North East · 2025-26
Business Rates in Durham UA
Businesses in Durham UA paid £133.3m in net business rates during 2025-26, above the average English council's £93.2m.
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Relief granted in Durham UA
Share of £49.5m total relief, 2025-26.
Durham UA at a glance
Durham UA granted £49.5m in relief overall, higher than the national council average of £26.3m. This included £18.0m in Small Business Rate Relief and £5.7m in retail, hospitality and leisure relief.
A further £15.8m went to charity relief and £4.7m to empty property relief, reflecting the mix of ratepayers across the local authority.
Durham UA has an estimated 14,560 active businesses, according to the latest ONS Business Counts (2025).
Durham UA ranks 49 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 industrial property in Durham UA rose by 31.8% — if this pushed your assessment too high, an appeal may be worth considering.
Frequently asked questions
How much are business rates in Durham UA?
Durham UA's local authority collected £133.3m 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 Durham UA?
Durham UA granted £49.5m in business rates relief in 2025-26, including £18.0m in Small Business Rate Relief, £5.7m in retail, hospitality and leisure relief, £15.8m in charity relief, and £4.7m 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.
Durham UA compared with the North East and England
- Average rateable value
- £21,423£3,088 below the North East average (£24,511)£12,567 below the England average (£33,990)
- Largest sector by value
- Other commercial property, 35.7%in line with its 34.0% share in the North East
- Total rateable value, 2023 to 2026 list
- +20.4%North East: +17.8%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 £21,423, Durham UA's average rateable value ranks 237th of 296 councils in England and 10th of 12 in the North East. The same sector leads on numbers too: 31.1% of Durham UA's rateable properties fall in the other commercial category.
Retail accounts for 26.3% of Durham UA's rateable properties and 23.1% of its rateable value, compared with 25.6% and 24.3% across the North East. At March 2026, around 60 of Durham UA's rateable properties had a rateable value of £500,000 or more, rising to around 90 on the 2026 list.
Change at the 2026 revaluation
Durham UA's +20.4% change in total rateable value at the 2026 revaluation was stronger than in 9 of the 11 other councils in the North East. The sharpest increase in Durham UA was in industrial property, where total rateable value rose 31.8% at the 2026 revaluation, compared with +24.7% for industrial property across the North East. No sector fell in Durham UA: retail property moved least, up 6.0% at the 2026 revaluation, compared with +3.1% for retail property across the North East.
Reliefs
In 2025-26, relief in Durham UA came to 26.8% of gross rates payable, above the 21.2% for England as a whole. Small Business Rate Relief was the largest of the four main reliefs in Durham UA, at 36.4% of total relief, above 28.0% across England.
Source: HM Revenue & Customs, using Valuation Office Agency data, and MHCLG relief returns. Open Government Licence v3.0. Method and rounding: /methodology.
See how Durham UA compares with the rest of the region: Business rates in North East, State of Business Rates in England 2026 →
Nearby areas
Compare with other councils in the North East
Other North East councils with their average rateable value, listed from the closest to Durham UA's £21,423.
- Business rates in Middlesbrough UA£22,214 average rateable value, £791 higher than Durham UA
- Business rates in South Tyneside£20,500 average rateable value, £923 lower than Durham UA
- Business rates in Darlington UA£22,954 average rateable value, £1,531 higher than Durham UA
- Business rates in Redcar & Cleveland UA£24,238 average rateable value, £2,815 higher than Durham UA
- Business rates in Northumberland UA£18,066 average rateable value, £3,357 lower than Durham UA
- Business rates in Newcastle-upon-Tyne£27,325 average rateable value, £5,902 higher than Durham UA
Figures from MHCLG National Non-Domestic Rates statistics (2025-26), ONS UK Business Counts (2025), and English Indices of Deprivation (2025).
Updates for Durham
By email.