General Rate Act 1967

19 Ascertainment of rateable value-general rule.

(1) Subject to the provisions of this Part of this Act and of any scheme for the time being in force such as is mentioned in section 117(7) of this Act, the rateable value of a hereditament shall be taken to be the net annual value of that hereditament ascertained in accordance with subsections (2) to (4) of this section.

(2) In the case of a hereditament consisting of one or more houses or other non-industrial buildings, with or without any garden, yard, court, forecourt, outhouse or other appurtenance belonging thereto, but without other land, the net annual value of the hereditament shall be ascertained by deducting from its gross value such amount, or an amount calculated in such manner, as may for the time being be specified by the Minister by order in relation to the class of such hereditaments to which the hereditament in question belongs.

(3) The net annual value of any other hereditament shall be an amount equal to the rent at which it is estimated the hereditament might reasonably be expected to let from year to year if the tenant undertook to pay all usual tenant's rates and taxes and to bear the cost of the repairs and insurance and the other expenses, if any, necessary to maintain the hereditament in a state to command that rent.

(4) Where, in the case of any hereditament, either its net annual value ascertained in accordance with subsection (2) or (3) of this section or, if different, its rateable value includes a fraction of a pound, that value shall be increased or reduced, as the case may be, to the nearest complete pound, or, if the fraction is ten shillings, the fraction shall be disregarded.

(5) No order shall be made under subsection (2) of this section unless a draft of the order has been laid before Parliament and approved by a resolution of each House of Parliament.

(6) In this section, the following expressions have the following meanings respectively, that is to say—

• " appurtenance ", in relation to a dwelling, or to a school, college or other educational establishment, includes all land occupied therewith and used for the purposes thereof;

• " gross value ", in relation to a hereditament, means the rent at which the hereditament might reasonably be expected to let from year to year if the tenant undertook to pay all usual tenant's rates and taxes and the landlord undertook to bear the cost of the repairs and insurance and the other expenses, if any, necessary to maintain the hereditament in a state to command that rent;

• " house " includes part of a house ;

• " non-industrial building " means a building, or part of a building, of any description other than—

  (a)

  factories, mills and other premises of a similar character used wholly or mainly for industrial purposes; or

  (b)

  premises forming part, and taken into account in the valuation for rating purposes, of— (i) a railway, dock, canal, gas, water or electricity undertaking; or

  (i)

  any public utility undertaking not falling within sub-paragraph (i) of this paragraph.