Business rates for Pubs
I run a bar myself, so I know the pub conversation about rates is mostly about anger at the headline rise — but the reliefs brought in for 2026/27 mean most pubs' actual bills moved less than the RV suggests.
I run a bar myself, so I know the pub conversation about rates is mostly about anger at the headline rise — but the reliefs brought in for 2026/27 mean most pubs' actual bills moved less than the RV suggests.
What the 2026 revaluation did to pubs
| Category | Properties, England & Wales | Total RV change | Mean RV, 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pubs and pub restaurants | 39,100 | +30.2% | £40,300 |
| Pubs with lodge/rooms | 440 | +69.5% | £213,900 |
VOA 2026 compiled-list statistics, GOV.UK, 2026. As of 2026. Total RV change, not the median property change.
How the reliefs interact
A 15% relief applies to pubs and live music venues in England in 2026/27, on top of any other relief, up to the usual cash cap (HM Treasury, 'Pubs and live music venues relief', 27 January 2026).
A separate 20% relief — which adds social clubs to pubs and live music venues — was announced by the Prime Minister's office. Keep the 15% pub/live-music relief and the 20% pubs-clubs-and-live-music figure distinct: they are not simply the same relief with a bigger number (Prime Minister's Office, 'Burnham means business').
Transitional relief caps how fast a bill can rise even where the RV has gone up. For England properties above £100,000 RV, the rise is capped at 30% in 2026/27, then 25% plus inflation the following year (GOV.UK, 'Transitional relief').
From April 2027, pub bills are due to rise by no more than inflation until March 2029 (GOV.UK, 'Pubs and live music venues relief').
HM Treasury says about 75% of pubs saw their bills fall or stay flat in 2026/27 (HM Treasury, 24 August 2026).
Illustrative example — independent pub, RV £30,000 to £39,000 (not a real client)
| 2025/26 bill | £8,982 |
| 2026/27 bill before relief | £14,898 |
| After the Supporting Small Business cap | £10,329 |
| After the 15% pub relief | £8,780 |
HM Treasury worked example, 'Pubs and live music venues relief', 27 January 2026
UKHospitality's November 2025 estimates of pub bills rising 76% and hotel bills rising 115% were made before the pub reliefs existed and should never be read as a current forecast.
See also:
the pub and live music venue relief in full, and how pubs are valued on fair maintainable trade.Get help
Use the calculator to see what your bill should look like with these reliefs applied, or send us your details below and, if you'd like, we can pass them to the RICS-regulated rating firm we work with.
We're a bar owner's information site, not a surveyor. If you send this form, we may pass your details to a RICS-regulated rating firm we work with, who will contact you. They would pay us if you instruct them. You can check your valuation yourself free on the Valuation Office's service. No one can guarantee a reduction.