Council Tax Change of Address
Moving house comes with a lot of admin, one of many important tasks on the to-do list is to notify all your service providers of your new address. This guide will cover everything you need to know about notifying a change of address with your local council.
This guide will cover the following:
- What is council tax?
- How is council tax calculated?
- How do I let the council know I'm moving?
- What do I need to notify the council of a change of address?
- Who pays council tax?
- How do I pay council tax?
What is council tax?
Council tax is the annual tax that is paid to your local council that helps funds local services. Local services that are funded by the council include:
- Police Services
- Fire Services
- Education Services such as schools and libraries
- Rubbish and waste collection
- Recycling processing
- Transport services
- Administration services such as births, marriages and deaths
- Local elections
How is council tax calculated?
The amount of council tax you pay is dependent on your personal circumstances, the value of your home and where are live. The amount is calculated differently in England, Wales and Scotland. You can search for a property using the government website and this will show you the property council tax band.

How do I let the council know I'm moving?
To notify the council of a change of address, you’ll need to find out who your local council is, you can do this by visiting the find your local council page. Enter your postcode and the results will show the council associated with your address. Go to your local council’s website and follow the moving home instructions.

What do I need to notify the council of a change of address?
Each council may require different information, but at a general level they require the following:
- Your personal details
- Your reference number, this can be found on any council correspondence including your council tax bill
- The exact date in which you will be leaving or left the property
- Any dates that the property was empty
Who pays council tax?
It is usually the responsibility of the resident to pay the council tax. Residents can be property owners, tenants in rented accommodation.
How do I pay council tax?
You can pay your annual council tax in one payment or it can be paid monthly via direct debit. Council tax is usually paid in 10 monthly payments, April to January, there is also an option to pay 12 monthly instalments.


More service providers
