Instead of guessing what restricts your property, you can run a local land charges search on GOV.UK, read what is registered against it, and decide whether any of it belongs in your business rates challenge.
- A local land charges search shows registered restrictions on a property in England and Wales.
- On GOV.UK the search is free; an official search certificate costs £15.
- Registered restrictions on use may be relevant evidence for a business rates appeal, but the VOA decides.
- Raise a check case first if recorded property facts are wrong.
- Appeal My Rates UK reviews the results and builds the case for you.
Why this matters
Your rateable value is set by the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) from the facts it holds about your property and from what the property could be used for. If something registered against the land limits that use, you want to know before you argue about value.
Local land charges are mostly restrictions or prohibitions on the use of a property. A property is subject to a registered charge whether or not you knew about it, and the search reveals charges only if they have been registered. A search does not prove your rateable value is wrong. It gives you documented facts to test against the VOA record.
Before you start
- The full address of the property, ideally with a plan that shows the boundary you occupy.
- Your business rates valuation account on GOV.UK if you intend to raise a check case afterwards.
- A card, if you want the £15 official search certificate rather than the free personal search.
The gotcha: the register is being moved to HM Land Registry's digital service authority by authority, so results depend on whether your local authority has transferred its data. If it has not, contact the authority directly instead of relying on a blank result.
Run the search
- Go to the Search for local land charges service on GOV.UK and start a search for your property.
- Choose the land or property by address and confirm the boundary shown.
- Choose a free personal search, or pay £15 for an official search certificate.
- Download or save the result.
A personal search lets you view on screen the details of registered charges affecting the land. An official search certificate is digitally signed and guaranteed by HM Land Registry, shows the boundary of each charge, and comes with unlimited downloads for six months. Use the official certificate if you expect to show the result to the VOA or a tribunal.
Expected result: a saved search result listing each registered charge affecting the property, or confirming none are registered.
Read what the search shows
For each charge, note what it restricts, where it applies on the property, and who registered it. Sort the results into three groups:
- Restrictions on how the property can be used. These may bear on what a hypothetical tenant could do with the space.
- Restrictions that affect only part of the property. Compare their boundary with the area you occupy.
- Charges unrelated to use. Keep them on file, but leave them out of the case.
Be realistic. Whether a restriction changes the rateable value is a valuation judgement for the VOA, not something the search settles. Evidence of rents for comparable properties usually matters more than any single charge.
Expected result: a short note linking each relevant charge to a specific point about the property.
Turn the result into appeal evidence
Compare your search with the property details in your business rates valuation account. If the VOA record is wrong on a plain fact, such as area or use, correct it by raising a check case. If the facts are right but you believe the value is too high, a challenge follows. The Government Gateway to VOA check workflow covers the account and submission steps.
Attach the official certificate and your note to the submission, and state in one sentence what you want changed. You may have to pay a penalty if you knowingly submit false information to the VOA, so only claim what the documents support. A challenge can also lead to a valuation going up, so weigh the evidence first, as set out in Can my business rates go up after an appeal?
Second use: buying or leasing a new property
The same search is useful before you take on premises. Run it before you sign, then compare what is registered with the rateable value in the rating list. Pairing the two tells you whether the rating looks consistent with the restrictions on the land.
Troubleshooting
- The search returns nothing. Check whether your local authority has transferred its data, and contact it if not.
- The boundary looks wrong. Re-run the search against the correct address or plan before relying on it.
- A charge is not relevant to rating. Leave it out; padding a submission weakens it.
- You need to show the result to a third party. Use the official certificate, not the personal search.
- The VOA does not change the value. If you disagree with the outcome, you can appeal to the Valuation Tribunal.
What to do next
A search is the start of the evidence, not the case itself. Appeal My Rates UK is a firm of professional rating surveyors: we review your search results against the rating list and tell you whether there is a case worth making. Let us handle your case. Most instructions are no win, no fee, but some carry a fixed fee, so we assess your case free first and confirm the fee basis and payment terms in writing; VAT applies to our fees. Contact us for a free case assessment.
FAQ
How much does a local land charges search cost?
On GOV.UK the search is free, and an official search certificate costs £15. A search provider can also run the search for you.
What is a local land charge?
Most local land charges are restrictions or prohibitions on the use of a property. A property is subject to a registered charge whether or not you knew about it.
Does the search cover England and Wales?
Yes. The GOV.UK service checks for local land charges on land and property in England and Wales, subject to your local authority having transferred its register.
Will a local land charge lower my rateable value?
Not automatically. The VOA decides whether a restriction affects value, so the search is evidence to support a case, not a guarantee.
Do I need the official certificate for a business rates challenge?
It is the stronger document. The official certificate is digitally signed and guaranteed by HM Land Registry, while the free personal search is for your own reference.
How long can I download an official search result?
Each official search comes with unlimited downloads of the certificate for six months.
One last thing
A clean search result is still useful. A search that shows no relevant registered charges lets you rule out one line of argument early, so your challenge concentrates on rental evidence and recorded property facts.
Related guides
- How long does a business rates appeal take?
- Can I dispute my business rates valuation without evidence?
