Council Tax When You Move House

Council tax when you move house

When you move house, tell the council you are leaving your moving-out date and register with the council you are joining from your moving-in date. The old council sends a final bill and refunds any credit. If you now live alone, apply for the 25% single person discount at the new address.

Written by the Sal Removals team, Kingsbury NW9
Last checked 22 September 2026

Who do you tell about council tax when you move?

Two councils, not one: the council for the home you are leaving and the council for the home you are moving into. The old council needs your moving-out date so it can close the account and send a final bill. The new council needs your moving-in date so it can open an account and bill you from the right day.

If both addresses are in the same borough, Brent and Harrow both handle it on a single moving home form. It is still two dates, so give both.

Council tax sits alongside a few other changes of address that catch people out, all listed on our moving house checklist.

When to tell the council you are moving

As soon as your dates are fixed. Some councils only accept the online form close to the move. Brent, for example, asks you to use its online account once you are at the new address or your moving-in date is less than 28 days away (Brent Council, register or tell us you are moving).

If your completion date moves after you have told the council, report the new date. Harrow Council has a separate evidence form for changed plans, and warns that moving before the dates you reported can leave you liable at both properties.

What the council will ask for

The details vary slightly by borough, but Brent’s list is typical:

your current address and postcode, and the address you are moving to
the date you move out and the date you move in
the full names of everyone over 16 living with you
if you rent: the tenancy start or end date and your landlord or managing agent’s details
if you own: the completion date, any joint owner’s details and your solicitor
a forwarding address, so the old council can send the final bill
bank details, if you want to pay the new council by Direct Debit

Have your existing council tax reference number ready. In Harrow it is a 7 or 8 digit number on any council tax letter.

Final bills and refunds

Once you tell the old council you are leaving, it closes your account and sends a final bill up to your moving-out date. If you have paid more than you owed, Brent transfers the credit to your new account (when you are staying in the borough) or refunds it. Harrow asks you to keep paying until the closing bill arrives and then claim any overpayment back.

If a refund does not arrive automatically, gov.uk’s advice is to contact your local council (gov.uk, paying your council tax bill).

At the new address, expect the first bill quickly: Brent says within 10 working days of registering, and Harrow within 21 days for a move. Council tax is usually split into 10 monthly payments, and you can ask to spread it over 12 instead.

The single person discount

A full council tax bill assumes at least two adults live in the home. If you are the only adult at your new address, you get 25% off. You also get 25% off if everyone else living with you is disregarded, which includes full-time students, under 18s and some apprentices and carers. If everyone in the home is disregarded, the discount is 50%, and a household of only full-time students does not pay at all (gov.uk, who has to pay council tax).

None of this is automatic: gov.uk says you need to apply for a discount, so apply to the new council once you have registered. If you receive a discount by mistake, you must tell the council, which may ask you to pay it back, and you could be fined if you do not.

Finding your new council and band

Enter the new postcode at gov.uk/find-local-council to see which council covers it. Near a borough boundary, check rather than assume.

Your bill depends on the property’s valuation band and your council’s charge for that band. Check the band at gov.uk/council-tax-bands before you move so the first bill is not a surprise. If you think the band is wrong, you can challenge it through the Valuation Office.

The other changes of address to make

Council tax and the electoral roll are separate, so registering for one does not register you for the other. Our guide to changing your electoral roll address covers why it matters for credit checks. You also need to update your driving licence, and a Royal Mail redirection catches post while you work through the rest. Your passport does not need changing, as our page on passport address change when you move explains.

Moving within North London or out to Hertfordshire? Our house removals include packing and furniture dismantling, so moving day is one date you do not have to manage alone.

Call 020 3475 0377 or get a free quote.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to tell the council when I move house?

Yes, both councils. Tell the council you are leaving so it can close your account and send a final bill, and register with the council at your new address so it can open one. If both homes are in the same borough, one moving home form usually covers it.

What information does the council need when I move?

Your old and new addresses, your moving date, and the names of the adults living with you. Renters are asked for tenancy dates and landlord details, owners for the completion date and solicitor. Brent, for example, also asks for bank details if you want to pay by Direct Debit.

Will I get a council tax refund when I move out?

If you have paid past your moving-out date, yes. The old council works out a final bill to that date and refunds any credit or moves it to your new account. Keep paying until the final bill arrives, then claim back anything overpaid.

Can I get a single person discount after moving?

If you are the only adult living at the new address, you can get 25% off your council tax. It is not automatic: you need to apply to the new council. The same 25% applies if everyone else living with you is disregarded, for example full-time students.

How do I find which council my new address is in?

Enter the postcode at gov.uk/find-local-council, which names the council and links to its website. Near a borough boundary, check rather than assume. You can also look up the property's valuation band at gov.uk/council-tax-bands before you move.

Do I pay council tax on two homes when I move?

You can be, if the dates are wrong. Each council bills you from the dates you give it, and Harrow warns that moving before the dates you reported can leave you liable at both properties. Tell each council the real dates, and report any change if your move slips.