Rates and valuations

Council must value all properties for rating purposes under the Rating Valuations Act 1998 and the Local Government (Rating) Act 2002.

Find out more about our rating system.

Who undertakes the valuations?

Quotable Value (QV), an independent valuation service, undertakes valuations and set values on behalf of Council every three years. Council stores details on every property in New Zealand such as floor and land area, age of buildings, condition and location.

QV determines the value of properties by looking at the sale prices of properties, and the value of building consents in the area. QV uses this data to determine a value trend to apply to different property groups.

Some properties are inspected throughout the year to make sure details are updated where changes have occurred; QV is notified about changes as part of the building consent process.

When are valuations done? 

Valuations are a snapshot of the market as at 1 September in the year of revaluation. Rates are then based on that property valuation.

2019 valuation dates

How is my property valued?

Valuations are made up of:

Capital value: the approximate price that would be paid for the property at the valuation date. It’s the total of the land value and improvements value, the total value of your property. It excludes chattels, stock, crops, machinery or trees. Residential values include GST, other property types do not.

Land value: the approximate price that would be paid for the bare land. It includes work such as drainage and excavation.

Improvement value: is calculated by subtracting the land value from the capital value. It represents the extra value the buildings and other improvements (eg, landscaping and fencing) add to the land. It doesn't indicate the actual cost of building or landscaping.

Why have rating values increased?

The collective sale prices of properties across New Zealand have increased, and Lower Hutt is no exception.

QV's valuations are a snapshot of the market as at 1 September in the year of revaluation. Council’s rating value should not be taken as a market appraisal.

How does this change impact my rating valuation (rates)?

For an easy explanation of how the revaluations affect rates, check out this brochure (3.48MB) 

Changes to your rates take effect at the start of the 2020/21 financial year.

Rates are proportional, and any increase in rating values does not have a proportional effect on what is paid in rates. For example, the amount it costs Council to operate the city road network, parks and playgrounds, three waters (wastewater, storm water and freshwater), libraries, aquatic services, community services and other key facilities are not tied to any change in city-wide property values.

Council’s Annual Plan process is when Council announces new city-wide projects and initiatives and any likely implications to rates.

What if I disagree with my valuation?

Please contact our valuers, QV on 0800 787 284 or visit ratingvalues.co.nz for more about the Objections Process. QV will discuss with you any issues you may have or assist you in submitting an objection.  There is a cost involved for this if it is outside the normal three yearly objection period. Objection forms are available from Council’s offices at 30 Laings Road, online at ratingobjection.qv.co.nz or download the objection to valuation form (PDF 96.4KB).

Frequently asked questions

QV have a Rating Valuations Guide (237KB) that includes the answers to questions like:

• How are Rating Valuations different to Full Market Valuations?
• I have re-roofed my property recently. Does my Rating Value need to be updated
• What do I need to do if I have just completed an extension to my property and would like my Rating Value to be updated?

We have also put together some answers to frequently asked questions (272KB) including:

• What do Capital Value, Land Value and Improvement Value mean?
• What do these new valuations mean for me?
• What's a rates rebate?

More information

For more information please download the Lower Hutt Revaluation 2019 presentation (982KB) by QV and the General Revaluation Brochure (3.48MB).