Pictured above: David Rainsford

Small businesses and landlords in the Midlands can make big cash savings if they ensure that their properties stay occupied and they qualify for small business rate relief, according to rating experts at the Birmingham office of national commercial property consultancy Lambert Smith Hampton (LSH).

The Government has extended the holiday for small business rate relief until September 2012. The measure also doubles the usual rate of relief so that premises with rateable values below £6000 attract no rates at all. But the benefit of this could be lost if the property is empty, meaning it attracts the controversial empty property rates.

David Rainsford, Head of Rates Management in the Birmingham office of LSH said, "This is a case of Government giving with one hand and taking away with another. But if landlords and occupiers are smart, they can end up paying no rates at all."

He added, "The previous Government's empty property rates, left in place and increased by the current administration, are potentially devastating in terms of business costs. Under current legislation commercial buildings which remain empty for more than three months - or six months for industrial property - are subject to 100 per cent rates liability. The threshold for exemption fell in April from a rateable value of £18,000 to £2,600.

"However, if landlords and occupiers ensure that a property is occupied they can take advantage of small business rate relief, which has been extended until 30 September 2012. This can help companies meet the costs of remaining in their premises for a further year at least," he said.

For more information about Lambert Smith Hampton, please visit their website here: www.lsh.co.uk