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Council tax when you move house

Council tax is charged day by day, so you pay each council only for the days you're liable at each address. Tell your old council when you leave and your new council when you arrive, and check the new home's band before you move.

Checked against official sources on 27 October 2026. Independent guide; your council decides your bill.

Before you move

When you move

Council tax is worked out for each day, based on who lives in or owns the home at the end of that day. Councils ask you to tell them when you leave and when you arrive, usually online:

  • Old council: your moving-out date and forwarding address. It recalculates the year's bill up to that date and sends a final bill or a refund.
  • New council: your moving-in date, who lives with you and any discount you claim. It sends a bill for the rest of the year, spread over the remaining months.

Moving within the same council area works the same way: one account closes and another opens.

Renting

Tenants are normally liable while they live in the home. In England, since 1 May 2026, a tenant who leaves early stays liable until the end of their notice period. When nobody lives in a rented home, the owner pays. In some homes, such as houses in multiple occupation, the landlord is always liable instead of the tenants.

If the old home stays empty

If you keep the old home and nobody lives there, it is either a second home (furnished) or an empty home (unfurnished), and the council may charge a premium after a year. A home left empty because you have moved into a care home or hospital, or because the owner has died, can be exempt.

Questions

Do I pay council tax for both homes when I move?

Only for the days you are liable at each. Council tax is worked out day by day, so the old council bills you up to the day you leave and the new one from the day you move in. If you still own the old home and nobody lives there, it may count as empty or a second home.

How do I cancel council tax when I move out?

Tell your current council the date you are leaving and your new address, usually through its website. It will send a final bill for the days up to your move, or a refund if you have overpaid. Then register with the council for your new home.

Do tenants pay council tax after moving out early?

In England, since 1 May 2026, a tenant who leaves before their notice period ends stays liable for council tax until the notice period ends, under the Renters' Rights Act 2025.

Who pays council tax between tenants?

If nobody lives in the home, the owner (usually the landlord) pays. In England there is no national empty-home discount, so the full charge is due unless the council offers a discount.

Official sources