The growing cost of business rates can be a burden, and this is no less true for commercial landlords who assume responsibility for payments owed by their tenants via a rates inclusive agreement. With leases beginning and ending throughout each year, the task of keeping track of rates demands often requires the involvement of an experienced rating agent – and even then, savings opportunities may still slip through the cracks.
In 2022, Goodman Nash approached UBCUK Ltd, landlord of an office building in Warrington. While reviewing the extensive rating and valuation data we have in-house, our audit team identified a chance to recoup overpaid rates within the building dating back a number of years. Although UBCUK Ltd already has an agent responsible for overseeing the tenants’ rates, this proved no obstacle. We work alongside many other rating agents in order to assist with opportunities for rate savings which may not be included in their day to day services.
We asked our usual consultant for general rates to review their proposal, and he suggested we go with the offer. Since then we have received a couple of substantial refunds. Their commission is worth the benefit to our company.
Looking from the outside in, our team of highly-trained auditors were ideally placed to identify four separate billing errors relating to tenancies within the building. Three of these errors were on closed accounts, where the tenant had vacated in years gone by – and as such, the overpayments may have remained undiscovered. Once our sales representative successfully reached out to the client and our auditors completed thorough, final checks into the validity of the claims, we then approached the local council to begin the process.
Across all four tenants, Goodman Nash was able to return overpayments made by the landlord totalling in the tens of thousands – creating savings both historically, and going forwards for the tenant still in place in the building. Where a client has a large and ever-changing portfolio, our in-house records and expertise make us your best port of call.