Who do you need to tell when you move house? The full list

Who do you need to tell when you move house?

When the boxes are packed and the keys are being arranged, your address admin can still cause trouble. Start with legal, financial, utility and post updates, then work through health, work, education, subscriptions and personal contacts. The safest moving house address checklist uses risk groups instead of one long flat list.

The full UK moving house address checklist starts with risk

Every move has a different address list, because a driver, a renter, a parent and someone who runs a business all have different records to update. We group the list so you can see who to notify when moving house and what can wait until the urgent records are covered.

• Legal and official records
  
• Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency, also called DVLA
• HM Revenue and Customs, also called HMRC
• Local council or borough council for Council Tax
• Electoral register
• TV Licensing
• Vehicle records
  
• Driving licence
• Vehicle log book, also called V5C
• Vehicle tax Direct Debit if you pay that way
• Personalised registration documents V750 or V778 if you have them
• Money and insurance
  
• Bank, building society and credit card provider
• Mortgage lender, loan provider and pension provider
• Home insurance, contents insurance, car insurance, pet insurance, life insurance and travel insurance
• Home services
  
• Energy supplier, water supplier and broadband provider
• Mobile and landline provider
• Royal Mail Redirection as a back-up for post
• Health, work and education
  
• General practitioner, usually called your GP, plus dentist, optician and pharmacy
• Employer, payroll, pension scheme and professional membership bodies
• School, nursery, university or student finance body where relevant
• Property contacts
  
• Landlord, letting agent and deposit scheme if you rent
• Freeholder, building manager, concierge or post room if you live in a flat or leasehold building
• Everyday accounts and people
  
• Streaming services, subscriptions, supermarkets and online shopping accounts
• Delivery apps, clubs, charities and memberships
• Friends and family

That gives you the full list of address changes. The next job is putting them in the right order.

Official, financial and insured records come first

Your first address changes should protect official documents, money records and insurance cover. Miss those and you risk lost tax letters, unpaid bills, policy problems or documents going to the wrong door.

Here is the practical split we use with customers.

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DVLA is the one we would not leave loose. GOV.UK says drivers in Great Britain must update the address on a full or provisional driving licence when they move, and a driver can be fined up to £1,000 for not telling DVLA about an address change. Changing the driving licence address is free, and you can still drive while waiting for the new licence.

Vehicle records need a separate check. Updating your driving licence does not update the V5C, and the vehicle tax Direct Debit or personalised registration documents V750 and V778 may need their own changes too. That detail gets missed because people think “I’ve done DVLA” when they have only updated one record.

At GT Removals, we often see this admin sitting alongside packing, parking and meter readings. The packing feels visible, so people deal with it. The address work sits in the background until a final bill or official letter goes missing.

Insurance belongs in the first group because your address affects the policy record. We would update home, contents and car insurance before lower-risk accounts such as streaming services, because a wrong delivery address is annoying, but a wrong policy address can cause a bigger problem.

Utilities, council tax and post need moving-day accuracy

A common mess starts with one wrong date. You move out on Friday, the supplier records Saturday, the final bill goes to the old address, and nobody notices until a reminder arrives late.

Energy, water, broadband and council tax need the right moving-out date, moving-in date and forwarding address. On moving day, take meter readings at the old property and the new one, then keep the record with your moving papers. A phone photo helps because it gives you a clear reading and a date trail.

For energy, the supplier at the new home may already be in place when you arrive. Ofgem says domestic customers can choose a new tariff with the existing supplier after moving in, or switch to a new supplier where the property has an energy supply. If you do not know the electricity supplier, you can use the network operator route. For gas, the Meter Point Administration Service can help identify the supplier and the Meter Point Reference Number, also called MPRN. Electricity records may use a Meter Point Administration Number, also called MPAN.

Renters have a few extra moving parts. If you pay your own energy bills, check the rental agreement or ask the landlord who the supplier is and who pays the bills. You should also update the landlord, letting agent, deposit scheme, contents insurer, parking permit records and any end-of-tenancy cleaning arrangements tied to the old address.

London adds a layer of building admin. Council Tax sits with the borough council for the area where you live, so a move from one borough to another means dealing with the relevant council records. Flats can also involve a building manager, concierge desk or post room, especially where parcels and letters are held away from your front door.

