Estate agents and letting agencies forced to close due to the coronavirus outbreak will pay no business rates for the 2020-21 financial year.
The government has announced the move along with the same measure for bingo halls.
The government specified that eligible businesses will be re-billed with the updated discount, and refunded by the relevant local authority if payments have already been made.
The change comes after NAEA Propertymark, a leading professional body for estate agency personnel in the UK, campaigned for the inclusion of high street estate agents in the exemption.
“We are pleased to see that the Government has listened and acknowledged the concerns from many estate and letting agencies across the country,” Mark Hayward, chief executive of NAEA Propertymark, said.
“This is a real boost in uncertain times and will assist all businesses that are finding it difficult to operate in the current environment.”
