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How to cancel council tax when moving house

Two forms, two councils, and a bill worked out to the day. Here's how to close your old council tax account, open the new one, and avoid paying twice — with the rules for England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Last updated: October 2026 · 6 min read

Written and fact-checked by the Removly editorial team · How we research prices

How do I cancel council tax when I move house?

Tell your old council the date you move out and give a forwarding address, then register with the council for your new home. Both are short online forms on the councils' websites, and take minutes.

GOV.UK's own advice is to tell your local council, or the council for the new area, when you move. Moving between areas means two accounts, so contact both. Council tax is one line on our change of address checklist; this guide covers it in full.

Source: GOV.UK (council tax) (2026)

Step by step: closing one account and opening another

  1. Tell your old council you're leaving. Give your move-out date and a forwarding address so the closing bill reaches you.
  2. Register with your new council. Leeds, for example, asks for the address, the date you moved in, the names of the adults living there and, for tenants, the tenancy start date.
  3. Check the dates on both bills. Some councils charge by the day: South Kesteven District Council, for example, charges up to the day before your moving date at the old home and from the moving date at the new one.
  4. Reapply for any discount at the new address. Ask the new council about a single person discount if it applies.

Staying in the same council area? You still need to tell them. Leeds City Council, for example, closes the old account, opens a new one and moves any credit across.

When does liability start and stop? From the date you move in, or the date you own or rent the home — check the exact date with your council, and check your closing bill before you cancel any payments.

Source: GOV.UK (council tax) (2026) — council examples: South Kesteven, Leeds

Do you pay council tax on two homes when moving?

Only for the time you're liable for both. In England an empty home normally still pays council tax. Where a council charges by the day, a short overlap costs only those days.

Longer gaps cost more. Since April 2024, English councils can add a premium once a home has been empty for 1 year: up to 100% extra for 1–5 years, 200% for 5–10 years and 300% after 10. The clock only resets after the home has been lived in or furnished for at least 6 weeks.

Councils can also charge up to 100% extra on second homes, from April 2025. A home that's actively marketed for sale or to let is excepted from these premiums for up to 12 months, so a home you're genuinely selling won't be hit straight away.

Sources: GOV.UK (empty and second homes premiums guidance) (May 2026) · GOV.UK (council tax) (2026)

Will I get a council tax refund?

If you've paid past your move-out date, yes. Bills are usually spread over 10 monthly payments, so a mid-year move often leaves you in credit. The council issues a closing bill and settles the difference.

Royal Greenwich, for example, refunds by bank transfer or offsets the credit against other money you owe the council. If no refund arrives, contact the council — GOV.UK says to do exactly that.

Source: GOV.UK (council tax) (2026) — council example: Royal Greenwich

Discounts to reclaim — or give up

  • Living alone: 25% off. Bills assume two or more adults, so moving out of a shared home often means applying for it.
  • Students: a household where everyone is a full-time student pays nothing. The course must last at least a year at 21 hours or more a week.
  • Moving in together: if your discount stops applying, tell the council. In England you must tell them in writing within 21 days of having reason to believe the discount is wrong, or face a £70 penalty — and repay the discount.

Sources: GOV.UK (council tax) (2026) · Local Government Finance Act 1992, Schedule 3 (2008)

Moving in Wales

The same steps apply, and GOV.UK's council tax guidance covers Wales too. The difference is the premium: since April 2023 Welsh councils can charge up to 300% extra on homes left empty and unfurnished for a year, and on second homes. Homes marketed for sale or to let are excepted for up to a year.

Source: Welsh Government (council tax on empty and second homes) (Mar 2023)

Moving in Scotland

You register when you move in and cancel your account when you move out, and you tell the council when another adult moves in or out. Most empty, unfurnished homes are exempt for 6 months.

After 12 months empty, the council can charge a premium or give a discount of up to 50%. Since April 2026 premiums are no longer capped at double — but a home for sale or let that's been empty less than 2 years can avoid one.

Source: mygov.scot (council tax) (Apr 2026)

Northern Ireland: domestic rates

There's no council tax here — you pay domestic rates to Land & Property Services (LPS). Tell LPS straight away when you buy, sell, move in or move out, using nidirect's "create or update your rate account" form. Tenants can call LPS on 0300 200 7801.

You're billed for the period you own or live in the home, and the rating year runs 1 April to 31 March. Rates apply to homes worth £20,000 or more, empty ones included. There's no single person discount, but people aged 70 or over living alone get 20% off through the Lone Pensioner Allowance.

Source: nidirect (occupying and leaving a property) (2026)

Council tax is one job on a long list. The full week-by-week plan is on our moving house checklist.

Council tax when moving: FAQs

Do I pay council tax on two homes when moving?

Only while you're liable for both — for example, if you still own the old home after moving out. In England an empty home usually still pays council tax. Where a council charges by the day, as South Kesteven does, a short overlap costs only those days.

Do I need to tell the council if I move within the same area?

Yes. Leeds City Council, for example, asks for your old and new addresses and the move date, then closes one account, opens another and moves any credit across. Check your own council's website for its form.

Will I get a council tax refund when I move?

If you've paid past your move-out date, yes — the council works out a closing bill and owes you the difference. Royal Greenwich, for example, refunds by bank transfer or offsets the credit against other council debts. If nothing arrives, contact the council.

Can I be fined for not telling the council?

In England, yes — if you were getting a discount that no longer applies and don't tell the council, you can be fined £70 and have to repay the discount. Telling both councils when you move avoids it.

Do I pay council tax on an empty house I am selling?

Usually yes in England. After a year empty a premium can apply, but a home that is actively marketed for sale or to let is excepted from the premiums for up to 12 months. In Scotland, most empty unfurnished homes are exempt for the first 6 months.

When does council tax start at my new home?

From the date you move in, or the date you own or rent it — check the exact date with your council. Some councils, South Kesteven among them, charge by the day, so the date you give on the form sets the figure.