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How to qualify for a 15% allowance on rates for rental properties

If you are responsible for paying rates on one or more rental properties, you may be entitled to a 15% allowance in rates, regardless of the capital value of your properties. This is known as 'agent' status.

How to qualify for the 15% allowance in rates

To qualify, you must meet the following criteria as set out in Article 21 of the Rates (Northern Ireland) Order 2006:

  • have a portfolio of one or more properties that you own and rent to tenants
  • have accepted rates liability for all properties within the portfolio
  • have an Agent Agreement form signed and witnessed by another person of 18 years of age or over - this agreement will remain in force until the 31st March in any year

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% discount. This also applies to any business properties which you or your company operate from.

Vacant properties

No 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 apply

If 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. This is a writeable document, which means that you can complete on screen, print and send to LPS. Alternatively, you can save the document to your desktop, complete the form and send as an attachment to LPS landlords section - contact details are at the bottom of the page:

You can also contact your local LPS rating office who can deal directly with your request or issue you with a form. Contact details for LPS rating offices can be found in the link below:

Successful applications

If you meet the qualifying criteria, you will be granted agent status. LPS will then:

  • amend your rate account to reflect that your account now has agent status
  • issue you with a new bill, unless you have already paid your current rate bill(s)

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 applications

If 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 bill

If you wish to add another rental property to your portfolio, you must detail your request in writing and send to the address below:

Land & Property Services
Central Landlords Team
Lincoln Building
27 - 45 Great Victoria Street
Malone Lower
BELFAST
BT2 7SL

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% 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 ownership

If 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:

Land & Property Services
Central Landlords Team
Lincoln Building
27 - 45 Great Victoria Street
Malone Lower
BELFAST
BT2 7SL

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 ownership

You must provide a copy of the solicitor’s letter showing the following:

  • completion date of the sale
  • name and contact details of the new owner or name of the solicitor/estate agent who acted on behalf of the new owner

How to pay your rate bill

For full details on how you can pay your agent’s rate account, please click on the link below:

  • How to pay your rate account for rental properties

Contact details for landlords section