VICTORIA – Consistent with past years, less than two per cent of B.C. property owners appealed their 2019 property assessments.
"With over 2 million properties in British Columbia, many property owners are using our website to review the market sale comparisons and property information we provide," says BC Assessment Assessor Tina Ireland. "Clearly, the vast majority of homeowners agree with their 2019 assessments."
Year over year, more than 98 per cent of property owners consistently accept their property assessments without filing an appeal.
A total of 32,180 property assessments or 1.6 per cent of all properties in British Columbia were appealed for 2019.
| Appeal Rates | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
Total Number of Properties Appealed | 32,180 | 25,270 | 27,903 | 23,354 | 22,296 |
| % of Total Properties Appealed from Total Property Count* | 1.6% | 1.3% | 1.4% | 1.2% | 1.1% |
*Total number of properties in British Columbia is 2,067,479 million.
"The 2019 appeal rate is up slightly this year but in line with past trends of less than two per cent," says Ireland. "The relative stability in appeal rates speaks to BC Assessment's consistency in providing fair and accurate property assessments, particularly in moderating markets with a real mix of value changes."
"Appeal rates across the province vary depending on the local market and property type," adds Ireland. "About 99 per cent of both single detached home and condominium homeowners did not dispute their 2019 assessments."
One per cent (or 12,357 properties) out of a total 1,251,256 single detached homes and 1.16 per cent (or 6,117 properties) out of a total of 527,875 strata homes were appealed for 2019.
Total number of 2019 residential property appeals by region, as compared to 2018 and 2017:
Region | Single Family Detached Homes | | | Residential Strata Units (e.g. Condominiums) | | |
| | 2019
Appeals | 2018
Appeals | 2017 Appeals | 2019
Appeals | 2018
Appeals | 2017 Appeals |
| Greater Vancouver | 1,734 | 1,218 | 3,536 | 3,117 | 2,331 | 2,043 |
| Fraser Valley | 3,255 | 1,737 | 4,702 | 1,610 | 1,355 | 844 |
| Vancouver Island | 3,193 | 2,577 | 2,585 | 602 | 333 | 327 |
| Thompson-Okanagan | 1,657 | 1,501 | 1,529 | 345 | 393 | 324 |
| Kootenay Columbia | 1,102 | 808 | 687 | 269 | 252 | 357 |
Northern B.C. | 1,416 | 962 | 796 | 174 | 232 | 294 |
The deadline to appeal 2019 property assessments was January 31. Independent Property Assessment Review Panels met to consider appeals between February 1 and March 15, 2019.
BC Assessment values over 2 million properties in nine separate property classes. After revisions by the Property Assessment Review Panels, the final value of all real estate on the annual provincial Assessment Roll is approximately $1.99 trillion for 2019, an increase of about 7.1 per cent from the 2018 revised roll total of $1.85 trillion.
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