Moving home or a change in circumstance

If you are moving house or your circumstances have changed, you need to let us know as soon as possible as this may affect how much Council Tax you pay, or any discounts received.

Find your local authority to ensure your property is within the Sunderland City Council area.

Please do not notify us of a change of address more than 14 days before your move date.

Please make sure the information you provide is correct. Giving false, misleading, or inaccurate details may result in you paying more Council Tax than necessary and could delay your new bill.

If you are a landlord, you can let us know if a tenant moves in and out of your property on the Council Tax information for landlords page.  

Moving into Sunderland 

If you are new to the area, moving into your first home, or this is the first time you are responsible for paying Council Tax, you will need to complete the online Moving into Sunderland form.

Once you have a confirmed move-in date, please let us know within 21 days of the change. This helps ensure:

• You are not charged Council Tax for a property you are no longer responsible for
• We can issue an accurate bill for your new address as quickly as possible

Moving into Sunderland

Moving within Sunderland

If you are already registered with us and are moving to another address within the Sunderland City Council area, where you will still be responsible for Council Tax, you will need to complete the online Moving within Sunderland form. Please notify us within 21 days of your move as this helps:

• Prevent you from being charged Council Tax for a property you are no longer responsible for
• Ensure we issue an accurate bill for your new address promptly

Overpayments

Once you have submitted your details, we will send:

• A bill for your new address
• A final bill for your previous address if it was within the Sunderland City Council area

If you have overpaid at your old address:

• The credit will usually be transferred to your new account
• If you have moved out of the area or are no longer responsible for Council Tax, any overpayment will be refunded automatically if paid by Direct Debit, or you will receive a credit notice to claim a refund

Moving within Sunderland

Moving out of Sunderland

If you are already registered with us and are either moving out of the area or will no longer be responsible for Council Tax at your new address (for example, if you are moving in with parents), you will need to complete the online Moving out of Sunderland form. This ensures you are not charged Council Tax unnecessarily. 

Once you have a confirmed moving date, please notify us within 21 days of the change. This helps us:

• Avoid charging you Council Tax for a property you are no longer responsible for
• Issue an accurate bill for your new address promptly

Overpayments

Once you have submitted your details, we will send a final bill for your previous address if it is within the Sunderland City Council area.

• If you have overpaid and have other Council Tax debts within the area, we will usually apply the credit to reduce your outstanding balance
• If you have moved out of the area or are no longer responsible for Council Tax at any property within it and you paid by Direct Debit, any overpayment will be automatically refunded
• Alternatively, a credit notice will be issued so you can claim a refund

Moving out of Sunderland

Change in circumstance

If the person responsible for paying Council Tax has changed, please notify us as soon as possible.  You may be eligible for a Council Tax discount, reduction, or exemption, if you are now the only adult living in the property. Find out more on the Discounts, reductions and exemptions page.

Keeping your Council Tax information up to date helps ensure your bill is accurate and avoids delays or overpayments.  Please let us know immediately if:

• You are buying a property but not moving in immediately
• Someone has moved in with you, which means your Single Person Discount must be cancelled
• You want to add someone to your Council Tax bill (e.g. a joint tenant, owner, or partner aged 18+ who shares responsibility for the property)
• You need to remove someone from your Council Tax bill
• You wish to amend the name of someone listed on your Council Tax bill
• You need to update your contact details

Apply for or cancel a discount

Report a change in circumstance

Appeals

If you believe a penalty has been applied incorrectly, you can appeal. Find out more on the How to appeal your Council Tax bill page.