How your property rates bill is made up

What your property rates bill consists of

Your property rates bill consists of three parts:

• a Uniform Annual General Charge - UAGC (fixed charge)
• a general rate
• targeted rates.

Uniform Annual General Charge (UAGC)

The Uniform Annual General Charge is a fixed charge applied to every separately used or inhabited part (SUIP) of a property.

This means if you have a home with a flat, unit, additional or minor dwelling, you will pay two fixed charges.

General rate

The general rate is based on:

• your property's capital value
• how you use the property (residential, business, farm, short-term accommodation)
• whether your property's location is urban or rural.

The general rate funds a range of services we provide, such as:

• libraries
• pools and parks
• public transport
• roads and footpaths
• stormwater.

Types of properties we use to calculate the general rate

• Urban residential.
• Urban business.
• Rural business.
• Rural residential.
• Farm and lifestyle properties.
• No road access properties.
• Zero-rated properties (includes uninhabited islands and some land used by religious organisations).
• Urban moderate-occupancy online accommodation provider.
• Rural moderate-occupancy online accommodation provider.
• Urban medium-occupancy online accommodation provider.
• Rural medium-occupancy online accommodation provider.

Changes to Urban Rating Area

In 2021/2022 we changed the definition of the Urban Rating Area (URA). It now includes all land within the Rural Urban Boundary, except land zoned future urban and Warkworth.

Farm and lifestyle properties within the URA are now considered urban residential. These properties will have their rates set on the same basis as properties with similar access to council services and facilities.

Targeted rates

Targeted rates pay for specific services or projects and can be set generally across all ratepayers or to specific ratepayers in certain areas.

Current targeted rates include:

• natural environment – funding kauri dieback, and predator and weed control
• water quality – funding stormwater and waterway projects
• climate action– funding public transport, walking and cycling, and tree planting, to support climate action goals
• waste management – funding rubbish, recycling, food scraps and inorganic collections
• repayment of financial assistance (for example, the Retrofit Your Home scheme - closed to new applicants)
• free adult entry to swimming pools in the Māngere-Ōtāhuhu and Ōtara-Papatoetoe local board areas
• swimming pool fencing inspection targeted rate for owners of swimming/spa pools
• local or business targeted rates
• electricity network resilience - charged to Vector to pay for tree trimming around their power lines
• septic tank pump-outs in the Waitākere Local Board area
• Rodney drainage districts.

Rating maps

Some ratepayers pay more or less in general rates than others with the same value property. We define the categories using location and land use.

Business and residential properties located within the urban rating area pay higher urban rates while properties located outside the urban rating area pay lower rural rates.

Some properties in special areas might also need to pay a targeted rate such as:

• Business Improvement Districts
• City Centre Targeted rate
• Food Scraps Targeted rate
• Waitākere Rural Sewerage rate
• Rodney Drainage District targeted rate

See Annual Budget 2023/2024 for how we currently apply these rates.

Get a copy of the current rating maps