What LHL Property Auditors does

LHL Property Auditors Ltd is a UK-based specialist business rates recovery firm operating on a no-win, no-fee contingency basis. Founded in 2014 and headquartered in Chippenham, Wiltshire, the firm audits business rates bills, Rating Lists, and council billing processes for UK commercial property occupiers across all sectors, identifying errors in Rateable Values, missed exemptions and reliefs, incorrect empty property charges, and unapplied discount schemes. The company positions itself as independent from rating agents, the Valuation Office Agency, and Billing Authorities, serving SMBs nationwide with field sales representatives who travel to meet clients in person alongside a remote phone/email engagement model.

The firm's core technology is a bespoke proprietary software platform that performs forensic examination of Rating Lists, compares properties against comparable assets, and integrates Valuation Office Agency rating data with Creditsafe ratepayer information. This software is operated by specialist Head Rates Analysts, Account Managers, and Case Handlers under three founding directors with 45-50+ years of combined business rates experience. The firm holds organisational membership in the Institute of Revenues Rating and Valuation (IRRV) and carries £1,000,000 of Professional Indemnity Insurance.

LHL monetises exclusively through contingency-based transaction fees calculated as a percentage of recovered funds, with no upfront charges and no fees for appointments or visits. Most engagements complete within six weeks. Since 2014 the firm reports recovering over £100 million in business rates for clients, with a stated 90%+ success rate on instructed matters. In August 2025, LHL was acquired by Ryan, a global tax services and software provider, and now operates as Ryan Property Tax Services UK Limited with approximately 25 team members integrated into Ryan's UK operations.

Name

LHL Property Auditors

Legal name

LHL Property Auditors Ltd

Website

https://lhlpa.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Acquired

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

LHL Property Auditors is a UK specialist firm that audits business rates bills on a no-win, no-fee basis to recover overpayments for commercial property occupiers, using bespoke rating-list analysis software and director-led expertise across all UK business sectors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Business Rates Recovery Services

akta.pro primary industry

Appraisal Review & Quality Assurance Services (BPAJAKAN)

akta.pro secondary industry

Real Estate Valuation & Appraisal (BPAHANAC)

Keywords

• Business rates recovery
• Property tax audit
• Rates relief claims
• No-win no-fee audit
• Commercial rates refund

Headquarters

HQ city

Chippenham

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Business Rates Recovery Services: Contingency-based revenue model where fees are calculated as a percentage of recovered funds. No upfront charges; payment only triggered once client receives refund. Services provided on no-win no-fee basis.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

LHL Property Auditors is a UK-based specialist firm that audits commercial business rates bills to identify billing errors and overcharges. The company recovers refunds and rate reductions on behalf of businesses on a contingency (no-win, no-fee) basis, reviewing both the billing side and the rating side of the rates bill, and pursuing backdated refunds where applicable.

Product overview

LHL Property Auditors operates as a specialist business rates recovery service, not a traditional software product. Their core offering is a Business Rates Recovery Audit that uses bespoke software and expert knowledge of business rates legislation and case law to identify billing errors, incorrect Rateable Values, and missed relief opportunities. The service comprises two main components: Billing Side Review (checking council charges, discount schemes, and empty period handling) and Rating Side Review (auditing Rateable Values and property valuation accuracy). All work is conducted on a no-win, no-fee basis, with refunds typically recovered within 6 weeks for standard cases. Since 2014, the company has helped clients recover over £100 million in business rates.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Business Rates Recovery Audit End-to-end audit of a client's business rates bills to identify errors, recover overpayments, and secure backdated refunds. Targeted at UK businesses occupying commercial property.

Quantifiable outcome

• £100 million+ saved for clients over 10 years
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Ryan (Global Tax Services and Software Provider)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 2025Ryan, a global tax services and software provider, acquired LHL Property Auditors Ltd in August 2025. The acquisition added 25 team members and established a new Ryan office in Chippenham, Wiltshire. LHL now operates under Ryan Property Tax Services UK Limited, enhancing Ryan's consulting services and client value in property tax recovery.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• CVS (Commercial Valuers & Surveyors): UK specialist in business rates mitigation and rating appeals for commercial property occupiers. Directly comparable to LHL in target customers (UK ratepayers), service (rateable value audits and backdated refunds), and no-win no-fee or contingency-style engagements.
• Bruton Knowles: UK chartered surveyors with a dedicated business rates and rating advisory practice serving commercial property owners and occupiers. Comparable to LHL in that both audit rating assessments and pursue reductions/refunds, though Bruton Knowles also handles wider property consultancy.
• Harris Lamb: Mid-market UK property consultancy with a dedicated rating department that secures business rates reductions and appeals for occupiers. Closely comparable in target market (UK commercial ratepayers) and service mix (rating list challenges and refund recovery).
• Altus Group: Global property tax consultancy with significant UK business rates practice serving commercial property owners, investors, and occupiers. Comparable in property tax advisory and rating services, with broader scale and cross-border capability.
• Edward Symmons: Long-established UK firm specializing in business rates mitigation and rating appeals for commercial occupiers. Directly comparable in core service (rating audit and refund recovery) and SMB/mid-market client focus.

Broad incumbents

• Gerald Eve: Major UK real estate consultancy with a substantial business rates advisory team serving institutional landlords and corporate occupiers. Overlaps with LHL on rating services, but operates at a larger scale and as part of a broader property advisory portfolio.
• Knight Frank: Global real estate consultancy with a UK rating and business rates team handling complex and high-value assessments. Comparable in rating services but at much larger scale and typically engaged by institutional rather than SMB clients.
• Lambert Smith Hampton: UK commercial property consultancy offering business rates mitigation and rating appeals within a wider investment, agency, and management portfolio. Overlaps with LHL on rating recovery but serves a more institutional client base.
• Montagu Evans: UK property consultancy with a business rates and rating advisory practice serving commercial owners and occupiers. Comparable rating services as part of broader real estate advisory.
• Carter Jonas: National UK property consultancy with business rates advisory across rural, commercial, and residential portfolios. Overlaps with LHL on rating mitigation for commercial ratepayers, but operates across a much broader property services portfolio.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about LHL Property Auditors