Business Rates Guide

Business Rates for Pubs & Bars

Many pubs pay more in business rates than they need to. Check yours in 60 seconds and see if you could be saving.

Free, instant check. No email required.

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Common Issues for Pubs & Bars

These are the most frequent problems we find when checking business rates for pubs & bars.

Pub closures have increased significantly — but many still pay rates based on peak-era valuations

Retail, Hospitality & Leisure (RHL) Relief could save you significantly — but it is not always applied automatically

The 2026 revaluation could change your rates significantly

Many pubs qualify for Small Business Rate Relief but have not claimed it

Reliefs That May Apply to Your Pub

We check every available relief as part of your property assessment. These are the most common for pubs & bars.

restaurant

Retail, Hospitality & Leisure Relief

40% (2025-26)

40% relief for retail, hospitality, and leisure businesses in 2025-26.

store

Small Business Rate Relief

Up to 100%

Up to 100% off your rates bill if you occupy a single property with a rateable value under £15,000.

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Empty Property Relief

100% (time-limited)

No rates to pay for the first 3 months your property is empty (6 months for warehouses and industrial).

Example Savings

A typical pub with a rateable value of £18,000.

Current Bill

£8,982

/year

Potential Saving

£3,200

−36% per year

Optimised Bill

£5,782

/year

Example for illustration only. Actual savings depend on individual property circumstances, location, and applicable reliefs.

How We Help Pubs & Bars

Check

We compare your pub's rateable value against VOA data for similar properties and check for RHL Relief, Small Business Rate Relief.

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Challenge

If we find you're overcharged, we write to your council for relief claims and submit a formal Check and Challenge to the VOA on your behalf.

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Protect

Year-round monitoring, compliance handling, and annual reviews. You keep 100% of your savings.

One plan, one price

£99/year

Check, challenge, monitoring, compliance. No percentage fees.

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Check Your Pub's Rates in 60 Seconds

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Pubs & Bars: Frequently Asked Questions

What is RHL Relief and does my pub qualify?expand_more

Retail, Hospitality & Leisure (RHL) Relief provides a discount on business rates for eligible properties in the hospitality sector, including pubs and bars. Eligibility and the discount level are set by the government each financial year. Your local council applies it, but it is not always automatic — you may need to apply or check it has been applied correctly.

What SCAT code should my pub have?expand_more

Pubs are typically classified under SCAT code 213G (Public House) by the VOA. If your property has been misclassified under a different code, your valuation method and rateable value could be wrong. We check your SCAT code as part of every property assessment.

How will the 2026 revaluation affect my pub?expand_more

The 2026 revaluation uses a new valuation date (1 April 2024) to reassess every commercial property in England. For pubs, this could mean a higher or lower rateable value depending on local trading conditions. We monitor revaluation changes and help you challenge if your new valuation looks too high.

What is the Duty to Notify and does it apply to pubs?expand_more

The Duty to Notify is new legislation (Non-Domestic Rating Act 2023) being phased in from 2026, with all businesses required to comply by 2029. It means reporting property changes to the VOA and submitting annual confirmations. Both tiers include full compliance handling — we'll manage this for you when the rules apply to your property.

Also see business rates guides for:

arrow_forwardRestaurants & Cafes arrow_forwardHotels & Guest Houses arrow_forwardShops & Retail