Tell the council for the home you’re leaving the date you move out and your new address, and register with the council for your new home from the date you move in. Your old council then sends a final bill, and if you’ve paid too much, you can claim a refund.
Telling the council you’re leaving
Each council sets out what it needs. The Royal Borough of Greenwich, for example, asks for:
- your council tax account number;
- the address you’re moving out of;
- the date you’re moving out;
- your new address.
If you’re selling, it also asks for your solicitor’s or estate agent’s details; if you’re renting, your landlord’s or managing agent’s. Greenwich asks you to keep paying until your final bill arrives, and if that means you’ve paid too much, you can claim a refund. If you get help with council tax or Housing Benefit, tell the benefits team about your move too.
Registering at your new home
At your new home, you register for council tax from the day you move in. Waverley Borough Council in Surrey, for example, asks for your moving-in date and the names of all the adults living there, and lets you choose how to pay. If you’re moving within the same council area, Waverley needs only one form to close your old account and open the new one. You can find the right council for any postcode on GOV.UK.
Check what you should pay
It’s a good moment to check your new home’s band, and whether you can pay less:
- If you live on your own, you can get 25% off your bill.
- Some people aren’t counted, such as full-time students, so a household may get 25% or 50% off.
- If you’re on a low income or get benefits, you may get Council Tax Reduction.
You need to apply for a discount; it isn’t automatic.
If your old home stays empty
If you still own or rent your old home after you move out, you’ll usually still pay council tax on it, though your council can choose to give a discount. If it stays empty for a year or more, you can be charged extra.
If there’s a gap between homes
If you leave one home before you can move into the next, your furniture can wait in a storage unit while you sort out the in-between. Get a price online or call us on 0800 2545585.
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