LeaseChecka decision report
Retail unit, B1 1AA
Retail · 1,400 sq ft · Business rates revaluation
- Ref
- LX-SAMPLE-001
- Generated
- 15 May 2026
Recommendation
CHALLENGEMedium risk
Your 2026 rateable value sits in the top fifth of comparable units, and a reduction would restore relief you have just lost.
78%Confidence
Computed from evidence coverage and data quality
02Financial impact
Annual cost of accepting
£6,588
2026 rates bill
CalculationTerm impact (approx. 5 years)
£21,500
Illustrative, at the current bill
CalculationPotential saving if challenged
£4,307
Per year, if reduced toward the indicated range
CalculationCurrent total occupancy cost
£28,988
Rent + rates + service / insurance
Calculation03Market position
Subject assessed at £10.89/sq ft against 6 comparable transactions.
Benchmark confidence: mediumSubject · £10.89/sq ft
£8.50/sq ft
Market low
£9.40/sq ft
Median
£11.50/sq ft
Market high
Market gridBenchmark
Subject RV / sq ft£10.89/sq ft
Market median£9.40/sq ft
Percentile position82nd
Variance from median+15.9%
Market range£8.50/sq ft - £11.50/sq ft
Comparables used6
Positionabove market
04Evidence panel
Financial evidence
Annual cost of accepting£6,588
Calculation
Indicated bill if challenged£2,281
Calculation
Potential annual saving£4,307
Calculation
Current total occupancy cost£28,988
Calculation
Market evidence
Subject rate per sq ft£10.89/sq ft
VOA
Market range£8.50 - £11.50/sq ft
Benchmark
Market median per sq ft£9.40/sq ft
Benchmark
Percentile position82nd percentile
Benchmark
Comparables used6
Market data
Lease evidence
Floor area1,400 sq ft
User input
Property typeRetail
User input
Rateable value£15,250
VOA
Term remainingapprox. 5 years
User input
Data sources
CalculationBenchmarkMarket dataUser inputVOA
05Decision basis & next steps
Why we reached this decision
- Your 2026 rateable value of £15,250 equals £10.89/sq ft, the 82nd percentile of comparable retail units (median £9.40/sq ft).
- At £15,250 the property sits £250 over the £15,000 cutoff, so it gets no Small Business Rates Relief, a cliff edge.
- A reduction toward the indicated range (about £13,200) would restore tapered relief and cut your annual bill from £6,588 to roughly £2,281.
Next steps
- 1Check your 2026 valuation in the VOA rating list, and confirm the floor area and measurements used are correct.
- 2Raise a Check case to confirm or correct your property details, then submit a Challenge to dispute the rateable value.
- 3Consider instructing an RICS-regulated rating surveyor: on a typical no-win, no-fee basis (around 20% of the saving), a recovery of this size would more than cover the fee.
Professional instruction
Consider instructing an RICS-regulated rating surveyor within 30 days.