North East · 2025-26
Business Rates in Hartlepool UA
Businesses in Hartlepool UA paid £33.9m in net business rates during 2025-26, below the average English council's £93.2m.
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Relief granted in Hartlepool UA
Share of £8.7m total relief, 2025-26.
Hartlepool UA at a glance
Hartlepool UA granted £8.7m in relief overall, lower than the national council average of £26.3m. This included £3.6m in Small Business Rate Relief and £0.8m in retail, hospitality and leisure relief.
A further £2.7m went to charity relief and £1.5m to empty property relief, reflecting the mix of ratepayers across the local authority.
Hartlepool UA has an estimated 2,180 active businesses, according to the latest ONS Business Counts (2025).
Hartlepool UA ranks 6 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 Hartlepool UA rose by 13.0% — if this pushed your assessment too high, an appeal may be worth considering.
Frequently asked questions
How much are business rates in Hartlepool UA?
Hartlepool UA's local authority collected £33.9m 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 Hartlepool UA?
Hartlepool UA granted £8.7m in business rates relief in 2025-26, including £3.6m in Small Business Rate Relief, £0.8m in retail, hospitality and leisure relief, £2.7m in charity relief, and £1.5m 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.
Hartlepool UA compared with the North East and England
- Average rateable value
- £26,548£2,037 above the North East average (£24,511)£7,442 below the England average (£33,990)
- Largest sector by value
- Other commercial property, 50.4%16.4 percentage points above its 34.0% share in the North East
- Total rateable value, 2023 to 2026 list
- +31.3%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
On average rateable value, Hartlepool UA sits 173rd among England's 296 councils at £26,548, which is 5th of 12 in the North East. Retail property makes up the largest share of Hartlepool UA's rateable properties (30.9%), but other commercial property carries the most rateable value (50.4%).
In Hartlepool UA, retail is 30.9% of rateable properties and 22.1% of rateable value; across the North East the figures are 25.6% and 24.3%. High-value property is limited in Hartlepool UA: around 20 properties were rated at £500,000 or more at March 2026, unchanged at around 20 on the 2026 list.
Change at the 2026 revaluation
None of the 11 other councils in the North East saw a stronger change in total rateable value at the 2026 revaluation than Hartlepool UA's +31.3%. Other commercial property saw the biggest rise in Hartlepool UA: total rateable value up 51.0% between the 2023 and 2026 lists, against +22.4% for other commercial property across the North East. Even the weakest sector in Hartlepool UA, retail property, rose 9.0% in total rateable value at the 2026 revaluation, against +3.1% for retail property across the North East.
Reliefs
Total relief granted in Hartlepool UA equalled 20.5% of gross rates payable in 2025-26, close to the 21.2% across English councils taken together. Of the four main reliefs, Small Business Rate Relief accounted for the most in Hartlepool UA: 41.0% of the total, above the England figure of 28.0%.
Source: HM Revenue & Customs, using Valuation Office Agency data, and MHCLG relief returns. Open Government Licence v3.0. Method and rounding: /methodology.
See how Hartlepool 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 Hartlepool UA's £26,548.
- Business rates in Newcastle-upon-Tyne£27,325 average rateable value, £777 higher than Hartlepool UA
- Business rates in North Tyneside£25,570 average rateable value, £978 lower than Hartlepool UA
- Business rates in Sunderland£27,791 average rateable value, £1,243 higher than Hartlepool UA
- Business rates in Gateshead£30,038 average rateable value, £3,490 higher than Hartlepool UA
- Business rates in Darlington UA£22,954 average rateable value, £3,594 lower than Hartlepool UA
- Business rates in Stockton-on-Tees UA£35,476 average rateable value, £8,928 higher than Hartlepool UA
Figures from MHCLG National Non-Domestic Rates statistics (2025-26), ONS UK Business Counts (2025), and English Indices of Deprivation (2025).
Updates for Hartlepool
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