What is a municipal valuation roll?

The list of every property in a municipality with the market value the municipal valuer gave it on the date of valuation. Rates are charged on those values until the next roll.

Why is my municipal value lower than market value?

The roll values every property as at a fixed date, often a year or more before the roll takes effect, and stays in force for several years while prices move.

How do I find my property's municipal value?

Search your City's valuation roll online, or type the address into ErfCheck: the value is included in the R99 report for Cape Town, Johannesburg, Tshwane and Ekurhuleni.

Can my objection increase my valuation?

Yes. The valuer can confirm, reduce or increase the value, so check the evidence first: if recent sales are above the roll value, an objection can backfire.

What if I missed the objection deadline?

Wait for the next supplementary roll if your property has changed, or ask the valuations office about correcting an error of fact on your entry. Late objections are at the City's discretion.

Guides

Municipal valuations: what they are, how rates follow, and how to object

Every municipality values each property on a general valuation roll under the Municipal Property Rates Act (6 of 2004). Your property rates are a percentage of that value, so a value that is too high costs you every month until the next roll.

Check a property's municipal value

Free: erf number, township, last registered sale and imagery. No owner names.

Valuation rolls by metro: Cape Town · Johannesburg · Tshwane (Pretoria) · Ekurhuleni · Nelson Mandela Bay (Gqeberha) · Durban (eThekwini).

Municipal value vs market value

The roll value is the municipal valuer's estimate of what the property would have sold for on one fixed day, the date of valuation, worked out by mass appraisal across the whole city. It is not today's market value, not a bank valuation and not what an estate agent would list it for. Because a roll stays in force for several years, a roll value often sits below current prices late in its life.

How rates are calculated

Annual rates = (municipal value − residential exclusion) × rate in the rand.

The rate in the rand is set by the council in each year's budget and applies from 1 July. Each category (residential, business, vacant land, agricultural) has its own rate.
Most metros exclude the first part of a residential value from rates; the amount is in the City's rates policy, and pensioners and low-income owners can apply for further rebates.

Illustration (made-up tariff, not any city's): a home valued at R2 000 000, with a R300 000 exclusion and a rate of 0.006 in the rand, pays (R2 000 000 − R300 000) × 0.006 = R10 200 a year, or R850 a month. Cut the value to R1 700 000 and the bill drops to R8 400.

General and supplementary rolls

A general roll revalues every property. Between general rolls the City publishes supplementary rolls for properties that changed: new buildings, extensions, subdivisions, rezoning and corrections. Each roll opens its own objection period, announced in a public notice.

How to object

Object during the period in the City's notice, on the City's form, one property per objection.
Give reasons and evidence for the value you think is right: registered sales of similar properties near the date of valuation, your own recent purchase price, or physical facts the valuer got wrong (extent, number of rooms, condition).
Keep paying rates on the current value while the objection is decided; the account is adjusted if the value changes.
If you disagree with the outcome, you can appeal to the valuation appeal board; the decision letter explains how and by when.

The R99 report compares the roll value with every recent registered sale on the street or in the scheme and tells you plainly whether the gap is worth contesting.

Questions

What is a municipal valuation roll?: The list of every property in a municipality with the market value the municipal valuer gave it on the date of valuation. Rates are charged on those values until the next roll.
Why is my municipal value lower than market value?: The roll values every property as at a fixed date, often a year or more before the roll takes effect, and stays in force for several years while prices move.
How do I find my property's municipal value?: Search your City's valuation roll online, or type the address into ErfCheck: the value is included in the R99 report for Cape Town, Johannesburg, Tshwane and Ekurhuleni.
Can my objection increase my valuation?: Yes. The valuer can confirm, reduce or increase the value, so check the evidence first: if recent sales are above the roll value, an objection can backfire.
What if I missed the objection deadline?: Wait for the next supplementary roll if your property has changed, or ask the valuations office about correcting an error of fact on your entry. Late objections are at the City's discretion.