Empty property relief

If part of a property is not occupied for a short period of time it may be possible to apply for exemption for the empty section of the property. You can apply online to see if you can receive a reduction on your bill.

You need to have a MyGuildford account to apply for this exemption online. If you do not have a MyGuildford account you can set one up. 

If you have not yet registered to access your business rates account online, there are more steps. You can then link your online business rates account to your MyGuildford.

To complete this step you will need the following information:

• the business rates reference number - found on the latest bill. Do not include the "X" when you enter the reference.
• the name of the business
• the premises postcode

Once you have linked your business rates account, you can go to the 'account summary' screen. You will see a list of 'quick links' on the right-hand side. You need to select the 'upload information or tell us about something else' link.

You will also need to supply the following information:

• the date the change took effect, and the anticipated end date
• upload photo(s) of a plan clearly indicating both empty and occupied sections of the premises