- Home
- Free property estimate
- Municipal valuation
City of Cape Town municipal valuation vs market value
Your rates bill shows a municipal value. It is not what your home would sell for today. Here is what it is, why the two differ, and how to find your market value.
By Samantha, Sellect · Updated 21 October 2026 · MethodWhat the municipal valuation is
A value set by the City, for rates
The City of Cape Town values every property in the metro in a general valuation and publishes the result in its valuation roll. Your property rates are calculated from that municipal value.
Fixed on a valuation date
Each general valuation reflects the market on its own valuation date. The value on your bill stays the same until the next general valuation, while the market keeps moving.
Why your market value is not your municipal value
The market has moved
Prices change between the valuation date and the day you sell. In active areas the gap can be large.
No one visited your home
A general valuation values hundreds of thousands of properties with models, not inspections. A new kitchen, a renovation or the view from your floor may not be in it.
A different purpose
The municipal value spreads the rates burden fairly across the city. A market value is what a buyer would pay for your home, now.
What homes actually sell for against their municipal value
- Atlantic Seaboard975 sales · 83 % sold above the municipal value+24 %
- City Bowl372 sales · 77 % sold above the municipal value+20 %
Sales registered after 1 July 2025 with a known 2025 municipal value, City of Cape Town records analysed by Sellect.
Where to look up each value
On the City of Cape Town website
Your rates account shows your municipal value. You can also search the valuation roll on the City of Cape Town website: search for “valuation roll” and enter your property details.
Your free Sellect estimate
A value range built from the sales registered around your address, cross-checked with the municipal value where we have it, in 60 seconds. Free, and no agent will call you.
Get your real market valueFrequently asked questions
What is the municipal valuation of my property?
It is the value the City of Cape Town gives your property in its general valuation, published in the valuation roll. It is used to calculate your property rates.
Is the municipal value the price my house will sell for?
No. It reflects the market on the valuation date and is produced with mass valuation models for the whole metro. Your sale price depends on today’s market and on your home itself.
Where can I check my municipal value?
On your rates account, or by searching the valuation roll on the City of Cape Town website.
How do I find the market value of my home?
Start with a free Sellect estimate, built from registered sales around your address. For a written valuation, a partner agent can visit.
Get your real market value
Enter your address: a value range from the registered sales around you, in 60 seconds.