Royal Mail Redirection is a safety net for missed post, not a substitute for direct updates. Royal Mail offers personal redirection to a UK or overseas address for 3, 6 or 12 months, from £45.00, and redirected mail is processed as Second Class. Identity checks are part of the set-up, so leave enough room in your plan for that process to be completed.

Everyday records finish the job after the urgent updates

What gets forgotten after the main admin? Usually the accounts you use without thinking, such as saved delivery addresses, pharmacy records and workplace details.

Health updates come first in this tidy-up stage. Tell your GP, dentist, optician and pharmacy so appointment letters, prescription details and reminders go to the right place. If you stay with the same practice, the address still needs changing. If you move farther away, you may need to arrange new local care.

Work records matter because payroll, pension scheme details and staff files need your current address. Professional membership bodies also need a new address if they send renewal letters, certificates or printed documents.

Families and students have their own list. Schools, nurseries, universities and student finance bodies need the correct home address where they hold records for you or your child. We would group these together and update them once your move date and new address are settled.

Delivery accounts cause small but irritating problems after a move. Supermarkets, online shopping accounts, delivery apps and subscription boxes all hold saved addresses, and some also hold a billing address linked to a card. Friends and family can sit near the end of the list, but do tell anyone who still posts cards, documents or parcels.

Safe timing means preparing early and submitting carefully

When your moving date is still uncertain, prepare the list early but hold back from changing records that need the confirmed date. Completion, tenancy start dates and tenancy end dates can shift, and changing too soon can create its own admin.

• Build the list before the move is fixed. Use the groups above and cross out anything that does not apply to you, such as vehicle records if you do not drive or student finance if nobody in the household studies.
• Confirm the address details you will use. Check the full postal address, flat number, building name and postcode. In London blocks, one missing flat number can send post to a concierge desk or another door.
• Once exchange, completion or your tenancy dates are secure, start the urgent updates. We would deal with DVLA, HMRC, banks, lenders, insurers and Council Tax before low-risk accounts.
• Arrange home services around the actual dates. Give energy, water and broadband providers the moving-out or moving-in date they need. If your broadband installation or transfer needs access, line it up with keys, building rules and parking.
• On moving day, record readings and keep proof. Meter photos, final account details and supplier reference numbers belong in one folder, whether that folder is on your phone or printed.
• After the move, register again to vote at the new address. GOV.UK says online registration usually takes about 5 minutes and asks for your National Insurance number, though you can still register without one.
• Finish the everyday updates. Delivery apps, subscriptions, clubs and personal contacts can follow once the higher-risk records are under control.

When GT Removals plans a London move, we treat address admin as part of the same practical timetable as packing, access, parking and building arrangements. Preparing early is sensible. Submitting each change at the right moment is what keeps the move clean.

The real job of a moving house checklist

Most people arrive at a moving house checklist wanting names. That is fair, because you need a full list before you can start. The better question is what each name protects, because that tells you what to do first.

Money records protect payments and bills. Official records protect letters you cannot afford to miss. Utility updates protect final readings and service continuity. Post redirection catches what slips through, but your main records still need direct changes.

Once you see the list that way, the job becomes smaller. You are not trying to remember every organisation in one sitting. You are moving your life from one address record to another in a controlled order, while the physical move happens around it.

A good removals plan keeps the van, the keys and the access under control. A good address plan does the same for bills, documents, services and post. The real task is not remembering everyone; it is making sure the right things follow you first.

Questions we get asked about changing address when moving house

Do renters need a different change of address checklist?

Renters need the same main list, plus landlord, letting agent, deposit scheme, contents insurance, parking permits and end-of-tenancy services. If you live in a block, you may also need to update the building manager, concierge or post room.

Should I change my address before completion?

You can prepare the list before completion, but we would be careful about submitting changes that rely on the final moving date. Once the date is secure, update the higher-risk records first.

What should I keep after taking meter readings?

Keep the reading, the date, the property address and any supplier reference in one place. A clear photo of the meter reading is useful if a final bill later needs checking.

Do students need to update official records when moving?

Students still need to update any records that apply to them, such as bank, driving licence, GP, university and student finance details. The right list depends on whether the move is temporary or a full change of home address.

Is Royal Mail Redirection enough if I am busy?

Royal Mail Redirection is useful for catching post that still goes to the old address, but it does not update your records with banks, insurers, DVLA, HMRC or utilities. Treat it as back-up while you change each account directly.

This is general information, not professional advice.