How to qualify for a 15 per cent allowance on rates for rental propertiesIf you are responsible for paying rates on one or more rental properties, you may be entitled to a 15 percent allowance in rates, regardless of the capital value of your properties. This is known as 'agent' status. How to qualify for the 15 per cent allowance in ratesTo qualify, you must meet the following criteria as set out in Article 21 of the Rates (Northern Ireland) Order 2006:
Your residential address and any personal holiday homes/second homes you may own cannot be included on the Agent schedule, as these properties are not eligible for the 15 per cent discount. This also applies to any business properties which you or your company operate from. Vacant propertiesNo periods of vacancy can be claimed on this type of account. If one of your rental properties becomes vacant, you will still have to pay rates on this property. How to applyIf you feel that you meet all the necessary criteria you can apply to Land & Property Services (LPS) to have your agent account set up. You must complete and return the relevant form to LPS. You can download the form by clicking on the link below: You can also call LPS landlords section and request a form. Contact details for LPS landlords section are at the bottom of the page. Successful applicationsIf you meet the qualifying criteria, you will be granted agent status. LPS will then:
All properties that meet the criteria and have the same billing address can be listed under one rate payer number. This allows you to receive a single schedule of properties or bill for payment each year, instead of individual bills. Rejected applicationsIf you do not meet the qualifying criteria, LPS will contact you to let you know and if they need more information, they will contact you directly. How to add another property to an existing rate billIf you wish to add another rental property to your portfolio, you must detail your request in writing and send to the address below: LPS - Central Landlords Team You can also call LPS and ask to speak to the landlords team. However, LPS will still need written confirmation of your request. Contact details for LPS landlords section are at the bottom of the page. What happens if you add a new property after 30 September?If you add another property to your portfolio after the 30 September, you will be issued with a bill for this individual property. To avail of the 15 per cent allowance, payment must be received by the date quoted on the bill, which will be one month from the date of issue of the bill. If payment is not received by this time the allowance will not be awarded Change of ownershipIf the ownership of one of your properties changes you must inform LPS immediately. Applications to remove a property from your rate bill must be made before the start of the rating year, which is 1 April. Please send this to: LPS - Central Landlords Team You can also call LPS and and ask to speak to the landlords team. However, LPS will still need written confirmation of your request. Contact details for LPS landlords section are at the bottom of the page. You should inform LPS immediately of any change of ownership otherwise you will continue to receive a rate bill for this property. Providing proof of change of ownershipYou must provide a copy of the solicitor’s letter showing the following:
How to pay your rate billFor full details on how you can pay your agent’s rate account, please click on the link below:
Contact details for landlords section
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