Some Auckland ratepayers have been getting nasty surprises when opening their newest bills for the year.

The Herald has identified a number of properties who've been overcharged, including a $3.9 million multi-unit property with an incorrect $444,766 - 11.4 percent - rates bill.

Auckland Council Group chief financial officer Ross Tucker says they process the rates bills for a huge volume of properties in Auckland.

"The best information we've got is - we think it's quite isolated...the four properties where there's been some issues are not just a single property, single house, it's ones where there's multi-units. That's one rates bill that covers multiple units."

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