Who to Notify When Moving House in the UK: The Complete List

When you move house in the UK, the organisations you must tell are your council (for Council Tax, or Land & Property Services for rates in Northern Ireland), the electoral register, DVLA (or the DVA in Northern Ireland) for your driving licence and vehicle, and HMRC. After that come your energy and water suppliers, broadband, TV Licensing, banks, insurers, employer, GP and — if you have pets — your pet’s microchip database.

The table below is the full list, with when to do each one. If you’d rather have it tailored to your own move — renting or buying, which UK nation, children, pets, a car — the free moving planner builds your personal list and lets you tick each one off.

The quick list

Who to tell	When	How
Royal Mail redirection	At least 5 working days before you move	Royal Mail or a Post Office
Council (Council Tax or NI rates)	As soon as you know your moving date	Your local council — old and new
Energy supplier	At least 48 hours before you move	Your supplier, with meter readings on moving day
Water company	Before you move	Your current and new water company
Broadband	As soon as you know your date	Your provider — see moving house broadband
TV Licensing	Up to 3 months before you move	Online
Electoral register	After you move	Register to vote
DVLA — driving licence	After you move	Online, free (NI: DVA)
DVLA — vehicle log book (V5C)	After you move	Online, free
HMRC	After you move	One online update
Banks, cards, loans, mortgage	Around moving day	Online banking or your app
Insurers and pensions	Before you move (home and car), then the rest	Each provider
Employer	Around moving day	HR or payroll
GP, dentist, optician	After you move	Your surgery, or register locally
Vet and pet microchip	After you move	Your vet and microchip database

Government and council

Council Tax — or rates in Northern Ireland

Tell your council your moving date so your bills stop and start on the right day. GOV.UK’s guidance for England and Wales says to tell your local council, or the council for the new area you’re moving to. If you’re moving between council areas, it’s worth telling both. You can find either council with GOV.UK’s council finder.

• Scotland: for most homes, Council Tax is billed alongside water and waste charges, so telling your council covers those too.
• Northern Ireland: there’s no Council Tax. Homes pay domestic rates, billed by Land & Property Services (LPS). nidirect advises telling LPS immediately when you move — otherwise you might get a rate bill for the home you’ve left.

Electoral register

You need to register to vote again when you change address. It takes about five minutes online and covers England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. You’ll be asked for your National Insurance number, but you can register without one. Being on the register at your new address can also help when lenders check your identity.

DVLA: driving licence and vehicle log book

These are two separate updates — changing one doesn’t change the other.

• Driving licence (GB): update it online for free. GOV.UK warns you can be fined up to £1,000 if you don’t tell DVLA when your address changes.
• Vehicle log book (V5C): update it online. The same fine of up to £1,000 applies. If the new log book hasn’t arrived within four weeks, contact DVLA.
• Northern Ireland driving licences are issued by the Driver & Vehicle Agency, so update your address with the DVA. Vehicle log books are still handled by DVLA.

If you pay vehicle tax by Direct Debit, check the address is updated there too.

HMRC

One online update to HMRC changes your address for Income Tax, National Insurance, Child Benefit and State Pension. Business taxes are updated separately.

Benefits

If you get Universal Credit or other benefits, moving is a change you need to report. GOV.UK explains who to tell depending on which benefits you get. The process is different in Northern Ireland — check nidirect.

Student loan

If you’re repaying a student loan, update your details in your online account. GOV.UK says you might be charged a higher interest rate or build up arrears if your details aren’t up to date.

Home and utilities

Gas and electricity

Citizens Advice says to give your supplier at least 48 hours’ notice before you move. Then:

1. Take meter readings at both homes on moving day — photograph them with the date.
2. Send your final readings to your old supplier. If they owe you money, they must refund you within 10 working days of sending your final bill.
3. Contact the supplier at your new home with your first readings. Until you choose a tariff you’ll be on a “deemed contract” — usually their standard variable rate — so it’s a good moment to compare.
4. Prepayment meter at the new home? Contact the supplier before topping up, so you don’t pay off the previous occupant’s debt.

Water

Tell the water company for the home you’re leaving, and the one for your new home if it’s different. In Scotland, water charges for most homes are collected with Council Tax.

Broadband, phone and TV

Broadband is the one to start earliest — new connections can need an engineer. Our moving house broadband guide covers what to do before and after.

TV Licence

Your TV Licence doesn’t move automatically. TV Licensing lets you update your address online up to three months before you move — you’ll need your licence number, surname and the postcode on the licence.

Money

• Banks and building societies — current accounts, savings and ISAs.
• Credit cards, loans, car finance and your mortgage lender. Lenders use your address for identity checks, so keep it up to date.
• Insurance: home and contents (move the policy before moving day and check cover while your things are in transit), car (your premium can change with your postcode), pet, life, health and travel.
• Pensions: workplace and private pensions. Your State Pension address is covered by the HMRC update above.
• Premium Bonds, investments and shares.

Health, family and pets

• GP: if you’re moving out of your surgery’s area, register with a new one. Use the finder for your nation: NHS (England), NHS inform (Scotland), NHS 111 Wales or nidirect (Northern Ireland). If you’re staying local, just update your address.
• Dentist and optician — so recall letters reach you.
• Schools and nursery — including emergency contact details.
• Vet — and the pet microchip database. Keeping microchip details up to date is a legal requirement for dogs across the UK, and for cats in England.

Work

Tell your employer so payslips, your P60 and pension letters reach you. If you’re self-employed, your HMRC update covers Income Tax — but check any business registrations separately.

Post: Royal Mail redirection

Redirection catches post from anyone you forget. Royal Mail recommends booking at least five working days before you move. You can redirect for 3, 6 or 12 months, and Royal Mail’s prices start from £45 — the price depends on how long you choose and how many people’s post you redirect. There are lower prices if you get Universal Credit or Pension Credit. Book directly with Royal Mail or at a Post Office.

Don’t forget the smaller ones

• Mobile phone contract
• Online shopping accounts and saved delivery addresses
• Subscriptions and memberships — gym, magazines, streaming, charities
• Loyalty schemes
• Local services — cleaner, window cleaner, milk delivery
• Friends and family

A simple order to do it in

When	Who
As soon as you have a date	Broadband, council, insurers
2 weeks before	Royal Mail redirection, water, TV Licensing, car insurer
48 hours or more before	Energy supplier
Moving day	Meter readings at both homes
First week after	Electoral register, DVLA, HMRC, banks, employer, GP, vet and microchip

The moving planner puts these on dates worked out from your moving day, with links to the official service for the nation you’re moving to. For everything else about your move, see the moving house checklist.