Business rates

In the 2024 Autumn Budget, the Chancellor announced that the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure (RHL) Relief scheme will be extended for one year for 2025/2026, retaining the existing eligibility criteria. However, the level of relief will be reduced from 75% to 40% for the new financial year 2025/2026.

Please note the above changes will come into effect from 1 April 2025 and this reduction from 75% to 40% will be reflected in your Business Rates bill for 2025/2026.

The RHL Business Rates Relief scheme applies to properties that are occupied and are wholly or mainly used:

• As shops, restaurants, cafes, drinking establishments, cinemas, and live music venues
• For assembly and leisure or
• As hotels, guest and boarding premises, and self-catering accommodation. 

Please see our policy on retail hospitality and leisure relief (PDF).

Examples of businesses that do not qualify for this relief are:

• betting Shops
• employment agencies
• estate Agents
• letting Agents
• ratepayers that will exceed the 110,000 cash cap by receiving this relief
• ratepayers that will breach subsidy thresholds through receipt of this relief

Full qualifying criteria for this Relief can be found on the Gov.UK website.

RHL Relief 2025/26

Subject to cash caps (see below), the total amount of government-funded relief available for each property is 40% of the chargeable amount. 

Cash Caps

Under the cash cap, no ratepayer can in any circumstances exceed the £110,000 cash cap across all of their hereditaments in England.

Subsidy

The Retail Hospitality and Leisure Scheme is likely to amount to a subsidy. Any relief provided under this scheme will need to comply with the UK’s domestic and international subsidy control obligations

You will be asked to confirm within your application that you fall within the Small Amounts of Financial Assistance Allowance.

If you do not qualify or do not want to receive this relief, please send us an email with the subject ‘Business Rates OPT OUT’. Please include your address, account number and confirm whether you are contacting us to refuse the relief or, you are letting us know you do not qualify.

Please note, once you’ve opted out you cannot opt back into RHL Relief Scheme. 

For more information, email: businessrates@walthamforest.gov.uk