When should I change/stop by Council tax and other bills?

EmJHall97

I've just exchanged contracts on my first property with my partner and we complete next week. As we're renting I've given notice and so we give our keys back mid-august. We're going to move into our new house a week after our completion date to give us a bit more time to sort ourselves out.

We are changing council areas and I wondering, when do I stop paying my current council tax and start paying the other? Is it on completion, when we actually move or do we need to potentially pay both simultaneously? Similar for our utilities, when do we cancel our current utility DD and so on? I'm just concerned as it's going to be a really expensive month as it is paying our rent till august and  1 and a half mortgage payments too.

I hope that was clear, any insight would be greatly appreciated.  

Flugelhorn

you will be liable to pay CT and utilities at the old property until the end of the notice and also the same for the new property from completion. Utilities may just swap over to the new property and send you a final bill for the old one.  First couple of months when moving can be v expensive

Jonboy_1984

I moved districts last year with an overlapping ownership and move date in the middle. 

Both councils asked for the dates ownership/tenancy changed and the actual move date (i.e. date furniture moved and occupation status changed).
We correctly gave the change of ownership dates and ensured the occupation date aligned, and they both automatically allowed us empty property relief for the period each property was unfurnished (a few days in each case).

I am not sure if this is national or local policy (they are adjoining district's and share an administrative centre for council tax in our case).


Note that if the new property was unoccupied for a while before you bought, then the previous owner may have claimed the relief already and if expired (longer than 6 months) you could end up liable at 200% of normal rate until occupied, as it attached to the property not the owner or tenant.

saajan_12

The two properties are treated independently, you don't inherently have a right to only pay for one at any given time. 

For each property, you're liable for <the bills> due (who else would be), though some might be £0. 
- Utilities where you're not physically living would be low if there's no usage, so just the standing charge. 
- Council tax sometimes has a discount / £0 charge for a limited period if a property is unoccupied and unfurnished. Varies by council, so check their website and claim this where applicable. 
- Broadband / TV can be cancelled or ported over to the new address based on their terms, no need to keep it going at an empty place. 

Divorcing_Dad

Just as a FYI, when I moved from Bedfordshire to Buckinghamshire, I explained that I wouldn't be moving in immediately and gave Buckinghamshire the date we would be moving in (obviously, it wasn't the county council, but borough councils within these counties)

They accepted this and started the CT from the day we moved in. I'm aware they didn't have to do this, but it costs nothing to ask.

eddddy

EmJHall97 said:

Similar for our utilities, when do we cancel our current utility DD and so on?

It's best not to cancel any DDs until the closing bills are settled.

Tell your current utility providers when your tenancy ends, and tell them the meter readings on that day (maybe take photos of the meters as extra proof).

The utility providers will calculate your closing bills - you might owe them more money or you might be due a refund. Once they've collected the final amount, or paid the refund - you can cancel the DD.


Same with the council tax - tell the council the date your tenancy ends, and they will calculate whether you owe them money, or you are due a refund.



And read the meters when you become owners of the new place, and tell the utility companies that supply the new place the date you became owners and the meter readings on that date.

Postik

I moved on 2nd December.  In hindsight I wish I had cancelled my council tax direct debit on 30th November and made a manual payment for the 2 days in December.  Reason being is because it took the old council about 2 months to give me a refund for almost a month's worth of money.