Who to Notify When Moving House in the UK: Change of Address Checklist

Who do you need to notify when you move house?

You need to tell six groups. Government: DVLA, HMRC, your council and the electoral register. Household services: energy, water, broadband and TV Licensing. Money: your bank, insurers, pension provider and employer. Health: your GP and dentist. Dependants: a child’s school and a pet’s microchip database. And if you rent, your landlord and deposit scheme.

Only some of these carry a legal penalty, and they are covered first below. The rest cost you in other ways: a missed bill, a disputed meter reading, or post landing on a stranger’s doormat.

When should you tell each organisation?

Start about four weeks before the move with the services that need notice, and finish the government records in the first week after it. HMRC is the one to hold back: its guidance says to wait until you have moved before telling it.

If you have not fixed a date with a mover yet, our guide on how far in advance to book a removal company covers the booking side of the same timeline.

Do I need to tell DVLA I have moved?

Yes. GOV.UK says you must update your driving licence, full or provisional, and the V5C log book of any vehicle you are the registered keeper of. It also says you can be fined up to £1,000 if you do not tell DVLA when your address changes. Both changes are free in almost every case.

How do I tell the council I am moving?

Tell the council you are leaving and the council you are joining, using each one’s online moving form. If you stay in the same borough, one form covers both ends. Each London borough runs its own council tax, so there is no single London form.

The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea (checked October 2026) asks for your council tax account reference, old address, new address and the date you moved, and says to report a move even if you rent. It aims to send the updated bill within 10 days. That bill shows anything still owed for the old address and the amount due for the new one, and an overpayment is usually credited to the new address.

Westminster City Council lets you report a move out up to 10 working days before the date. Other boroughs set their own windows, so check the council tax pages for both of your addresses.

Do I have to register to vote again when I move?

Yes. GOV.UK says you need to register again if you have changed address, and the Electoral Commission says the same: if you move house, register to vote again. The online form takes about 5 minutes and asks for your National Insurance number.

There are two reasons not to leave it. GOV.UK says you could be fined up to £1,000 if an electoral registration officer asks you to register and you do not, unless you have a valid reason such as a long stay in hospital. And the register is used for more than voting: the City of London Corporation’s registration page says credit reference agencies use it as evidence of a person’s address and can buy it to check people applying for credit. The same page says your old entry is removed once the new council passes on your details.

Do I need to tell HMRC I have moved?

Yes, and one online update does most of it. GOV.UK says the HMRC change-of-address service updates your address for Income Tax, National Insurance, Child Benefit and State Pension. You sign in to your personal tax account or use the HMRC app, and HMRC asks you to wait until you have actually moved.

People on PAYE are not exempt. GOV.UK says simply that you need to tell HMRC if you have changed your name or address, so tell your employer and HMRC separately. If you file a Self Assessment return, your details are updated once you have reported the change. Business tax records go through a different route.

Benefits paid by the Department for Work and Pensions are separate again. For Universal Credit, GOV.UK lists moving to a new address as a change to report through your online account as soon as it happens, and warns that you could be taken to court, pay a penalty or have to repay money if you do not. If you already receive State Pension, tell the Pension Service once you have moved, on 0800 731 0469 (weekdays, 8am to 6pm).

How much does Royal Mail Redirection cost?

For a move within the UK, Royal Mail’s online quote tool (checked October 2026) charges one adult £45.00 for 3 months, £66.50 for 6 months and £95.00 for 12 months. The price is per person, not per household: the first adult pays the main fee and each extra adult adds a smaller amount. Under-16s are free, and people receiving Universal Credit or Pension Credit qualify for a lower concession price.

Royal Mail needs at least five working days to set a redirection up and says it is best to apply three weeks before you move. You can apply up to six months before the move or up to six months after it, and renew until the redirection has run for four years. Have ready the full names and dates of birth of everyone covered.

Treat redirection as a safety net. It catches the letters you forgot about; it does not change your address with anyone.

Do I need to move my TV Licence?

Yes, if you watch or record live TV at the new home. GOV.UK says that if you move home you can update your address on the TV Licensing website, so you change the address on the licence you already hold. A licence costs £180 a year (checked October 2026), and GOV.UK gives the fine for watching or recording live TV without one as up to £1,000.

