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Council tax setup

How to set up council tax for a new home, or for the first time

Short answer

Find your council on GOV.UK and register on its website with your moving date, your tenancy or purchase dates and the adults living there, which decide who pays and from when. Check the band and instalments, then choose a payment method. Apply for any discount or exemption: 25% if only one adult counts, and an all-student household is exempt. Tell the council for the home you leave too.

Find your council on GOV.UK

Updated

  • 25%

    Off if you live alone, or everyone else is not counted

  • £0

    When everyone in the home is a full-time student

  • 10

    Monthly payments a council tax bill is usually split into

See the band and charge for your new address

Pick your new address to see its council, its council tax band and the council's charge for that band this year, beside the other bills for the move.

You pick your exact address on the next screen. Nothing is priced before that.

England, Scotland and Wales. In Scotland it shows the council. The charge is the council's figure for the band; parish charges can make a bill slightly different.

Council tax is set by your council and the home's valuation band, so there is nothing to shop around for. What you control is the paperwork: registering from the right date, paying on time and claiming every discount you are entitled to.

How do I set up council tax for a new home?

Six steps, in order. The council does the registering. Your part is finding the right council, giving it the right dates and people, and checking what comes back.

  1. 1

    Find the council for your new address

    Enter the new postcode in GOV.UK's pay your Council Tax service, which opens that council's own council tax pages, or in its find your local council service, which opens the council's homepage. Moving to a new area means two councils: the new one to register with and the old one to close your account.

  2. 2

    Get your details ready

    Have the full names of everyone who will live there, your move-in date, your previous address, your tenancy start date and landlord or agent details if you rent, or your completion date if you bought, plus bank details for a Direct Debit.

  3. 3

    Register online from your move-in date

    Use the council's moving-in form and give the exact date you moved in, because council tax is charged by the day. Some councils only take the form close to the move: Oxford City Council cannot update an account more than 28 days ahead.

  4. 4

    Check your first bill

    GOV.UK says the bill shows the amount for the year, how it was worked out and the dates to pay. Check the start date, the band, the adults listed and every discount you asked for.

  5. 5

    Set up a Direct Debit

    Use the account number on the bill. Brent Council, for example, sets one up online with that number and your bank details, and says it can take up to 10 days, so you may need to pay another way first.

  6. 6

    Claim your discounts

    Do not wait for a discount to appear. Apply for the single person discount, the student exemption or anything else that fits, and check it reaches the bill. GOV.UK says you need to apply even if you are not counted.

More detail
  • Start with GOV.UK. Its pay your Council Tax service takes the new postcode and opens that council's own council tax pages, where councils keep their moving-in forms; find your local council opens the council's homepage instead.
  • Have these ready: the full names of everyone who will live there, your move-in date, your previous address, your tenancy start date and your landlord's or letting agent's details if you rent, or your completion date if you bought, and bank details if you want to pay by Direct Debit.
  • Brent Council and Barnsley Council, as two examples, ask for most of these on their moving-in forms. Brent asks for the name of everyone aged 16 or over.
  • You do not need a council tax account number to register. The council creates the account when it registers you and prints the number on the first bill, so a form that asks for one is for an existing account: use the moving-in or new-resident form instead.
  • GOV.UK says the council registers you, sends you a bill and tells you how and when to pay. If the home has no band yet, the council arranges for it to be assessed.
  • Council tax is a daily charge. South Kesteven District Council, as an example, says you pay for the old property up to the day before your moving date and for the new one from the moving date onwards.
  • Northern Ireland has a different system: homes there get a rates bill, and nidirect says to tell Land & Property Services when you buy.
Sources (7)
Find your council's council tax pages on GOV.UK

When should I tell the council I'm moving?

When you move, with exact dates. Council tax is a daily charge, so the dates you give decide which home you pay for on which day.

Which home you pay for around moving day

South Kesteven District Council, as an example, bills the old home up to the day before your moving date and the new home from that date.

Your moving date

  • Old home

    Paid up to the day before

  • New home

    Paid from the moving date

If your tenancy on the old home runs on after you leave, the same council says you are still liable there until it ends.

  • GOV.UK says that if you move to a new property or a new area, you tell your local council or the council for the new area.
  • Some councils cannot take the change too early. Oxford City Council, for example, cannot update an account more than 28 days in advance, and Bristol City Council asks you to contact it only in the month before you move.
  • Moving out does not always end the old bill. South Kesteven District Council says that if your tenancy continues after you leave, you are still liable until the tenancy ends.
  • In Scotland, mygov.scot says you need to tell the council if you move into or out of a property, and also if another adult moves into or out of your home.
  • Moving into a home that will stand empty first, or leaving one empty: GOV.UK says councils can give a discount for an empty home but the amount is up to them, and a home empty for at least one year can carry an empty homes premium of up to 100% extra.
Sources (6)
Council tax when moving house: dates, two homes and penalties

How do I check my council tax band?

