Official Statistics

Non-domestic rating: Reval 2026 draft list and background information

Published 26 November 2025

Applies to England and Wales

1. About this release 

This statistical release provides information around the change in the rateable value of non-domestic properties as a result of the 2026 revaluation, in order to reflect changes in the property market since the previous revaluation in 2023. 

The Valuation Office Agency (VOA) has delivered over two million valuations of business and other non-domestic properties in England and Wales for the 2026 revaluation, summarised in this statistical release. The information in this release is consistent with draft 2026 rating lists published on 26 November 2025; it compares changes between the 2023 rating lists and 2026 draft rating lists by sector and geography as well as the distribution of rateable value of properties. You can find the individual rateable value of a property using the find a business rates valuation service. 

The revaluation will take effect from 1 April 2026, updated statistics based on the live 2026 rating lists will be published in April 2026. 

This publication includes the following tables: 

• Percentage change in Rateable Value from 2023 to 2026 Local Rating List by region and sector (Table RVL_1_1) 

• Change in Rateable Value from 2023 to 2026 Central Rating List (Table RVL_1_2) 

• Change in Rateable Value from 2023 to 2026 Local Rating List by Administrative area and Sector (Tables RVL_2_1 to RVL_2_5) 

• Distribution of Rateable Properties and Value across Rateable Value Interval by Country and Region and Sector (Tables RVL_3_1 to RVL_3_5) 

• Change in Rateable Value from 2023 to 2026 Local Rating List by Special Category (SCat) for England and Wales (Tables RVL_4_1 to RVL_4_3) 

• Change in Rateable Value from 2023 to 2026 Local Rating List by Property Type for England and Wales (Tables RVL_5_1 to RVL_5_3) 

The following tables are available only in csv format: 

• Change in rateable value from 2023 to 2026 local rating list by administrative area and rateable value interval and sector. (Tables RVL_BA_1_1 to 1_5; Tables available only in .csv format)  

• Change in rateable value from 2023 to 2026 local rating list by SCat code and rateable value interval for England and Wales. (Tables RVL_SCAT_1_1 to 1_3; Tables available only in .csv format)

2. Background notes 

Business rates are a tax on non-domestic property. If a property is used as a business or for purposes which are not domestic, it is likely to be rateable. Most non-domestic properties, such as shops, offices, pubs, warehouses, and factories are liable for business rates. There are some exemptions, such as farms, parks, and churches. 

A revaluation is an update of the rateable values of all business, and other non-domestic property, in England and Wales at a particular point in time. Rateable values are used to calculate business rates bills. 

Valuations are based on the open market rental value on a single date, 1 April 2024, known as the Antecedent Valuation Date (AVD). They will be used by local authorities, along with the multiplier and any reliefs a ratepayer qualifies for, to calculate and issue business rates bills from 1 April 2026. 

The agency is required to regularly undertake a revaluation to make sure that rateable values reflect changes in the property market. Rateable values reflect open market rental values at a fixed date – if market values have changed, then rateable values will change with them. 

Revaluations are necessary because the relative value of properties changes over time. Rents will increase in some locations, and for some types of properties, over time, and they will fall or stay the same for others: rateable values will reflect this. 

Revaluations maintain fairness in the system by redistributing the total amount payable in business rates, reflecting changes in the property market. Revaluations don’t generate any extra revenue - they help to redistribute the total amount of business rates paid to local councils. At revaluation, the multiplier is adjusted to ensure that the same amount of tax is collected nationally after revaluation as before, only allowing for inflation. The revenue generated from business rates is used to fund vital local public services such as schools, adult social care, and rubbish collections.

3. Data information and methodology 

3.1 Property categories 

Each property on the non-domestic rating list is assigned a ‘Primary description’ and a ‘Special Category’(SCat) code. Sometimes, a property may change the category it is assigned. In this publication, we present both the 2023 and 2026 lists using their 2026 categories. While the VOA endeavours to keep these codes up-to-date, in some cases there may be a change in a property’s use which the VOA is not made immediately aware of. These statistics are based on the data recorded on the VOA’s administrative systems at 16 November 2025. 

3.2 Primary description 

Each property on the non-domestic rating list is assigned a ‘Primary description’. A Primary description code is more generic than a SCat code and shows the nature of the use of the rateable property. 

