Growing numbers of Kent residents are trying to secure reductions in their council tax bills by appealing for their home to be placed in lower property bands.

Statistics disclosed under the Freedom of Information Act indicate that more than 3,000 householders in Kent and Medway have disputed the council tax band for their home in the last three years, with the numbers rising each year.

The figures show a rising trend in both Kent and Medway.

In 2005-06, there were 830 appeals but that rose to 1,278 in 2007-2008, an increase of nearly 450. Of those, 874 resulted in properties being placed in less expensive bands.

In 2007-2008, 2,193 new homes in Kent were given a valuation for council tax purposes and and appeals were lodged in more than half of those cases.

One reason for the increase is likely to be the credit crunch, with many struggling with household bills looking for ways to cut their outgoings. It might also be because of the number of new houses being built in the county.

Council tax bills are set according to which property band homes fall into, ranging from property valued at £40,000 or less at the bottom of the scale to £320,000 at the top.

The higher the band your home is in, the more you pay. Appeals can be made by any new council taxpayer in a property but have to be lodged within six months.

Residents can appeal if they believe the valuation is wrong or where the property has been changed, for example by demolishing or extending it.

But it seems people in Kent do not have the best prospects when it comes to appeals, which are decided by independent tribunals administered by the Valuation Office Agency (VOA).

Our analysis of the figures provided by the VOA shows that over the three-year period, only about one in four appeals in Kent proved successful while national figures for the same period show that about one in three appeals have succeeded.

Appeals can also result in residents facing even higher council tax bills. In two cases last year, householders were told their homes needed to be placed in higher bands.