GOV.UK says your bill depends on three things: the home's valuation band, what your council charges for that band, and any discount or exemption.

England's bands: the 1991 value and the share of band D each pays

Your council sets the band D charge. By law every other band pays a fixed share of it, so band H always pays twice band D.

  1. A
    Up to £40,00067% of D
  2. B
    £40,001 to £52,00078% of D
  3. C
    £52,001 to £68,00089% of D
  4. D
    £68,001 to £88,000Band D
  5. E
    £88,001 to £120,000122% of D
  6. F
    £120,001 to £160,000144% of D
  7. G
    £160,001 to £320,000167% of D
  8. H
    More than £320,000200% of D

Wales has nine bands at April 2003 values, and band I pays 233% of band D. Scotland sets its own bands: check a home there with the Scottish Assessors.

  • In England and Wales, look the address up with GOV.UK's Check your Council Tax band service. For a home in Scotland, GOV.UK sends you to the Scottish Assessors website.
  • A band is not today's value. Citizens Advice says a home in England is banded on its value on 1 April 1991, and that homes in Wales were revalued at April 2003 prices.
  • Your council sets the amount for each band, GOV.UK says, so the same band costs different amounts in different areas.
  • If you think the band is wrong, the same GOV.UK service lets you challenge it, and you will need evidence.
Sources (6)

Which council tax discounts can I get when I move?

Apply for them rather than waiting. GOV.UK says you need to apply for a discount or exemption, even if you are not counted.

  • 25%

    Off if you live alone, or no one else is counted

  • £0

    When everyone is a full-time student

  • 50%

    Off when everyone living there is disregarded

  • 1 band

    Lower through the Disabled Band Reduction Scheme

  • Up to 100%

    Off through Council Tax Reduction on a low income

  • 25% off if you live on your own, or if everyone else in your home is not counted (GOV.UK).
  • Nothing to pay if everyone in the home is a full-time student. The student council tax exemption guide covers who qualifies and how to claim.
  • 50% off if everyone living in the home is disregarded, for example a full-time student living with an apprentice on a qualifying scheme (GOV.UK).
  • The rate for the band below, through the Disabled Band Reduction Scheme, if the home has an extra room or extra wheelchair space that a disabled resident needs (GOV.UK).
  • Up to 100% off through Council Tax Reduction on a low income or benefits. Each council runs its own scheme (GOV.UK).
  • Care leavers: in Wales, those aged 18 to 24 may not have to pay in certain situations (GOV.WALES), and in Scotland care leavers under 26 are not counted as adults (mygov.scot).
Sources (6)
Check discounts and the student exemption

Who pays council tax in a rented or shared home?

Usually the people who live there, in an order Citizens Advice sets out.

Who is liable, checked in this order

The first group that applies is liable. Two people in the same group are both liable.

  1. 1

    A resident owner-occupier

  2. 2

    Resident tenants

  3. 3

    Resident licensees

  4. 4

    Any other resident

  5. 5

    An owner who does not live there

  • Two people at the same point in that order are both liable. Couples who live together are jointly and severally liable, which Citizens Advice explains as responsible as a couple and also individually.
  • For England, Citizens Advice explains when an HMO owner is liable. Wales's rules changed on 3 June 2026: see the HMO section below and ask the council to confirm your liability.
  • Full-time students are not counted, and a home where everyone is a full-time student is exempt (GOV.UK). Where one housemate is not a student, Citizens Advice says the council can only pursue the non-students, which the guide to council tax with a non-student covers in full.
Sources (3)
Setting up bills when renting

What should I check on my first council tax bill?

GOV.UK says the bill shows how much you pay for the year, how that was worked out and the dates to pay. Check each against what you told the council.

  • The start date is the date you gave the council.
  • The band matches what GOV.UK's band service, or the Scottish Assessors, shows for the address.
  • Every discount or exemption you applied for is on it.
  • The payment plan. GOV.UK says the cost is usually split into 10 monthly payments, and that if you are having trouble paying, the council can help, for example by spreading payments over 12 months instead of 10.
  • A Direct Debit. Brent Council, as one example, lets you set one up online with your council tax account number, your bank details and the name on the account, then sends a replacement bill showing when payments will be taken. In Scotland, mygov.scot says you can also set one up from your bank account.
  • In Scotland, most bills also carry Scottish Water's water and waste charges (mygov.scot).
  • If you have paid too much and have not had an automatic refund, GOV.UK says to contact the council.
  • Query a bill you think is wrong rather than ignoring it. GOV.UK says the council can take action to reclaim any debts you owe if you get behind with your payments.
Sources (5)

Who pays council tax in a house share under each nation’s HMO rules?

