Business Rates reliefs and exemptions

Empty Property Relief 

You don’t have to pay business rates on empty buildings for three months. After this time, most businesses must pay full business rates.

Some properties can get extended empty property relief. These include:

  • industrial premises (e.g., warehouses) - exempt for a further three months
  • listed buildings - until reoccupied
  • buildings with a rateable value under £2,900 - until reoccupied. Find and check your rateable value

Email business.rates@redbridge.gov.uk to let us know when your property becomes vacant or for further details about exemptions. 

View information on exempted buildings and empty buildings relief

 

Small Business Rate Relief (occupied properties only)

Eligibility

You can get small business rate relief if:

Note: In certain circumstances, it may be possible for a business to retain Small Business Rates Relief on their first property for three years after they take on a second property, instead of just one year

What you get

If the rateable value of your property is less than £12,000 you won’t have to pay business rates. For properties with a rateable value of £12,001 to £15,000, the relief will go down gradually from 100% to 0%.

If you use more than one property 

You can get small business rate relief if the rateable value of each of your other properties is less than £2,900, and if the rateable values of all the properties added together is not more than £27,999.

You must advise us if you:

  • move out
  • start to use an additional property anywhere else in England
  • make any changes to the property

To apply for small business rate relief please download and complete the small business rate relief application form (PDF 76KB)

If you have any further questions, please email business.rates@redbridge.gov.uk.

 

Transitional Relief Scheme

Some properties will have significant increases in their rateable values, as part of the business rate revaluation for 2026. 

The transitional relief scheme helps to make sure that large increases in bills are phased in gradually. It provides a limit on the amount that a bill can increase by, as a result of revaluation.  

Maximum increases which are allowed under the transitional relief scheme in each financial year from 2026/27: 

Rateable value 

2026/27 

2027/28 

2028/29 

Up to £20,000 

5% 

10% plus inflation 

25% plus inflation 

£20,001 to £100,000 

15% 

25% plus inflation 

40% plus inflation 

Over £100,000 

30% 

25% plus inflation 

25% plus inflation 

 

Retail, Hospitality and Leisure

Action Required if you currently operate a Retail, Hospitality or Leisure (RHL) Business.  

On the 26 November 2025 the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced that, from 1 April 2026, qualifying retail, hospitality or leisure (RHL) businesses which occupy a property with a rateable value of less than £500,000 will have their business rate liability calculated based on two lower multipliers. These lower multipliers will replace the 40% relief which qualifying RHL businesses received in 2025/26.

Qualifying businesses for these lower multipliers are those which provide for the sale or hire of goods, the sale of food and drink (whether for consumption on or off the premises), including pubs and cafes/restaurants or the provision of certain services to visiting members of the public, such as hairdressers and beauticians. 

Qualifying businesses also include hotels, guest houses or buildings used for the provision of cultural, community or recreational facilities to members of the public, such as cinemas, live music venues and museums.   

Unlike the current 40% relief available to qualifying RHL businesses, there is no ‘cash cap’ or £110,000 limit on the total amount of reduction in rates a business can receive.  

Certain business types which provide services to the public are not entitled to the lower multipliers. These include (but are not limited to) banks, estate agents, dentists, vets, solicitors, estate agents, betting shops, taxi firms, warehouse which are mainly used for online sales and properties which are not used by visiting members of the public.  

If you are unsure whether you operate a qualifying business, please visit https://www.gov.uk/guidance/business-rates-multipliers-qualifying-retail-hospitality-or-leisure#examples-of-qualifying-hereditaments 

If you have any further questions, please email business.rates@redbridge.gov.uk. 

 

Pub and Live Music Venue Relief 

On 27 January 2026, the government announced that eligible pubs and live music venues will benefit from a 15% business rates relief, on top of previously announced reliefs. This relief is only available for occupied public house and live music venues which are openly accessible for to the general public.

For a full list of qualifying criteria, please visit: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/12026-pubs-and-live-music-venues-relief-2026-to-2027/12026-pubs-and-live-music-venues-relief-2026-to-2027 

 

Supporting Small Business Relief

There is a Supporting Small Business Relief scheme for businesses which are facing an increase in their bill, because they have lost some or all of their: 

  • Small Business Rate Relief
  • Rural Rate Relief
  • Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Relief
  • 2023 Supporting Small Business Relief

If you qualify for Supporting Small Business Relief, in 2026/27 your bill will increase by no more than the greater of the following: 

£800

or

the cap in the table below, based on the rateable value of your property. 

Rateable value 

2026/2027 

Up to £20,000 

5% 

£20,001 to £100,000 

15% 

Over £100,000 

30% 

If you are entitled to transitional relief or supporting small business relief, it will be applied to your bill automatically. You do not need to apply.