Small business rate relief
You may be able to get Small Business Rate Relief (SBRR) if:
- your property has a rateable value below £15,000
- your business only uses one property (you may still qualify if you use more – see below).
You cannot get Small Business Rate Relief and charitable rate relief at the same time. We will decide which type of relief you’re eligible for.
What you’ll get
The amount of relief you receive depends on your property’s rateable value.
- If your property has a rateable value of £12,000 or less, you will not pay business rates (as long as it is the only property your business uses).
- If your property has a rateable value between £12,001 and £15,000, your relief will reduce gradually from 100% to 0%.
Example
- If your rateable value is £13,500, you receive 50% relief.
- If your rateable value is £14,000, you receive 33% relief.
If you use more than one property
If you take on a second property, anywhere in England (not just within this council’s area), you will normally keep any existing small business rate relief on your main property for 12 months.After this period, you can continue to receive small business rate relief on your main property if both of the following apply:
- none of your other properties has a rateable value above £2,899, and
- the total rateable value of all your properties is below £20,000*.
Important: You must tell us if you take on another property anywhere in England, as this may affect your small business rate relief.
What changes from 1 April 2026
From 1 April 2026, the small business rate relief thresholds remain the same, but additional protection is available if you lose relief because of revaluation.
If your rateable value increases and you no longer qualify for small business rate relief, you may receive Supporting Small Business relief. This limits how much your business rates bill can increase each year, helping to phase in the change gradually - find out more.
This support is applied automatically where eligible and works alongside transitional relief following the 2026 revaluation.
Small business grace period
From 1 April 2026, the period during which a ratepayer can retain Small Business Rates Relief on their original property after acquiring a second property (the grace period) has been extended from 12 months to 36 months.
This applies to businesses expanding from 27 November 2024, in line with the regulations now in force.
How to apply
If you think you are eligible, please fill in our online form:
Reporting a change in your circumstances
You must tell us about any changes that may affect your eligibility for small business rate relief. This includes changes to your property, your business use, or your rateable value.
*The combined rateable value threshold depends on the location of your main property. Relief is only applied to the main property. Other properties are charged using the standard multiplier.
