Moving house: should you move your broadband or switch?
Short answer
Check what the new address can get on Ofcom's checker. If your provider serves it, ask to move your service, which Citizens Advice says may cost a small fee. If it does not, or you want a better deal, order a new service in time for the move. Leaving a contract early can mean an exit fee.
Updated
14 days
To cancel a new order made by phone or online
1 working day
Longest loss of service allowed in a One Touch Switch
Broadband is the move-in bill to sort before you move, and the one where your current contract may be able to come with you.
Move your broadband or switch: what to do
| Your situation | What to do |
|---|---|
| Your provider serves the new address and you want to stay | Ask it to move your service. Citizens Advice says there may be a small fee. |
| Your provider cannot serve the new address | Order from a provider that can. You might pay a fee to leave early, so explain the move and ask for the fee to be reduced or removed. |
| Your minimum term has ended | You can usually leave without an exit fee, so compare deals at the new address before you order. |
| Your new rented home includes broadband | If you already have a contract, you might pay a fee to leave it. Ask your provider before you commit to anything else. |
| You ordered by phone or online and changed your mind | You can cancel within 14 days. If you have already used the service, you are likely to pay for what you used. |
If your broadband activation is delayed
Keep the promised start date and ask which compensation rules cover your service.
- A late new activation, a missed engineer and a delayed repair have different triggers. Check participation and exclusions before calculating a claim.
What broadband can I get at my new address?
Start with the address, not the deal. What the property can get decides both of your options.
- Ofcom's broadband and mobile checker shows the broadband services available at an address and which networks provide them. Ofcom suggests checking whether your current network is one of them.
- Where a network does not sell to customers itself, the checker links to its website, where you can find the providers that resell it.
- A service shown as available can still be unavailable at a particular property for operational reasons. Ofcom's example is a new line that needs the landlord's permission for access.
Sources: Ofcom: broadband and mobile checker (read 28 September 2026); Ofcom: about the broadband checker (read 28 September 2026); Ofcom: moving home, top tips for keeping connected (read 28 September 2026)
How do I set up broadband when I move house?
Two routes: move the service you already have, or start a new one at the new address.
- 1
Check the new address
Look the address up on Ofcom's broadband checker to see which services and networks are available there.
- 2
Ask your provider whether it can move your service
If it offers the same service at the new address, you should be able to take it with you. Citizens Advice says there may be a small fee.
- 3
Or order a new service in time for the move
If you are changing provider, Ofcom's advice for movers is to cancel your current contract and arrange a start date for the new service in time for when you move.
- 4
Check what leaving early would cost
You will usually pay an exit fee to leave a fixed-term contract early, and you might still pay one if your provider cannot serve the new address. Explain the move: your provider might reduce or remove the fee.
- 5
Confirm the start date and any installation
Agree the date the service goes live and whether a new line or an engineer visit is needed. In a rented home, a new line can need the landlord's permission for access.
Sources: Ofcom: about the broadband checker (read 28 September 2026); Citizens Advice: cancelling a phone, TV, internet or mobile contract (read 28 September 2026); Citizens Advice: check how to switch your internet, phone or TV provider (read 28 September 2026); Ofcom: moving home, top tips for keeping connected (read 28 September 2026)
Does One Touch Switch work when you move house?
One Touch Switch is Ofcom's process for changing broadband provider. Its advice for people who are also moving home is different.
- With One Touch Switch you give the provider you want to move to your address, the services to switch and your current provider's name, and it arranges the switch. Your current provider tells you about any early termination charges first, and the old service ends automatically once the new one works.
- Your old provider must not charge you for a notice period after the switching date, and any loss of service must not last longer than one working day.
- Moving home at the same time? Ofcom's advice for movers is that if you are changing provider, you cancel your current contract and arrange a start date for the new service in time for when you move.
Sources: Ofcom: switching broadband provider (read 28 September 2026); Ofcom: moving home, top tips for keeping connected (read 28 September 2026)
Renting? What to check before you order broadband
A tenancy can limit what you can order, and some rents already include a connection.
- Check your tenancy agreement, which Citizens Advice says might stop you switching internet, landline or TV provider.
- If broadband is included where you are moving and you already have a contract, you might pay a fee to leave yours early. Explain your situation to your provider, which might reduce or remove it.
- If you get certain benefits, you might be able to get a cheaper social tariff. You will not pay to move to your provider's social tariff, and you can move at any time.
Sources: Citizens Advice: check how to switch your internet, phone or TV provider (read 28 September 2026); Citizens Advice: cancelling a phone, TV, internet or mobile contract (read 28 September 2026)
Broadband questions when you move house
Can I take my broadband with me when I move house?
Often, yes, if your provider offers the same service at the new address. Citizens Advice says there may be a small fee to move it.
Do I need to cancel my broadband when I move house?
Only if you are changing provider. Ofcom's advice for movers is then to cancel your current contract and arrange a start date for the new service in time for the move.
Will I pay an early termination fee if I move house?
You might, even if your provider cannot serve the new address. Explain the move and ask for the fee to be reduced or removed.
Does Taupia install broadband?
No. Taupia shows the deals available at your new address and keeps the dates with your other bills. The provider you choose installs and runs the service, and you pay it directly.
Coordinate broadband with the rest of your move
The renter guide covers every bill in a first rented home.
Start here
Setting up bills when renting
RecommendedThe first-time renter guide: what each bill is, who charges it, and where you have a choice.
Can I switch broadband mid-contract?
Exit fees, price-rise exits and One Touch Switch while you are still in contract.
Broadband exit fees when moving house
When a move means paying to leave a broadband contract early, and what to ask your provider.
The landline switch-off and your new line
What the move to digital landlines means when you set up a phone line at a new address.
Moving house utilities checklist
Where broadband sits in the running order for the whole move.
Mobile contract when you move
Check signal at the new address, and plan mobile data around the broadband start date.
Cite this page
Taupia. "Moving house: should you move your broadband or switch?". Last updated 7 October 2026. https://taupia.com/move-home/broadband-setup
Compare broadband at your new address
Taupia shows the broadband deals available at the new address and keeps the start date and contract end date with your other bills. You pay the provider directly at the price you agree with them, and nothing changes without your approval.