Renting guide

Who pays the bills between tenancies?

Short answer

Usually the landlord. Outgoing tenants pay for energy until 2 days after telling the supplier they are leaving. While the home is empty, EDF and ScottishPower say the landlord pays, and council tax or rates pass to the owner when nobody lives there. Incoming tenants pay from their move-in date, not for anything used before it.

Updated 15 October 2026

2 days

How long outgoing tenants usually pay for energy after telling the supplier

1 year

Before an empty home premium can apply to council tax in England

4 times

Most council tax charged on a home empty for 10 years or more, in England

Moving out? The full checklist Bill for the previous tenant's energy?

When one tenancy ends and the next has not started, the bills keep running. This guide sets out who pays for energy, water and council tax while a rented home is empty, for outgoing tenants, landlords and letting agents, and incoming tenants, in each UK nation.

Who pays each bill while a rented home is empty?

Bill	Who pays while the home is empty	What tenants do
Gas and electricity	The landlord or agent, say EDF and ScottishPower. For electricity, the Electricity Act 1989 treats the owner of unoccupied premises as the customer.	Outgoing tenants give a final reading and usually pay until 2 days after telling the supplier. Incoming tenants give an opening reading and pay from their move-in date.
Water (England and Wales)	Depends on the company. Thames Water says even an empty property needs an account, and a furnished one is billed as normal.	Outgoing tenants tell the water company, with at least 5 working days' notice if the home is metered. Incoming tenants open an account from their move-in date.
Council tax (England)	The owner, when nobody lives there. The council decides any empty-home discount, and a premium can apply after a year.	Outgoing tenants tell the council their leaving date. Incoming tenants register from their move-in date.
Council tax (Wales)	The owner, when nobody lives there. Councils can add a premium of up to 300% once a home has been empty and substantially unfurnished for a year, but not for up to a year while it is marketed to let.	Outgoing tenants tell the council their leaving date; incoming tenants register.
Council tax (Scotland)	The owner, when nobody lives there. Councils set their own empty-home charges, and since 1 April 2026 premiums are no longer capped at double.	Tell the council when you move in or out. Water and sewerage charges come with the council tax bill.
Rates (Northern Ireland)	The owner. nidirect says rates are the same for empty and lived-in homes, and apply on empty rental properties.	Landlords are responsible for the rates on homes with a capital value of £150,000 or less and on houses in multiple occupation. Households pay no domestic water charges.

The short version

Who pays which bill when a rented home is empty?

Energy: the landlord. EDF says landlords whose tenants normally pay the supplier direct need to pay the energy bills between tenants, and ScottishPower says the same.
Council tax: the owner, when nobody lives there. In England and Wales, council tax falls on residents in a set order, and on the owner where there are none.
Water: in England and Wales, check the water company's rules for empty homes. In Scotland it comes with council tax, and households in Northern Ireland pay no domestic water charges.
Tenants pay up to their leaving date and from their move-in date. The table above sets out each bill, with the source for each row.

Outgoing tenants

When does the outgoing tenant stop paying?

Energy: Citizens Advice says you usually pay until 2 days after you told the supplier you were moving, so give at least 48 hours' notice and a meter reading on the day.
If you told the supplier the day before you moved, or after you moved out, you might pay for some energy used after you left.
Water: give a metered water company at least 5 working days' notice so it can arrange a final reading.
Council tax: tell the council your leaving date. In England and Wales it is charged to the residents, meaning people whose sole or main residence the home is.
Rent is separate. In England, GOV.UK says you keep paying rent until the tenancy ends, unless the landlord agrees in writing to end it earlier.

Sources: Citizens Advice: check if you're responsible for paying an energy bill (read 15 October 2026); Citizens Advice: moving home, dealing with your energy supply (read 15 October 2026); Citizens Advice: moving home and water bills (read 15 October 2026); legislation.gov.uk: Local Government Finance Act 1992, section 6 (England and Wales) (read 15 October 2026); GOV.UK: assured periodic tenancies, how to end your tenancy (read 15 October 2026)

Landlords and agents

What does the landlord pay while the home is empty?

