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How to pay your rate account for rental properties

There are a number of different methods for paying rates on rental properties. This page shows the options available.

Payment options for landlords and agents

If you are responsible for rates on a single property, you will receive an individual bill, including the Rates Quickpay card. However, if you have more than one rental property, you can ask for all your properties to be included on one bill.

Land & Property Services (LPS) offers a range of different methods for paying rates on your rental properties. If you pay your bill in full before 30 September using any of these methods, you will receive your allowance.

If your rate account is not credited with the full amount you owe by 30 September you will not receive your landlord’s allowance of 7.5 per cent or agent’s allowance of 15 per cent.

You should always allow five working days for your payment to be processed, so if you make a payment on or after 25 September you risk the payment not being processed on time, and therefore not receive your allowance.

Please note that if you pay at a Post Office, you should allow ten working days for the payment to be credited to your rate account.

Payment methods

The various payment options are as follows:

  • by cheque at an LPS office
  • by cheque at a post office
  • standing order
  • BACS
  • single direct debit payment
  • installments

By Cheque at an LPS office

Cheque payments for bills with more than one property should be accompanied by a breakdown of how much is to be paid to each property.

  • make your cheque payable to ‘Land & Property Services’
  • cross it ‘Rate Account’
  • send it to the address shown on the top of your bill
  • on the back of the cheque you must clearly print the address of the property. Also include your account ID number and your ratepayer ID number
  • a receipt will not be issued for postal payments unless you provide a stamped addressed envelope.

By Cheque at a Post Office

This method of payment only applies to single landlord accounts and not those who receive a schedule bill.

  • make your cheque payable to Post Office Ltd
  • on the back of the cheque they must clearly print the address of the property - also include your account ID number and ratepayer ID number
  • you will need the Rates Quickpay card which is attached to your card to make your payment

Important notice about Post Office payments: If you pay at a Post Office, you should allow ten working days for the payment to be credited to your rate account.

Standing order

You can pay through your bank or building society quoting the following numbers

  • Giro account number 71063200
  • sort code 95-01-21

You must quote the full 16 digit reference number which is made up from your Account ID and Ratepayer ID and can be found at the top right-hand corner of your rate bill. Include the zeros at the beginning with no spaces or dashes, for example 0123456789105568.

Please use the link below for an explanation of where to find these numbers:

BACS

You can pay by BACS transfer quoting the following numbers:

  • bank account number 01063197
  • sort code 95-01-21

You must quote the full 16 digit reference number which is made up from your Account ID and Ratepayer ID and can be found at the top right-hand corner of your rate bill. Include the zeros at the beginning with no spaces or dashes, for example 0123456789105568. For further information, please see the link in the Standing Order section, above.

Single direct debit payment

You must complete and return the relevant form to LPS. You can download the form by clicking on the link below:

Alternatively, you can call LPS and ask to speak to the Direct Debit team to arrange this over the telephone. Contact details can be found at the bottom of the page.

Important Notice about Single Direct Debit Payments

Single direct debit payments will be lifted from your bank account on the last banking day in September, so you should ensure that sufficient funds are in place.

If your rate account is not credited with the full amount you owe by 30 September you will not receive your landlord’s allowance of 7.5 per cent or agent’s allowance of 15 per cent.

Instalments

You can also opt to pay your rate account over ten monthly instalments, using any of the methods above. However if you chose this option you will not be entitled to the 7.5 per cent landlord’s allowance or 15 per cent agent’s allowance, as you must have paid the balance on your account in full by 30 September.

If you add properties to your account during the year, you should contact LPS Central Collection Team, as they may have to cancel and restart your Direct Debit. Contact details can be found at the bottom of this page.

Consequences of not paying your rate bill

If you have not taken the instalment option and do not pay the full amount that you owe by the payment date, 30 September, you will not receive your allowance. The LPS system will then automatically start recovery action against you for the outstanding amount. This means:

  • you will receive a final demand
  • you may be taken to court

It is illegal to withhold payment of rates. If you wish to make a complaint because your allowance has been withheld, you must still pay the full amount until your complaint has been resolved. If your complaint is upheld LPS will award the allowance retrospectively. If your complaint is unsuccessful LPS will pursue recovery of the outstanding debt.

LPS contact details

  • e-mail: landlords@lpsni.gov.uk
  • phone 101
  • minicom 1800 1101
  • the alternative number for those calling from outside Northern Ireland or who are unable to access the 101 service is 02891 513101