Every cost you carry, challenged.
Rent is only part of what an office costs. We scrutinise every cost you carry through the lease and challenge what doesn't stack up, recovering what you're owed.
Service charge audits.
Service charges are passed through from the landlord and rarely questioned. We audit them against your lease, checking what is chargeable, how it is shared between tenants and whether it is reasonable, and pursue what shouldn't have been billed.
How business rates are set.
Every commercial property has a rateable value set by the Valuation Office Agency, part of HMRC, and the bill is worked out from it. Values are reassessed at each revaluation, so a rates bill can change sharply even when nothing about your space has.
Appeals, with advice first.
A rateable value can be challenged through the Check, Challenge, Appeal process. An assessment can be revised in either direction, so we recommend taking advice before starting one, and we'll tell you honestly whether yours is worth challenging.
Part of the whole picture.
Rates and service charge are part of the cost of occupancy we model when you search, renew or regear, so they are never a surprise after the lease is signed.
What’s included
- Service charge audits
- Business rates reviews
- Check, Challenge, Appeal
- Cost of occupancy modelling
Questions we’re asked
Who sets our business rates?
The Valuation Office Agency sets each property's rateable value, and your local council bills you on it. A rateable value can be challenged if it looks wrong.
Should we challenge our rateable value?
Only with advice first. An assessment can be revised in either direction, so it pays to know the likely outcome before starting the Check, Challenge, Appeal process.
What does a service charge audit involve?
Checking each charge against your lease: whether it is recoverable at all, whether it has been fairly shared between the tenants, and whether the cost is reasonable.