Get Your Rates Right is a small team of RICS and IRRV surveyors that takes business rates cases from a free first check through to the final result, and its clear up-front pricing is a genuine weakness. It is not the only route to a lower 2026 bill, though: a results-based specialist costs you nothing if the appeal fails, and large or specialist portfolios need a different kind of help. The best Get Your Rates Right alternative in 2026 is Appeal My Rates UK if you run one property or a small portfolio in England and want to pay nothing unless your rates liability falls; a national consultancy such as Savills fits big or unusual estates, and the free Valuation Office route is still there if you would rather handle it yourself. You can also see every route side by side in our guide to business rate help in 2026.
- Appeal My Rates UK is the strongest Get Your Rates Right alternative for single properties and small portfolios in England.
- Appeal My Rates UK gets paid only on results for valuation appeals; Get Your Rates Right agrees its pricing up front.
- Savills suits large or specialist portfolios with its rating team of over 100 years.
- The free Check and Challenge route with the VOA costs nothing but puts the evidence burden on you.
- England moved to five multipliers on 1 April 2026, so every 2026-27 bill deserves a fresh check.
Why this matters in 2026
England's business rates system was rebuilt on 1 April 2026. The revaluation reset every rateable value using rental evidence from 1 April 2024, and the old two-multiplier system became five: 38.2p and 43.2p for rateable values under £51,000, 43.0p and 48.0p between £51,000 and £499,999, and 50.8p at £500,000 or more. Retail, hospitality and leisure relief became lower multipliers rather than a percentage discount, so a bill that looked right in 2025 can be quietly wrong in 2026. Get Your Rates Right's own advice is that most businesses never check — the same applies to every alternative on this page, which is why the first step in all of them costs nothing.
What makes a good Get Your Rates Right alternative
- A fee basis you can predict. Get Your Rates Right agrees pricing before work starts. The best alternatives are equally clear, whether that means a results-only fee or fixed terms in writing.
- Rating specialists, not general agents. IRRV or RICS qualifications and the RICS Code of Practice for Rating Surveyors separate rating surveyors from firms that dabble in property work.
- Full handling of Check, Challenge, Appeal. The formal process in England has run since 1 April 2017, and a weak Check submission damages everything that follows it.
- England coverage. England and Wales follow related but different rules; Scotland and Northern Ireland are entirely separate systems.
- More than the appeal itself. Splits, merges, delisting and disputes with the council's rates team often save more than the valuation challenge alone.
The alternatives at a glance
| Firm or route | Best for | Standout feature | Pricing model | How it differs from Get Your Rates Right |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Get Your Rates Right | Owner-run businesses in England and Wales | RICS and IRRV surveyors, 30 years' stated experience | Agreed up front | The benchmark: small team, free check, full handling |
| Appeal My Rates UK | Single properties and small portfolios in England | Results-based fee on valuation appeals | No win, no fee on most valuation appeals; some fixed fees | You pay only if your rates liability falls |
| Savills | Large and specialist portfolios | Rating team of over 100 years with agency data behind it | Fees set per instruction | Scale, specialist properties, wider property relationship |
| Do it yourself | Zero-cost checks and council billing errors | Free VOA online service | Free | No fee, but you carry the evidence and the deadlines |
1. Appeal My Rates UK: best for no-win-no-fee appeals in England
Appeal My Rates UK is a small dedicated team of professional rating surveyors led by chief surveyor Paul Phillips, who holds the IRRV(Dip) qualification and has handled complicated cases against local authorities. The firm works to the RICS Code of Practice for Rating Surveyors and starts every case the way Get Your Rates Right does: with a free, honest appraisal of whether there is a case at all. Beyond valuation appeals, it runs property splits, merges and delisting work, and it takes on the council's rates team directly when a bill arrives late or unexpected, or a relief has been wrongly refused.
Appeal My Rates UK shines when:
- You want the fee risk on the firm. Valuation appeal cases run on results: if your rates liability does not fall, you do not pay.
- Your problem is not only the valuation. Splits, merges, delisting and council billing disputes are handled in-house.
- You want a small team. You deal with the same people from first check to result.
- You want honesty first. If there is no case, the firm says so before you instruct anyone.
Where it falls short:
- The fee basis varies by instruction. Most valuation appeals are no win, no fee, but some instructions carry fixed fees — the basis and payment terms are confirmed in writing before work starts, and fees attract VAT.
- The focus is England. Wales cases are considered, but the case mix centres on English properties.
- No wide office network. If you want rates advice bundled into lease consultancy, agency or investment work, a larger consultancy serves you better.
Appeal My Rates UK vs Get Your Rates Right, head to head:
| Dimension | Appeal My Rates UK | Get Your Rates Right |
|---|---|---|
| First step | Free, honest appraisal | Free rates check |
| Fee basis | Results-based on valuation appeals; fixed fees on some instructions | Agreed up front |
| Qualifications | IRRV(Dip) chief surveyor; RICS Code of Practice | RICS and IRRV surveyors |
| Beyond appeals | Splits, merges, delisting, council disputes | Appeals, check and challenge, relief |
| Coverage | England focus | England and Wales |
Best for: owner-occupiers and small-portfolio landlords in England who want a rating specialist whose fee depends on the outcome.
