.

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Rates in private tenancies

The law sets out who is legally responsible for rates. If you're responsible for paying rates you should try to pay these directly to Land & Property Services or make sure that your landlord is passing on your rates payments to Land & Property Services

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