Business rates mitigation

We understand the various strains of vacating a commercial property mid-lease, including your continued business rates liability on the empty office space. This expense can be reduced, however we strongly recommend you come to us.

If you’re considering the business rates of a property that you are renting that you have vacated, or are about to vacate, it is important to seek professional advice. KWB ensures that the legal background is well understood when taking any business rates mitigation action, as failure to do so can be costly and may even result in litigation. We provide a specialist service that makes alleviating the business rates of empty commercial property, easy. Furthermore, until you make a saving, this is a free service and our fees are a percentage of the savings you make.

We recommend arranging a meeting with us for a free, no-obligation evaluation of your business rates liability. Here, we will examine whether our business rates mitigation techniques can be utilised in your case.

What are the methods we employ to legitimately make you savings on the business rates for empty commercial property?

Intermittent occupation

The standard empty rates exemption period is limited, following the departure of an occupant. The minimum occupancy period to renew the eligibility for the empty exemption is 13 weeks. If we find you eligible, we will find you a short-term occupier who will take on the business rates during their occupancy of the minimum required time, in order to gain a further exemption period. We use a specific set of companies that will make non-invasive use of the property, allowing you to continue marketing effectively. This will allow us to reduce the business rates of the property, over a 12-month period, by around half.

Charity occupation

This can only be considered for longer-term vacancies. This involves the letting of the property to a company with charitable status. These companies are eligible for a minimum of 80% discount on their business rates payable. In exchange for taking on your property’s liability, you will be required to pay the charity a management fee. This method has provided savings that, after agent’s fees, amount to two-thirds of the full business rates, that would be payable.