South East · 2025-26
Business Rates in Brighton & Hove UA
Businesses in Brighton & Hove UA paid £120.3m in net business rates during 2025-26, above the average English council's £93.2m.
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Relief granted in Brighton & Hove UA
Share of £42.0m total relief, 2025-26.
Brighton & Hove UA at a glance
Brighton & Hove UA granted £42.0m in relief overall, higher than the national council average of £26.3m. This included £9.9m in Small Business Rate Relief and £12.0m in retail, hospitality and leisure relief.
A further £13.4m went to charity relief and £6.4m to empty property relief, reflecting the mix of ratepayers across the local authority.
Brighton & Hove UA has an estimated 13,785 active businesses, according to the latest ONS Business Counts (2025).
Brighton & Hove UA ranks 133 out of 296 local authorities in England on the 2025 Index of Multiple Deprivation, where 1 is most deprived and 296 is least deprived.
Following the 2026 revaluation, the total rateable value of retail property in Brighton & Hove UA rose by 14.5% — if this pushed your assessment too high, an appeal may be worth considering.
Frequently asked questions
How much are business rates in Brighton & Hove UA?
Brighton & Hove UA's local authority collected £120.3m in net business rates income during 2025-26, based on the national multiplier applied to each property's rateable value, less any relief granted.
What reliefs are available in Brighton & Hove UA?
Brighton & Hove UA granted £42.0m in business rates relief in 2025-26, including £9.9m in Small Business Rate Relief, £12.0m in retail, hospitality and leisure relief, £13.4m in charity relief, and £6.4m in empty property relief.
How do I know if I'm overpaying?
If your rateable value looks high compared to similar properties nearby, or you're not currently receiving relief you may be entitled to, it's worth checking your assessment. Use our free checker to compare your rateable value and see if you may be eligible for a reduction or backdated refund.
Brighton & Hove UA compared with the South East and England
- Average rateable value
- £27,771£7,525 below the South East average (£35,296)£6,219 below the England average (£33,990)
- Largest sector by value
- Other commercial property, 41.2%8.7 percentage points above its 32.5% share in the South East
- Total rateable value, 2023 to 2026 list
- +17.2%South East: +19.7%England: +19.6%
Counts and rateable values are from the stock of properties at March 2026, on the 2023 rating list. Changes are from the 2026 revaluation, comparing the 2023 rating list with the 2026 rating list.
Property mix
At £27,771, Brighton & Hove UA's average rateable value ranks 152nd of 296 councils in England and 42nd of 64 in the South East. Other commercial property also accounts for the most properties in Brighton & Hove UA, at 37.4% of its rateable properties.
Shops and other retail property account for 27.9% of Brighton & Hove UA's rateable properties and 28.8% of its value, higher than the 22.5% and 20.7% across the South East. High-value property is limited in Brighton & Hove UA: around 70 properties were rated at £500,000 or more at March 2026, rising to around 90 on the 2026 list.
Change at the 2026 revaluation
Of the 63 other councils in the South East, 33 saw a weaker change in total rateable value at the 2026 revaluation than Brighton & Hove UA's +17.2% and 30 saw a stronger one. Other commercial property saw the biggest rise in Brighton & Hove UA: total rateable value up 19.5% between the 2023 and 2026 lists, against +26.7% for other commercial property across the South East. Even the weakest sector in Brighton & Hove UA, retail property, rose 14.5% in total rateable value at the 2026 revaluation, against +10.8% for retail property across the South East.
Reliefs
Total relief granted in Brighton & Hove UA equalled 24.6% of gross rates payable in 2025-26, above the 21.2% across English councils taken together. Of the four main reliefs, charity relief accounted for the most in Brighton & Hove UA: 31.8% of the total, above the England figure of 29.7%.
Source: HM Revenue & Customs, using Valuation Office Agency data, and MHCLG relief returns. Open Government Licence v3.0. Method and rounding: /methodology.
See how Brighton & Hove UA compares with the rest of the region: Business rates in South East, State of Business Rates in England 2026 →
Nearby areas
Compare with other councils in the South East
Other South East councils with their average rateable value, listed from the closest to Brighton & Hove UA's £27,771.
- Business rates in Havant£27,166 average rateable value, £605 lower than Brighton & Hove UA
- Business rates in Waverley£26,956 average rateable value, £815 lower than Brighton & Hove UA
- Business rates in Ashford£26,782 average rateable value, £989 lower than Brighton & Hove UA
- Business rates in West Oxfordshire£26,770 average rateable value, £1,001 lower than Brighton & Hove UA
- Business rates in Eastbourne£29,043 average rateable value, £1,272 higher than Brighton & Hove UA
- Business rates in New Forest£26,255 average rateable value, £1,516 lower than Brighton & Hove UA
Figures from MHCLG National Non-Domestic Rates statistics (2025-26), ONS UK Business Counts (2025), and English Indices of Deprivation (2025).
Updates for Brighton & Hove
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