Moved Out but Still Getting Council Tax Bills
Summary
Council tax liability is tied to residence — where you actually live — not to your name on a tenancy or land registry. If you have moved out but the billing authority continues to send bills to your old address in your name, you are being incorrectly charged. The fix requires proving to the council that you ceased to be resident on a specific date, and that someone else (a remaining tenant, a new occupier, or the landlord for void periods) is now the liable person under the LGFA 1992 s.6 hierarchy.
Why This Happens
Councils do not always update their records when residents move. If your former landlord did not notify the council, or if a remaining housemate did not register, the council may continue billing you by default. Joint tenancies are a common trigger: when one joint tenant leaves but the tenancy continues, councils sometimes keep billing both names. Similarly, landlords may fail to notify the council during void periods, leaving the departing tenant liable on paper.
Proving You Moved Out
Assemble evidence of your departure date:
- Your new tenancy agreement or mortgage documents at your current address
- Council tax registration at your new address — this is strong evidence of your new sole or main residence
- Utility account closure or final reading at the old address
- Electoral roll entry at your new address and removal from the old address
- End-of-tenancy inventory or check-out report signed by the landlord or agent
Joint Tenancies — Your Specific Risk
If you were a joint tenant and your name remains on the tenancy, the council may argue you are still jointly liable. This is incorrect if you are no longer resident. Joint and several liability under LGFA 1992 s.9 applies to persons in the same hierarchy position who are resident. Once you leave, you drop out of the hierarchy for that dwelling. Submit evidence of your move-out date and your current residence.
How to Stop the Bills
Follow these steps:
- ✓Write to the billing authority at your old address stating your move-out date
- ✓Attach evidence of your new residence (tenancy, council tax registration, utility bills)
- ✓Request that your name be removed from the council tax account at the old address from the move-out date
- ✓If the council refuses, submit a formal dispute under LGFA 1992 s.16 challenging liability
- ✓If rejected or no response within 2 months, appeal to the Valuation Tribunal for England
Sources
- Local Government Finance Act 1992, ss.6, 9, 16
Frequently Asked Questions
- I moved out mid-month — am I liable for the whole month?
- Council tax is calculated on a daily basis. You are liable only for the days you were resident. The council should apportion the charge to your move-out date. If they charge you for the full month, dispute the amount under LGFA 1992 s.16.
- My landlord says I'm still liable because the tenancy hasn't ended — is that true?
- Council tax liability follows residence, not the tenancy agreement. Even if your tenancy technically continues, if you are not resident (your sole or main home is elsewhere), you are not the liable person. The landlord's claim has no bearing on council tax law.
- The council says they have no record of me notifying them — what can I do?
- Submit your notification now, with evidence of your move-out date. Request retrospective correction. If you can show you were registered for council tax at your new address from a specific date, the two registrations cannot both be correct — one council must update their records.
Related
- wrong-person-council-tax
- section-6-hierarchy
- liability-order
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