Moving house checklist: who to tell, and when
When you move house in the UK, tell the council (for council tax), DVLA (your driving licence and your car’s log book, free, or a fine of up to £1,000), HMRC, your energy supplier with meter readings, your GP, and register to vote again at the new address.
Last updated 15 Oct 2026 · Joel Lister, founder of Radar
Who this is for: anyone moving home in the UK, renting or buying, who wants one list of who to tell and when.
Who it is not for: the conveyancing itself, which your solicitor or conveyancer runs, or a business moving premises.
| Who | What to do | When | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your council | Tell the council for your new area that you have moved, for council tax, and the old one if you are leaving its area. | As you move | GOV.UK |
| DVLA: driving licence | Update the address on your licence. It is free, and you can be fined up to £1,000 if you do not. | As soon as you move | GOV.UK |
| DVLA: the car’s log book (V5C) | Update the address on the V5C. It is usually free, with the same fine of up to £1,000. | As soon as you move | GOV.UK |
| HMRC | Tell HMRC about your new address. | After you move | GOV.UK |
| Electoral register | Register to vote again at the new address. It usually takes about five minutes. | After you move | GOV.UK |
| Energy supplier | Tell your supplier you are moving out and moving in, with meter readings. | On the day | Ofgem |
| Your GP | Tell your surgery your new address, or register with one near your new home. You do not need ID or proof of address. | After you move | NHS |
Before you move
- Broadband and phone. Ask your provider whether the contract can move with you, and book the move: installations can take a while to arrange.
- Insurance. Contents insurance often needs updating for the new address from the day you move, and car insurance needs your new address as well.
- Post. Arrange for post to be redirected, so nothing is missed while you update everyone.
- Book the van or removals, and collect boxes.
On the day
- Meter readings at both homes, with a photo if you can. Give them to the supplier at each end so you pay only for what you used (Ofgem).
- Keys: collected at the new home, handed over at the old one.
After you move
- DVLA, twice: your driving licence and your car’s log book are separate updates, both free or usually free, and both can bring a fine of up to £1,000 if you leave them (licence, V5C).
- Register to vote again. Your registration does not move with you (GOV.UK).
- Your bank, your employer, your pension and your dentist, and every subscription that posts you anything.
- The new home’s dates: when the boiler was last serviced, when the energy tariff and broadband contract end, and when the bins go out.
What Radar does with this
- Life setup asks: “When does your home or contents insurance renew?” Four weeks’ notice leaves time to compare rather than roll over. Radar reminds you 30 days ahead.
- Life setup asks: “When does your energy tariff end?” Fixed deals move to a standard rate when they end. Radar reminds you 30 days ahead.
- Life setup asks: “When does your broadband or TV contract end?” Prices often go up once the minimum term is over. Radar reminds you 30 days ahead.
- Life setup asks: “When is the boiler next due a service?” An annual service keeps many boiler warranties valid, and engineers book up before winter. Radar reminds you 21 days ahead.
- Life setup asks: “When does the black bin next go out?” Your council’s website has the collection day and which week it is. Radar reminds you the day before.
- Moving is a fortnight of deadlines on top of the ordinary ones. Put the moving day on your Radar and Life setup asks for the new home’s dates once you are in, so the first boiler service and the first renewal are not a surprise next year.
Radar reads the calendars, task lists and CRM you connect, and the dates you give it. It writes back only when you press a button, and it never sends anything by itself.
Limitations and status
- Councils run council tax their own way: use your new council’s own moving form, found from GOV.UK.
- Radar does not tell anyone you have moved. It keeps the list and reminds you of the dates you give it.
- Each council and each supplier has its own forms: this list says who to tell, not how each one asks.
Also free: Radar Lite, the habit tracker on its own, for you and anyone 13 or over in the family.
Questions
Do I have to tell DVLA when I move?
Yes. You must update your driving licence and your vehicle’s log book (V5C). Both are free or usually free, and you can be fined up to £1,000 if you do not tell DVLA. (GOV.UK, GOV.UK)
Who do I tell about council tax when I move?
The council for the area you are moving to, and your current one if you are leaving its area. (GOV.UK)
Do I need to re-register to vote?
Yes. You need to register again if you change address, and it usually takes about five minutes. (GOV.UK)
Do I need proof of address to register with a new GP?
No. You do not need ID, proof of address or proof of immigration status to register with a GP surgery. (NHS)
Sources
- Change the address on your driving licence, read 15 Oct 2026
- Change the address on your vehicle log book (V5C), read 15 Oct 2026
- Start paying Council Tax, read 15 Oct 2026
- Tell HMRC about a change to your personal details, read 15 Oct 2026
- Register to vote, read 15 Oct 2026
- How to register with a GP surgery (NHS), read 15 Oct 2026
- Energy domestic consumer advice, England and Wales (Ofgem), read 15 Oct 2026
Written by Joel Lister, founder of Radar · first published 15 Oct 2026. Radar is made by Neos Technologies Ltd.