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Who Do You Need to Tell When You Move House?

When you move rented home, tell your council (for Council Tax), the electoral register, DVLA, HMRC, any benefits office, your energy and water suppliers, TV Licensing, your GP, your bank and your deposit scheme. Some carry penalties: DVLA can fine you up to £1,000 if you do not tell it your new address.

This page is the who-to-tell list. For what to check on the day you move in, see the moving into a rented home checklist. For leaving costs such as cleaning and van hire, see the cost of moving out guide.

The checklist at a glance

Who Why When
Council Council Tax at old and new home Before you leave and when you arrive
Electoral register Your vote follows your address When you move
DVLA (GB) Driving licence and V5C log book When you move (free)
HMRC Income Tax, National Insurance, Child Benefit After you’ve moved
Universal Credit or other benefits Housing costs and payments Straight away
Energy suppliers Final bill and new account At least 48 hours before
TV Licensing Licence address Up to 3 months before

Government and official bodies

  • Your council. Council Tax is billed by address. Citizens Advice (England) says to contact everyone you pay, including for Council Tax, and give them the date you’re leaving. In Scotland, mygov.scot says to tell your council when you move into or out of a property, and to cancel your account for the old one. Read bills when renting for who pays and the discounts.
  • Electoral register. GOV.UK says you’ll need to register again if you change address. It usually takes about 5 minutes online. MoneyHelper warns that if you don’t update it, you could miss your chance to vote.
  • DVLA (England, Scotland and Wales). GOV.UK says you must update your driving licence when you move, and you must update your vehicle log book (V5C). It is free. GOV.UK says: “You can be fined up to £1,000 if you do not tell DVLA when your address changes.” A new licence should arrive within a week if you apply online. Contact DVLA if your new V5C has not arrived 4 weeks after you apply.
  • Driving licence in Northern Ireland. Licences are handled by the Driver & Vehicle Agency (DVA). nidirect says you must tell the DVA immediately of a change of address.
  • HMRC. Wait until you’ve moved, then update your address in your personal tax account. This covers Income Tax, National Insurance, Child Benefit and State Pension.
  • Universal Credit and other benefits. Moving to a new address and your rent going up or down are changes you must report. For Universal Credit, report it in your online account. If you get Housing Benefit, tell your local council. GOV.UK says your claim might be stopped or reduced if you don’t report a change straight away, you may have to repay an overpayment, and you might have to pay a £50 penalty. Our renting on Universal Credit guide has more.

Bills, services and money

  • Gas and electricity. Citizens Advice (England) says to give at least 48 hours’ notice before you move. Take meter readings when you leave and keep a note of the readings and dates. Give a forwarding address. The old supplier should send your final bill within 6 weeks, and you’ll have 28 days to pay. At the new home, contact the current supplier to say you’ve moved in.
  • Water. Tell your water company at both ends. MoneyHelper links to Water UK to find your local supplier. In Scotland, water and waste charges are billed alongside Council Tax.
  • TV Licensing. Change the address on your licence. TV Licensing says you can do this up to three months before you move. If you won’t move in straight away, you can tell it the new property is empty.
  • Banks, cards and loans. MoneyHelper lists current accounts, savings, credit cards and loans, plus your employer. Updating them helps confidential post reach you.
  • Insurers. MoneyHelper says policies might not cover you after you change address, so tell your insurer before you move. Some insurers charge an admin fee. See contents insurance for tenants.

Health, post and your deposit

  • GP (England). If you’re staying with the same surgery, tell it your new address. If you’re moving out of the area, register with a new surgery. The NHS says you do not need ID or proof of address to register.
  • Royal Mail redirection. This sends post from your old address to the new one for 3, 6 or 12 months. Redirected mail is processed as second class. It is a paid service, and people on Universal Credit or Pension Credit can get a concessionary price. Check the current price on Royal Mail’s site when you order.
  • Your deposit scheme. Make sure your landlord or agent and the deposit scheme have your current email, phone number and new address. TDS says contacting the tenant at the end of the tenancy is vital to return the deposit, and out-of-date details can cause delays. See when do you get your deposit back.

Worked example (fictional)

Priya is moving from one rented flat in England to another on Saturday 7 November. She drives and claims Universal Credit. Here is a fictional plan using the timings above.

When Who she tells
Mid October TV Licensing (within 3 months of the move), insurer
By Thursday 5 November Energy suppliers (at least 48 hours’ notice), water company, council, bank
Saturday 7 November Meter readings at both flats; new home’s energy supplier
From Saturday 7 November Universal Credit account, DVLA (licence and V5C), HMRC, electoral register, GP, deposit scheme

Telling the energy suppliers by Thursday 5 November, at the same time of day as the move, gives exactly 48 hours’ notice before Saturday 7 November. Earlier is safer.

Budget for the move

Most of these updates are free. The costs come from removals, overlap rent and a new deposit. Use the moving house cost calculator to add up what your move will cost.

Sources

This guide is general information, not legal or financial advice. Report a possible error.