Common primary descriptions are grouped together to form ‘Property Type’. There are 6 broad property types and 35 more detailed property types as shown in Tables RVL_5_1 to RVL_5_3. For details please look at NDR Revaluation 2026 metadata. 

SCat codes and primary description codes are separate classifications. 

3.3 Special category (SCat) 

Each property on the non-domestic rating list is assigned a SCat code, which is an operational code used by the VOA to classify a property’s use for administrative purposes. A SCat code details the basis on which the property was rated. 

Over 350 SCat codes are in use, common property types are grouped together into sectors or sub-sectors. Further details of these sectors are detailed below. 

3.4 Sector and sub-sector 

‘Sector’ consists of the following categories: retail, industrial and office (RIO), which is a categorisation commonly used by those in the surveying profession. 

VOA statisticians have, in conjunction with operational colleagues, mapped each SCat code to one of the three categories. The ‘Other’ category was created to cover SCat codes which could not be readily assigned to ‘Retail’, ‘Office’ or ‘Industry’. 

In addition to the 4 sectors, the SCat codes have also been mapped to 18 sub-sectors, within the overall Retail/Office/Industrial/Other categories. In some cases – particularly “Offices” – we have not been able to identify a more detailed breakdown. This is shown in Table 1: 

Table 1: Sector and sub-sector categories

Sector	Sub-sector
Retail	Financial and Professional Services
Retail	Shops
Office	Offices
Industry	General Industrial
Industry	Storage & Distribution
Industry	Other
Other	Assembly and Leisure
Other	Education
Other	Health
Other	Hotels, Guest & Boarding, Self-Catering etc.
Other	Non Residential Institutions
Other	Offices [Note 1]
Other	Other
Other	Retail [Note 2]
Other	Residential Institutions
Other	Storage & Distribution
Other	Transport
Other	Utilities

Note 1: These are offices that are part of a specialist property, and so have been attributed to “Other” sector rather than the “Office” sector. 

Note 2: These are retail properties that are part of a specialist property, and so have been attributed to ‘Other’ sector rather than the ‘Retail’ sector. 

3.5 Common categories 

Sub-sectors represent the majority of common categories requested for analysis. Where a category does not exist, VOA statisticians look to create a new category using the most appropriate data source (SCat or primary description). 

Following the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been increased interest in the retail, hospitality and leisure sectors due to the introduction of reliefs in this area. While there is not a specific sub-sector for retail, hospitality and leisure, this sector can be estimated by combining the following sub-sectors: 

• assembly and leisure 
• hotels, guest and boarding, self catering 
• other – retail 
• retail – shops 

3.6 Category look-up table 

A metadata SCat code lookup file is available on the release page. 

3.7 Geo-referencing 

Aggregated statistics are presented at various geographies (e.g. region, local authority/unitary authority and middle super output area / lower super output area). All geographic variables are assigned by matching VOA records to the February 2025 version of the National Statistics Postcode Lookup (NSPL) file. 

Not all rateable properties can be geo-referenced in this way. Where this has occurred, we have identified these cases as “unmatched” in the tables. There are some minor differences between statistics for billing authority and local authorities because of this unmatched category and there are some properties that may be contained within one local authority but administered by a different billing authority. 

3.8 Rateable value band 

In this publication, we apportion properties into bands of rateable value. These bands are used to show how the number of properties and total rateable value differs within and between property groupings and regions. In the previous publication, we used five bands, however for the latest publication we have added a new band (£500,000 and over). The currently used bands are listed below, in Table 2. Explanations for the breakpoints used in the value bands can be found in the text beneath the table. 

Table 2: Rateable value bands 

Rateable value band	Band as presented in the statistical release
£0 - £6,000	0-6
£6,001 - £12,000	6-12
£12,001 - £15,000	12-15
£15,001 - £50,999	15-51
£51,000 - £499,999	51-500
£500,000 and over	500+

In England, properties with a rateable value of £12,000 and below are eligible for full small business rate relief. Properties with a rateable value between £12,001 and £15,000 may be eligible to receive a partial discount, ranging from 100% to 0%, with the rate of relief decreasing from 100% to 0% as the rateable value increases. 

In Wales, properties with a rateable value of £6,000 and below are eligible for full small business rate relief. Properties with a rateable value between £6,001 and £12,000 may be eligible to receive a partial discount, ranging from 100% to 0%, with the rate of relief decreasing from 100% to 0% as the rateable value increases. 

