A surprising number of people forget to keep their details up-to-date after a house move. Employer details, council tax and even online shopping information can remain incorrect for weeks or months. These mistakes are easy to make, but potentially costly.

Moving house is one or two days of heavy lifting, seven days of trying to remember where you put the TV remote and then an apparent lifetime of letting the relevant people know you’ve got a new address. There’s a lot to do and it feels like there’s not a lot of time to do it. The best approach is to be methodical; there are certain things you can’t take care of until you’ve sorted something else.

Council tax is one of the most important notifications you need to do because you don’t want to be paying tax for an address at which you no longer live.

 

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Moving House – Council Tax Change of Address

You can get this one sorted prior to moving house. Simply visit the relevant page on your council’s website (see directory below to find your local council’s change of address page) and let them know the date on which you’ll be vacating your current property and moving into your new one.

It’s important to note that if the property you currently live in is your own and will be vacant after your departure, you still need to pay council tax. However, this will be at a reduced rate. If you’re vacating a rented property, you are no longer responsible for the council tax at that address.

*See below for full directory of council tax house move resources and change of address notification pages. 

What happens with council tax when I move house?

In most cases, your council will send you a final bill which they’ll take as a monthly payment, plus they’ll also send you a statement. They will then send you a new annual bill for the property to which you’ve moved. Unless you move at the start of your council’s financial year, this will be prorated to reflect what is left to pay. If you will be paying council tax to the same council as prior to your to your move, you can normally carry on with the same Direct Debit arrangement. If you’re moving to a new council area, you’ll need to set up a new account and begin as a new customer.

Remember, you need to advise both councils – the one collecting the tax where you currently live and the one collecting the tax where you’re moving to – about your change of address. You may be fined if you fail to notify your council tax department of a change in address.

Moving House Checklist – Other things to Sort Out

So you’ve told your council about a change of address; here are some other essential things you need to take care of. 

Driving licence change of address

Changing the address on your driving license is surprisingly easy nowadays. If you’ve got a recent passport, you won’t even need to send off a new photo. Renew your driving license here.

Workplace

No doubt colleagues and work friends will know you’re moving, but your HR department will have a process for logging new addresses. You can typically notify your employer of a change in address by filling out the form on your payslip.

Bank

Even if you’ve got online banking and paperless statements, your bank still needs to know where you live for anti-fraud reasons. Most banks require you attend a branch in person, with I.D and proof of residence (a utility bill, mortgage statement or tenancy agreement) before they’ll let you change the address on your account. If you don’t change your bank address, you may experience problems paying for things with your debit card online and you also leave yourself open to fraud and identify theft.

Doctor

You don’t have to let your current doctor know you’re moving – your new doctor will write to them to request your medical records – but most practices would appreciate being notified so they can manage patient numbers more effectively.

Insurance companies

Another important one, especially if you’re transferring car, home and contents cover. Most insurance companies let you do this online. Before notifying them, get a selection of quotes for cover at your new address. You may find that you can save money (or at least minimise the increases) by switching provider. Your insurer will most likely prorate what is left to pay and add it to your final bill, plus any cancellation fees.

Utility providers change of address

This should be one of the first things you change. It’s wise to shop around for a better deal at this stage too, as different utility providers have different tariffs in certain areas. Since you’re having to change address anyway, you might as well check to see if there’s a better deal.

Post Office change of address

You can set up mail redirection for approximately £30 per year. This means all mail addressed to you at your old address goes straight to your new address. But do be aware, this only covers your name. If you and an unmarried partner or housemate are both moving out, you’ll need separate mail redirection. You can set it all up on the Post Office’s website. 

TV Licensing change of address

You should tell TV Licensing of a change in address, but you will not typically need to renew or alter your license, unless you won’t be watching live television at your new address. You can tell TV Licensing about your new circumstances here.

HMRC change of address

For obvious reasons, HMRC are pretty good at keeping up-to-date with where you live. They often share data with local authorities, so you may notice that they update their files before you notify them of a change of address, but it’s best to be proactive. You can change your address by logging into your online HMRC account.

Child benefits agency change of address

Once you’ve told HMRC you’re moving, they tend to update all relevant records, although you can make sure things move quicker by doing everything yourself. You can update your details on the official website here.

Council Tax Change of Address – Useful Links

Below is a list of links to each UK council’s council tax change of address page. Find your council here and inform them of your new address in seconds.