Request to Amend
Rating Information Database
Information Sheet
Residential
Each separately habitable unit will count as separate units for the purposes of assessing any rate calculated on the
basis of a SUIP. For the unit to be considered separately habitable it must be connected to water and sewerage, have
kitchen facilities (including a means of cooking), and have sleeping arrangements.
Business
Commercial premises that contain separate shops, kiosks or other retail or wholesale outlets, each of which are
operated as separate businesses or are capable of operation as a separate business, will attract a rate on each
separately used or inhabited ofce, shop, kiosk or other retail or wholesale outlet.
Mixed Use
Residential properties that are partially used for business - the number of parts will equal the number of residential
units plus 1 for each business use e.g. a house with a hairdressing salon contains 2 parts, as does a house and
doctor’s surgery. For the business to be considered a separate use, the rating unit in question must be the business’s
standard “place of business”. Please note that you may declare annually that your rating unit (or part of) will remain
vacant or is occupied by a small scale business for any given rating year. These declarations must be received
annually and in advance by Council by 31 May each year and will be effective for the following rating year beginning 1
July.
Rating Units in Common Ownership
Section 20 of the Local Government Rating Act (2002) details that two or more rating units must be treated as one for
setting a rate if those units are:
a) owned by the same person or persons; and
b) used jointly as a single unit; and
c) contiguous or separated only by a road, railway, drain, water race, river, or stream.
If you have more than one rating unit that satisfy the criteria above and are not currently being rated as one unit,
please detail the valuation numbers and describe how the units are used jointly on the back of the form under Section
C and also provide evidence that the properties are adjoining and that the ownership is the same. (Please note that
rates charged on the basis of Separately Used/Inhabited Part (SUIP) will still be levied on properties that have a
dwelling).
Council also has a remission policy for properties used jointly, where the denitions of ownership and contiguous
land have been extended to include properties that might not be adjoining or be under the same ownership, but are
used jointly as a single unit. Application forms and the Rates Remission Policy are available on our website www.
waitomo.govt.nz or from our Customer Services Team. (Please note that properties with a dwelling are not eligible for
remission).
Property Values
Whenever a property is revalued (usually due to a building consent or subdivision or General Revaluation of the
District), ratepayers will receive a valuation notice advising the new values for the property and at this time you
have until the date detailed on the valuation notice to object to the value of the property. To do this you will need to
complete a Rating Valuation Objection form which is available from our Website www.waitomo.govt.nz or from our
Customer Services Team.
If an error has been identied regarding the area of land or improvements on your property, the value will be
reviewed to ensure that it is correct and if it is not, an error and omission will be processed to enable our Valuation
Service Provider, Quotable Value, to correct the values. In this scenario you will also receive a valuation notice
advising what the corrected values are and you will have until the date detailed on the valuation notice to advise your
objection, if you have any.
Outside of these processes your only option to have your property revalued is to request a new valuation under
Section 16 of the Rating Valuations Act 1998. Under this process the costs of the valuation are payable by the
applicant and this may need to be paid before undertaking the valuation. Your request must be supplied to Council in
writing and should include the following information:
• Your Name
• Postal Address
• Contact Phone Number
• Property Address
• The reason for the review
• What you feel the rateable value should be