Energy: ScottishPower says the landlord or third party is responsible for energy costs during periods the property is vacant, and either the landlord or the tenant can tell it about a tenant moving in or out.
EDF says landlords whose tenants normally pay the supplier direct need to pay the energy bills when the property is between tenants or empty.
The law points the same way for electricity. The Electricity Act 1989 says a supplier supplying premises without a contract is deemed to have contracted with the occupier, or the owner if the premises are unoccupied. The Gas Act 1986 deems a contract with the consumer.
Ofgem says a deemed contract can also arise when a contract ends and supply carries on, so take over each account in your name from the leaving date.
Water: Thames Water says even an empty or vacant property needs an account, and a furnished one is billed as normal.
Council tax: in England, GOV.UK says you will usually pay council tax on an empty home, though the council can give a discount.

Sources: ScottishPower: home move information for landlords (read 15 October 2026); EDF: I'm a landlord, can I choose my tenant's energy supplier? (read 15 October 2026); legislation.gov.uk: Electricity Act 1989, Schedule 6, paragraph 3 (read 15 October 2026); legislation.gov.uk: Gas Act 1986, Schedule 2B, paragraph 8 (read 15 October 2026); Ofgem: guidance on deemed contracts (November 2023) (read 15 October 2026); Thames Water: bill responsibility (read 15 October 2026); GOV.UK: Council Tax on second homes and empty properties (read 15 October 2026)

Incoming tenants

What should the incoming tenant do on day one?

Read every meter on the day you move in and give the readings to the current supplier. Citizens Advice says you start on a deemed contract on its default or standard variable tariff.
You do not have to pay for energy used before you moved in. If a bill covers earlier dates, send the supplier your tenancy agreement as proof of when you moved in.
Water: if you are responsible for the water bill, open an account from your move-in date. Thames Water, for example, lets new customers do this online.
Council tax: register with the council from your move-in date. In Scotland, mygov.scot says you need to register for council tax when you move in.

Sources: Citizens Advice: moving home, dealing with your energy supply (read 15 October 2026); Citizens Advice: check if you're responsible for paying an energy bill (read 15 October 2026); Thames Water: moving home (read 15 October 2026); mygov.scot: registering for Council Tax (read 15 October 2026)

Bill for the previous tenant's energy?

England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland

How is an empty rented home charged in each nation?

England: you will usually pay council tax on an empty home, though the council can give a discount. A home empty for at least a year can be charged a premium, up to 4 times the normal bill after 10 years, but the premium may not apply for up to 12 months while the home is marketed to rent.
Wales: councils can charge a premium of up to 300% on a home that has been unoccupied and substantially unfurnished for at least a year. A home being marketed for let is excepted for up to a year.
Scotland: mygov.scot says councils can charge more or less than the usual rate for empty homes, and since 1 April 2026 premiums are no longer limited to double the usual rate. What you pay depends on things such as whether you are trying to sell or let the home.
Northern Ireland: nidirect says rates are the same for empty and lived-in homes, the owner is responsible on an empty property, and rates apply on empty rental properties.
Shared houses: in England, Shelter says landlords are usually responsible for council tax in a shared house.

Sources: GOV.UK: Council Tax on second homes and empty properties (read 15 October 2026); Welsh Government: council tax premiums on long-term empty and second homes (read 15 October 2026); mygov.scot: Council Tax for empty homes and second homes (read 15 October 2026); nidirect: rating of empty homes (read 15 October 2026); Shelter England: bills in a shared house (read 15 October 2026)

England since 1 May 2026

How does the Renters' Rights Act change the end of a tenancy?