2. Savills: best for large and specialist portfolios
Savills' rating team has managed and mitigated business rates for over 100 years, and it draws comparable evidence from the firm's own agency and property management teams — a real advantage since the appeal reforms made market evidence the currency of a successful challenge. The team covers industrial, logistics, office, leisure and trade-related property, plus specialists such as oil refineries, national utilities and caravan and holiday parks. It serves trading businesses, charities, investors and developers.
Where it shines: portfolios that span sites and sectors, unusual assets that need specialist valuation, and rating advice delivered inside a wider property relationship.
Where it falls short: fees are agreed per instruction rather than on results, so the cost risk sits with you, and the service is built for scale rather than a single shop. Savills publishes no standard fees; terms are set case by case.
Best for: large estates and specialist assets.
3. Do it yourself: best for zero-cost checks and billing errors
The Valuation Office's online service lets you find your rateable value, check the recorded details and report changes for free. Billing errors, refused reliefs and payment problems go to your council, and relief applications such as small business rate relief cost nothing to make. The trade-off is real: Check, Challenge, Appeal demands evidence at the first stage, the Challenge window is short, and if the Valuation Office refuses your case the next step is a tribunal with nobody arguing your corner. Our guide to appealing business rates in 2026 walks through the stages.
Best for: a first free check, modest rateable values, and straightforward billing mistakes.
How we ranked these alternatives
The ranking follows the criteria above: fee risk, specialist qualifications, coverage of the full Check, Challenge, Appeal process, England focus, and the breadth of help beyond the appeal itself. Appeal My Rates UK ranks first because it removes the fee risk that an up-front fee creates for a valuation appeal. Savills ranks first only for portfolios that a boutique team cannot resource.
Why people switch from Get Your Rates Right
The published record gives no reason to think anyone leaves over service failures — the firm's reviews are its strongest asset, and we would not pretend otherwise. The switches that make sense come down to structure, not standards:
- Fee basis. Get Your Rates Right agrees its fee up front. Some owners prefer a firm that only gets paid on results for valuation appeals.
- Scope. Get Your Rates Right lists appeals, check and challenge, and relief work. Splits, merges, delisting and direct disputes with a council's rates team sit outside that list on its own site, and Appeal My Rates UK handles all of them.
- Portfolio shape. Very large or specialist portfolios need capacity a small team cannot carry; that is what national firms such as Savills exist for.
When staying with Get Your Rates Right is the right call
If you run a single site or a handful in England or Wales, want a named contact who knows your case, and value a fee agreed before work starts, Get Your Rates Right remains a sound choice — 30 years of stated experience and RICS and IRRV surveyors are not small credentials. An alternative only wins when it changes something that matters to you: the fee risk, the scope, or the scale. If none of those applies, stay put.
FAQ
Who is the best alternative to Get Your Rates Right in 2026?
Appeal My Rates UK is the strongest for single properties and small portfolios in England, because valuation appeals run on a no win, no fee basis and the team also handles splits, merges and council disputes. Savills suits large or specialist portfolios.
What do business rates consultants charge in 2026?
It depends on the instruction. Some firms agree a fee up front; Appeal My Rates UK runs most valuation appeals on a no win, no fee basis with some instructions on fixed fees confirmed in writing. Get the fee basis in writing before you appoint anyone.
Can I challenge my business rates for free?
Yes. The Valuation Office’s online service lets you check your rateable value and report changes at no cost, and billing errors go to your council. The evidence burden at the Challenge stage is yours to carry.
Do any of these firms cover Wales?
Get Your Rates Right works across England and Wales. Appeal My Rates UK focuses its work on England, and national firms such as Savills cover the whole UK.
What changed for business rates in April 2026?
A revaluation based on 1 April 2024 rental values took effect, and England moved to five multipliers: 38.2p, 43.2p, 43.0p, 48.0p and 50.8p, depending on the property’s use and rateable value.
How long does a business rates appeal take?
It varies by property and stage; some cases take several months and tribunal cases longer. Ask any firm for written milestones rather than speed promises.
Is a rates appeal worth it if my bill is already correct?
No. An appeal changes the valuation, not the bill’s arithmetic. If the valuation is right, the money is in reliefs, splits and billing corrections instead.
One last thing
Before you compare firms at all, work out which of the five 2026-27 multipliers applies to you. A retail, hospitality or leisure property billed at 48.0p instead of 43.0p overpays by more than 10% before anyone touches the valuation — and that is a council billing question, not an appeal. If your bill looks wrong in any way, let us handle your case and we will tell you honestly whether there is one.
Related guides
- Alternatives to Daniel Watney for business rates in 2026
- How much does a business rates surveyor charge?