Other restrictions to these reliefs apply, such as owning multiple properties. There are also other exemptions based on the function of the property, under Schedule 5. 

Business rates are calculated by applying a multiplier (tax rate) to a property’s rateable value. A standard multiplier is applied to properties with an RV of £51,000 or more and a small multiplier is applied to properties with an RV below £51,000. At Autumn Budget 2024, the government announced an intention to introduce two new, lower multipliers for retail, hospitality and leisure properties with a rateable value below £500,000, funded by a new, high value multiplier for properties with an RV of £500,000 or above. These new rates will be set at Autumn Budget 2025, in the context of the fiscal environment and upcoming revaluation outcomes. More information can be found in the Transforming Business Rates: Interim Report.

4. Technical notes 

Valuation officers of the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) are required, by the Local Government Finance Act 1988, to compile and maintain rating lists specifying a rateable value (RV) for each relevant non-domestic rateable property (also known as a hereditament) in England and Wales. These rateable values provide the basis for national non-domestic rates bills, which are issued by local billing authorities. 

The VOA collects information on rateable properties. A rateable property is a property on which rates may be charged and is the unit to which the VOA assigns RV. In general, rateable properties are buildings or premises within buildings, appropriate for or used for single occupation. Rateable properties can be occupied or vacant. This has no impact on RV, although it can affect the level of rates levied on a property. All the statistics in this release relate to rateable properties. 

The RV of a property is broadly the value at which a property might be expected to be let for one year. It is based on a range of factors including use, location and age, but a major determinant of rental value is the size (total floorspace) of the property. 

For many of the more common types of commercial properties, the VOA measures the floorspace of the property as part of the detailed internal surveys that it undertakes to assess RVs. As part of the valuation process, each rateable property is assigned a Special Category (SCat) code. Over time, this has become one of the key variables for classifying properties and it forms the basis of the category assignments in this series. 

Non-domestic rateable properties fall into either a local rating list or a central rating list. There is a single local rating list for each billing authority in England and Wales, and there are two central rating lists, one for England and one for Wales. The central rating lists contain the rating assessments for the network property of major transport, utility and telecommunications undertakings and cross-country pipelines. There is a single entry in one of the rating lists (either for England or Wales) for each company named in the Central Rating List Regulations 2005. There are separate regulations and lists for England and Wales. The current rating lists came into effect on 1 April 2023. 

There is a single aggregate rateable value shown for all the property occupied by the named ratepayer that falls within their definition in the regulations. Any property occupied by a central rating list ratepayer that falls outside the definition will be shown individually in a local rating list. 

Rates on central rating list rateable properties in England are paid directly to the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government, and in Wales to the Welsh Government.

5. Data quality 

5.1 Suitable data sources 

The information supplied in the tables is based upon administrative data held within the VOA’s operational database. All administrative data are subject to processing and process errors and as such, while the VOA has made every effort to ensure accuracy of the data underpinning this publication, it is possible that some errors remain. 

Validation and processing steps are undertaken on the data, for instance imputing for floorspace where it is missing and assigning categories. The data are then geo-referenced (assigned to geographic areas) and the final statistical outputs generated. 

5.2 Assured quality 

Our quality assurance follows the approach set out in the VOA Quality Policy. As part of the production of this publication, quality assurance takes place: 

• during the valuation of properties 
• as part of the creation of the data which underpins the publication
• as part of the coding which produces the publication outputs
• as part of automated and manual checks of outputs
• using a comprehensive QA Check List and a QA Issues Log

6. Uses of the data 

This publication is being released as part of VOA’s commitment to make data more accessible as well as continuing to improve, and make more consistent, presentation of information in order to assist users conducting their own analysis of VOA data. The data are used to inform government policy and conduct analyses to support the operations of the VOA. 

In a wider context this publication supports BAs’ requirements for information in respect of the Business Rates Retention Scheme contained within the Local Government Finance Act 2012. 

We will keep under review the format of this summary document to improve the presentation of our statistics and welcome feedback from users on the usefulness of the information provided in this summary. Please forward any comments to statistics@voa.gov.uk. 

7. CSV metadata 

A metadata table for the csv tables is available on the release page. 

A metadata table that provides a lookup between special category and primary description where there are five or more properties is available on the release page. 

8. Timeliness and punctuality 

Timeliness refers to the lapse of time between publication and the period to which the data refer. Punctuality refers to the gap between planned and actual publication dates. 