Since 1 May 2026, GOV.UK says all assured tenancies in England, including assured shorthold tenancies, are rolling, so a tenancy ends when someone gives notice rather than on a fixed date.
A tenant's notice must be in writing and end the tenancy on a rent day or the day before, and the most notice a landlord can ask for is 2 months.
In a joint tenancy, one tenant can usually end the tenancy for everyone. Those staying need the landlord's agreement, and the landlord can sign a new agreement with them.
Agree the handover date for each bill with the landlord or agent in writing, so nobody pays for days they were not there.

Sources: GOV.UK: assured periodic tenancies, a guide for tenants (read 15 October 2026); GOV.UK: assured periodic tenancies, how to end your tenancy (read 15 October 2026); GOV.UK: Renters' Rights Act 2025 implementation roadmap (applies to England) (read 15 October 2026)

Step by step

How do we hand over the bills between tenancies?

1
Tell each supplier the leaving date
Outgoing tenants give energy suppliers at least 48 hours' notice, and a metered water company at least 5 working days.
2
Read every meter on the last day
Photograph each reading with the date showing, and send the readings to each supplier.
3
Take over the accounts while the home is empty
The landlord or agent puts the energy, and any water account the empty home needs, in their name from the leaving date.
4
Tell the council who is liable
Outgoing tenants give their leaving date, and the owner takes over the council tax while nobody lives there.
5
Read the meters again on moving-in day
Incoming tenants note an opening reading for each meter and give it to each supplier.
6
Open accounts from the move-in date
Incoming tenants set up energy, water and council tax from the day they move in.

Sources: Citizens Advice: moving home, dealing with your energy supply (read 15 October 2026); Citizens Advice: moving home and water bills (read 15 October 2026); ScottishPower: home move information for landlords (read 15 October 2026); GOV.UK: start paying Council Tax (England and Wales) (read 15 October 2026)

Where Taupia fits

How can Taupia help tenants between homes?

Taupia keeps your energy, broadband, mobile and water bills in one place, so the accounts to close at the old home are already listed.
Add your new address and move-in date, and Taupia tells you which supplier already serves the property.
In a shared home it splits the bills and tracks who has paid, without moving any money.
Taupia is free.

Between tenancies FAQ

Questions about bills between tenancies

Who pays the electricity when a rented house is empty?

Usually the landlord. ScottishPower says the landlord or a third party is responsible for energy costs while a property is vacant, and EDF says landlords need to pay the energy bills between tenants. The Electricity Act 1989 treats the owner of unoccupied premises as the supplier's customer.

Does a landlord pay council tax on an empty rental?

Usually, yes. In England and Wales council tax falls on the owner when nobody lives in the home. The council decides any empty-home discount, and a premium can apply once a home has been empty for a year. Scottish councils set their own empty-home charges, and Northern Ireland charges rates on empty homes.

Do I pay the bills after I move out if my notice has not ended?

Rent, yes: in England you pay rent until the tenancy ends unless the landlord agrees otherwise. Energy usually stops 2 days after you tell the supplier you are moving. Council tax is charged to the people who live in the home, so tell the council the date you moved out.

Who pays for the water between tenants?

It depends on the water company. Thames Water, for example, says even an empty property needs an account and a furnished one is billed as normal, so ask the landlord or agent who holds it from your leaving date. In Scotland water comes with council tax, and Northern Ireland households pay no domestic water charges.

Do I pay for energy used before I moved in?

No. Citizens Advice says you do not have to pay for energy used before you moved in. Tell the supplier your move-in date, give it an opening meter reading, and send a copy of your tenancy agreement if it asks for proof of when you moved in.

Related guides

Close one home, open the next

Guides for both sides of the move.

Start here

Moving out bills checklist

Recommended

Every bill to close when you leave, in the order to do it.

Official references

GOV.UK: Council Tax on empty properties
Official
Empty-home discounts and premiums in England.

Cite this page

Taupia. "Who pays the bills between tenancies?". Last updated 15 October 2026. https://taupia.com/move-home/bills-between-tenancies

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