The council decides liability; the Valuation Office handles banding in England and Wales.

  • Wales: from 3 June 2026, HMOs generally count as one dwelling for council tax with the owner liable. The change is not retrospective and includes licensed and unlicensed HMOs.
  • England has separate HMO council-tax rules. Do not decide liability from a licensing label or headcount alone; ask the council how your accommodation is classified.
  • For a Welsh house previously billed room by room, ask the council about liability from 3 June and the Valuation Office about any required rebanding application.
  • Student exemption and mixed-household discounts are separate checks. Scotland has its own council-tax guidance; Northern Ireland uses domestic rates.
Sources (1)

Can Taupia sort council tax for me?

Taupia can help find your council, match the band where available and organise setup alongside your other bills. Registration, discount applications and payments go through the council.

  • Add your new address and Taupia finds the council, and the band where it can match the address.
  • It asks whether anyone in the house is a full-time student and flags the student, single-person and household discounts that might apply.
  • It shows you what to do next if you may qualify. Taupia is not the council and does not contact it for you.
  • Council tax sits on the same move-in list as energy, broadband and water.

Council tax by nation

Where the home isWhat is different there
EnglandRegister with the council for the address and check the band on GOV.UK. Bands reflect values on 1 April 1991, and discounts are claimed from the council.
WalesThe same GOV.UK band check, with bands at April 2003 prices. Welsh rules add that some care leavers aged 18 to 24 may not have to pay.
ScotlandTell the council when you move in or out, and check the band with the Scottish Assessors. Most bills carry water and sewerage charges too.
Northern IrelandA different system. Homes there get a rates bill instead, which nidirect explains.

Setting up council tax: common questions

How do I register for council tax at a new address?

Find the council for the new address with GOV.UK's postcode lookup, then use the moving-in form on its website. Give your move-in date, your previous address and the names of everyone who will live there, plus your tenancy start date and landlord's details if you rent. The council registers you and sends a bill.

How do I start paying council tax for the first time?

Contact the council for your address: GOV.UK says it registers you, sends you a bill and tells you how and when to pay. The bill is usually split into 10 monthly payments, and you can ask for 12. Set up a Direct Debit once you have an account number, and apply for any discount you are entitled to.

Can I set up council tax before I move in?

Usually only shortly before. Oxford City Council cannot update an account more than 28 days ahead, and Bristol City Council asks you to contact it only in the month before you move. The bill normally starts from your move-in date, but if your tenancy starts earlier, ask the council which date it will bill you from.

How do I update my address for council tax?

Tell the council for each address: the moving-out form for the home you leave and the moving-in form for the new one, even in the same council area, because nothing moves across automatically. Give exact dates, as council tax is charged by the day, and set up payment again if the council has changed. GOV.UK says to tell your local council or the council for the new area.

What if I get a council tax bill for the previous occupant?

Do not pay for days before you became liable. Council tax is worked out day by day, so register in your own name, give the council your move-in date, and keep your tenancy agreement or completion date to hand as proof. Any charge for earlier days is between the council and whoever was liable then.

Do I pay council tax on an empty property?

Often, yes. GOV.UK says councils can give a discount for a home that is empty, but the amount is up to the council, and a home empty for at least one year can be charged an empty homes premium of up to 100% extra. During a move you pay for both homes on the overlap days; the bills on two homes guide sets out the dates.

Do you pay council tax from exchange or completion?

Usually from completion, not exchange of contracts: completion is when the home becomes yours. Brent and Barnsley councils, for example, ask buyers for the sale completion date when they register, and council tax is then worked out day by day.

How do I set up a council tax Direct Debit?

Through the council, once it has registered you and given you an account number. Brent Council, for example, asks for that number, your bank's name, your account number and sort code, and the name on the account, and says setup can take up to 10 days. In Scotland, mygov.scot says you can also set one up from your bank.

Official routes and the rest of your move

Use the official routes to register and claim, and the guides for the bills that come with council tax.

Start here

Student council tax exemption

Recommended

Who counts as a full-time student, what one non-student pays, how to claim, and a checker for every other discount.

Official references

Set up council tax alongside every other bill

Pick your new address above to see its council, its band and this year's charge, beside the other bills for the move. You register and claim with the council yourself. Taupia is free, and nothing changes without your approval.

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Cite this page

Taupia. "How to set up council tax for a new home, or for the first time". Last updated 29 October 2026. https://taupia.com/move-home/council-tax-setup