Streaming services, loyalty cards and shopping accounts carry no penalty, but each holds a billing or delivery address. Change them in the first week.

What do I do about gas and electricity on moving day?

Give your supplier at least 48 hours’ notice, then read the meters on the day you leave. That is Citizens Advice’s guidance, and it adds that you should keep a record of the readings and when you took them in case you disagree with the final bill. A dated photo of each meter does the job.

Your old supplier should send the final bill within 6 weeks, and you have 28 days to pay it. If the account is in credit, the refund should arrive within 10 working days of that bill being sent.

At the new home, Citizens Advice explains that you are put on a deemed contract with whichever company already supplies the property, on its default or standard variable tariff. Tell that supplier you have moved in, read the meters the same day and send the readings. If there is a prepayment meter, contact the supplier straight away and try not to use the key or card or add credit first, or you risk paying off a debt left by the last occupier.

Who is the water company in London, and how much notice do they need?

For most London addresses it is Thames Water. Water UK’s member list says Thames Water is responsible for water supply and waste water in most of Greater London, that Affinity Water supplies parts of London and that SES Water’s area includes south London. Ofwat says most customers are served by a monopoly supplier, so you cannot shop around. Your bill names the company, and Water UK has a postcode checker.

Thames Water lets you report a move through your online account as early as 28 days before the date. If you have a water meter, Citizens Advice says to give at least 5 working days’ notice so a final reading can be arranged; with less, you could be charged for water used after you move out. Take a reading at the new home as soon as you arrive. Sewerage can come from a different company, which sometimes means a second bill.

How much notice does a broadband provider need?

Two to four weeks is a safe working figure, but it depends on the provider. BT’s moving home page (checked October 2026) says two weeks’ notice is normally plenty, while its help article asks for a month if you can manage it.

Moving a contract and cancelling one are different things. BT says it generally does not charge fees when you move home, though a £30 connection fee applies to a copper broadband package where the new home has no BT line. If fewer than three months remain on the broadband term, a new three-month term applies at the new address. Cancelling instead needs 30 days’ notice, and early termination charges may apply. Other providers set their own terms, so read yours.

A mobile contract simply goes with you. Update the billing address in your account.

Do I need to change my GP, dentist, school and pet records?

Who else should I tell: bank, insurers, employer, landlord?

Tell anyone who holds money for you, insures you or pays you. Most of these are a short change in an app or online account.

• Bank, building society, credit cards and any loan or car finance: the address is used for security checks and for posting replacement cards.
• Home insurer: cover is tied to an address, so have contents cover in place for the new home from moving day.
• Car insurer: tell them before the move. Where the car is kept is one of the details the policy is based on, so ask what the new premium will be. It can go up or down and varies by insurer.
• Workplace and private pensions: providers post statements to the address they hold.
• Employer: payroll and HR records use your home address.
• Landlord or letting agent, if you rent: give a forwarding address in writing for the deposit and any final bills.

Renters in England and Wales should also check that their deposit scheme can reach them. GOV.UK names three: the Deposit Protection Service, MyDeposits and the Tenancy Deposit Scheme. Your landlord must return the deposit within 10 days of you both agreeing how much you will get back.

For cover on your belongings while they are in the van, see our removals insurance guide.

What does it cost, and what happens if you do not update your address?

Almost all of it is free. The only charges on this list are Royal Mail Redirection, a possible fee from a pet microchip database and, with BT, a connection fee in one case. The penalties are another matter.

The fines are maximums stated on GOV.UK, not fixed amounts. Prices and rules were checked in October 2026 on GOV.UK, Royal Mail, Citizens Advice, Thames Water and BT.

Moving with Alpha Movers in London

Alpha Movers is based in Ilford and covers all of London, with house removals and man-and-van hire seven days a week. A medium or Luton van with two helpers, tail lift included, is £150 for the first 2 hours and then £75 an hour, billed in 30-minute steps. There is no stair fee, weekend premium, ULEZ charge or travel surcharge inside London, and £10,000 goods in transit insurance is included.

You pay by bank transfer after the job is finished, with no deposit, and you can cancel or change the date free of charge up to 24 hours before the start time.

Once your date is fixed, book online or call 07448 849354 between 8am and 10pm. Then start at the top of the timeline above.

Frequently asked questions