New builds council tax banding

Your property is a new build, how long will it take to be banded?

Your property must be reported to the Listing Officer at the Valuation Office Agency. They will decide which valuation band your property is in and let us know.

While you are waiting for your property to be banded, we can give you an account number - this will enable you to make payment on account until the property is officially banded.

Call us on 0345 8 504 504 for more information.

If you are waiting for a property to be banded, please contact the Valuation Office Agency.

Email: ctonline@voa.gov.uk

Telephone: 03000 501 501 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 4:30pm)

The Valuation Office Agency website

New properties and completion notices

What is a completion notice?

A completion notice specifies the 'completion date' for newly built properties. It is the date on which the property becomes a dwelling for Council Tax purposes. It is also the date it is entered into the valuation list.

The completion notice is issued in accordance with Schedule 4A of the Local Government Finance Act 1988. As well as Section 17 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992.

When a domestic property is structurally complete, or can be reasonably expected to be completed within 3 months, a completion notice will be served. This is served on the 'owner' of the property. The 'owner' is defined as 'the person entitled to possession'.

Where work on a property is not yet completed, the completion notice can be served to specify the final completion day of up to three months from the date of service, for the remaining works for completion of the property to be carried out.

What if a property is complete but not occupied?

If the property is complete, the council will serve a completion notice on the owner as soon as is reasonably practicable.

A completion notice cannot be backdated, even if the property has been completed for some time.

New properties and conversions which are unoccupied and substantially unfurnished, will be subject to a full charge 1 month after the date the property is brought onto the Council Tax list.

What if the property becomes occupied?

A new or altered dwelling does not need a completion notice once someone starts to live there. The date used to enter onto the Council Tax list will be the date of occupation.

What if I disagree with the completion notice?

The regulations specify that if you disagree with a completion notice you need to appeal. This should be done within 28 days of the date of service of the notice to the Valuation Tribunal Service.

It must be made in writing stating the grounds for the appeal. It should include a copy of the completion notice that has been issued to you. However, you can contact us in the first instance setting out the reasons why you disagree with the date of completion.

Once we have received your enquiry we may ask for further information. We will advise you of our decision as soon as possible, to allow you sufficient time to appeal further if you wish. A revised completion notice will be issued, if necessary.

The criteria for completion for Council Tax purposes are substantially different to that for completion for Building Control. So whether building control certificates have been issued or not is not directly relevant.

You can contact us using our Online Customer Enquiry Form

Phone lines are open between 8.30am and 5pm, Monday to Friday