Releases are always punctual and published on the pre-announced dates. This publication is published on an periodic basis aligning with VOAs revaluation cycle, we aim to publish the statistics within four weeks of the latest draft and compiled lists being available. 

9. Relevance 

The degree to which statistical outputs meet users’ needs. 

It is important that the statistics produced are relevant to user needs and that they meet the needs of users, both in coverage and in content. These statistics evolved largely in response to Freedom of Information requests and parliamentary questions and were further developed with input from an NDR Statistics Advisory Panel which consisted of key users of the data. 

10. Coherence and compatibility 

Coherence is the degree to which data that are derived from different sources or methods, but refer to the same topic, are similar. Comparability is the degree to which data can be compared over time and domain, for example, geographic level. 

These statistics are drawn from the same source and use a coherent and consistent methodology. 

11. Accessibility and clarity 

Accessibility is the ease with which users are able to access the data, also reflecting the format in which the data are available and the availability of supporting information. Clarity refers to the quality and sufficiency of the release details, and accompanying advice. 

The release is available free of charge. All official statistics are made available primarily as Excel spreadsheets with data available in an open format (CSV versions) and a background information document. 

12. Confidentiality, transparency and security 

Access to the data and release prior to its publication is limited to the statistics production team only. Occasionally, valuation experts may be consulted as part of the quality assurance process. 

Find further information on the VOA Confidentiality and Access policy.

13. Further information 

Timings of future releases are regularly placed on the Agency’s website 

For further information on the area codes used in this release, please refer to the ONS’s website

14. Glossary 

Area code – a unique identifier for administrative geographies as specified by the Office for National Statistics (ONS). 

Assessment – an entry in the rating list is often referred to as an assessment. 

Antecedent Valuation Date (AVD) – Valuations are based on the open market value on a single date, known as the Antecedent Valuation Date (AVD). The AVD for the 2026 Revaluation is 01 April 2024. The AVD for the 2023 Revaluation was 01 April 2021. 

Billing authority (BA) – a local authority empowered to collect non-domestic rates on behalf of itself and other local authorities in its area. In England, shires, metropolitan districts, the Council of the Isles of Scilly, unitary authorities, London boroughs and the City of London are BAs. 

Billing authority code – a unique identifier for BAs. 

Central rating list – the VOA’s list of rateable values for companies named in the Central Rating List Regulations, primarily for the network property of major transport, utility, and telecommunications undertakings and cross country pipelines. There are separate lists for England and Wales. 

Compiled list – the rating list as it comes into effect following revaluation; for the 2010 rating list this is the list as at 1 April 2010, for the 2017 rating list it is the list as at 1 April 2017, for the 2023 rating list it is the list as at 01 April 2023, for the 2026 rating list this will be 01 April 2026.

Draft list – a draft rating list is made available in the months ahead of a revaluation. Data in this publication refers to the draft rating list published on 26 November 2025. 

Local rating list(s) – the VOA’s lists of all the non-domestic rateable properties in England and Wales. There is a separate local list for each BA. 

Rateable property (also known as hereditament) – a unit of non-domestic property that is, or may become, liable to non-domestic rating and thus appears in the local rating list. The area of a property included in a rateable value calculation can cover all of one property, only part of a property or be several separate units in one building or site. 

Rateable value (RV) – a monetary value assigned to every rateable property within a rating list, broadly based on the annual rent for which a rateable property could have been let on the open market at a set date. 

Rating lists – Each Local Billing Authority has their own local rating list. There are also two Central Rating Lists, one for England and one for Wales. 

Region – a geographical unit formerly referred to as Government Office Region (GOR). The GOR framework was the primary classification for regional statistics and comprised nine regions of England, which, combined with the devolved administrations, collectively spanned the United Kingdom. From 1 April 2011 the term GOR was dropped in favour of region. This release comprises English regions and Wales. 

Revaluation – A revaluation is an update of the rateable values of all business, and other non-domestic property, in England and Wales at a particular point in time. Previous revaluations took place in 2010, 2017, 2023 the next will take effect on 01 April 2026. 

Sector – a grouping of SCat codes. More information can be found in the data information and methodology section of this document. 

Small business rates relief (SBRR) – reduces the amount of non-domestic rates the business will need to pay on that property. Find more information on SBRR. 

Special category (SCat) code – a classification of property detailing the basis on which it was rated.