East of England · 2025-26
Business Rates in North Hertfordshire
Businesses in North Hertfordshire paid £44.0m in net business rates during 2025-26, below the average English council's £93.2m.
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Relief granted in North Hertfordshire
Share of £16.1m total relief, 2025-26.
North Hertfordshire at a glance
North Hertfordshire granted £16.1m in relief overall, lower than the national council average of £26.3m. This included £5.6m in Small Business Rate Relief and £3.6m in retail, hospitality and leisure relief.
A further £3.5m went to charity relief and £2.2m to empty property relief, reflecting the mix of ratepayers across the local authority.
North Hertfordshire has an estimated 6,205 active businesses, according to the latest ONS Business Counts (2025).
North Hertfordshire ranks 259 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 North Hertfordshire rose by 38.0% — if this pushed your assessment too high, an appeal may be worth considering.
Frequently asked questions
How much are business rates in North Hertfordshire?
North Hertfordshire's local authority collected £44.0m 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 North Hertfordshire?
North Hertfordshire granted £16.1m in business rates relief in 2025-26, including £5.6m in Small Business Rate Relief, £3.6m in retail, hospitality and leisure relief, £3.5m in charity relief, and £2.2m 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.
North Hertfordshire compared with the East of England and England
- Average rateable value
- £24,403£7,732 below the East of England average (£32,135)£9,587 below the England average (£33,990)
- Largest sector by value
- Industrial property, 38.8%4.2 percentage points above its 34.6% share in the East of England
- Total rateable value, 2023 to 2026 list
- +25.2%East of England: +18.3%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 £24,403, North Hertfordshire's average rateable value ranks 194th of 296 councils in England and 31st of 45 in the East of England. Industrial property also accounts for the most properties in North Hertfordshire, at 35.1% of its rateable properties.
In North Hertfordshire, retail is 20.2% of rateable properties and 22.9% of rateable value; across the East of England the figures are 20.6% and 18.7%. High-value property is limited in North Hertfordshire: 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
Only 2 of the 44 other councils in the East of England saw a stronger change in total rateable value at the 2026 revaluation than North Hertfordshire's +25.2%. Industrial property saw the biggest rise in North Hertfordshire: total rateable value up 38.0% between the 2023 and 2026 lists, against +20.2% for industrial property across the East of England. Even the weakest sector in North Hertfordshire, retail property, rose 9.2% in total rateable value at the 2026 revaluation, against +9.8% for retail property across the East of England.
Reliefs
Total relief granted in North Hertfordshire equalled 25.8% of gross rates payable in 2025-26, above the 21.2% across English councils taken together. Of the four main reliefs, Small Business Rate Relief accounted for the most in North Hertfordshire: 34.8% 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 North Hertfordshire compares with the rest of the region: Business rates in East of England, State of Business Rates in England 2026 →
Nearby areas
Compare with other councils in the East of England
Other East of England councils with their average rateable value, listed from the closest to North Hertfordshire's £24,403.
- Business rates in Fenland£24,510 average rateable value, £107 higher than North Hertfordshire
- Business rates in Epping Forest£23,858 average rateable value, £545 lower than North Hertfordshire
- Business rates in Castle Point£22,902 average rateable value, £1,501 lower than North Hertfordshire
- Business rates in Broadland£22,799 average rateable value, £1,604 lower than North Hertfordshire
- Business rates in Mid Suffolk£26,226 average rateable value, £1,823 higher than North Hertfordshire
- Business rates in Breckland£22,366 average rateable value, £2,037 lower than North Hertfordshire
Figures from MHCLG National Non-Domestic Rates statistics (2025-26), ONS UK Business Counts (2025), and English Indices of Deprivation (2025).
Updates for North Hertfordshire
By email.