Moving house? Your TV Licence doesn’t move itself
Your TV Licence doesn’t move with you automatically. How to update it when you move, when two homes need two licences, and how refunds work.
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In the blizzard of moving admin — council tax, energy, broadband, insurance — the TV Licence is the one people forget precisely because it feels invisible. It’s also the cheapest item on the list to get right: the update is free.
The move checklist, licence edition
- -2wUpdate the address onlineSet the move date in advance at TV Licensing. The licence covers the old address until that date, the new one after — no gap, no double payment.
- 0Moving in with a licence holder?If the new household already has one, one of the two is redundant once you’ve moved. Cancel the spare and claim the refund for remaining full months.
- +1wReassess whether you need one at allNew house, new habits: if nobody watches live TV or iPlayer, you can declare you don’t need a licence. Be honest — live sport and “just having it on” both count as live TV.
If the budget’s the underlying question — what happens if you simply stop paying — that path has its own consequences ladder, covered in our guide on not paying the TV Licence.
In short
Address change: free, online, can be set in advance — do it before the boxes are packed. Merging households: cancel the spare licence and take the refund. It’s two minutes of the move that protects you from the only £1,000 mistake on the checklist that costs nothing to avoid.
Frequently asked questions
When should I update the address?
Before moving day — TV Licensing lets you set a future move date, so the licence flips to the new address the day you arrive. It’s one of the few move-admin jobs you can fully finish in advance.
We’re merging two households with two licences — what happens?
One address needs one licence. The redundant one can be cancelled with a refund for each remaining full month. Do it after the move completes, so both homes stay covered during the overlap.
Do I even need a licence at the new place?
You need one to watch or record live TV on any channel or service, or to use BBC iPlayer. If the new household genuinely only streams on-demand (no live TV, no iPlayer), you can formally declare you don’t need one — but the definition of ‘live’ catches sport, and enforcement letters follow addresses without licences.
What’s the risk of just forgetting?
Watching live TV unlicensed risks prosecution and a fine of up to £1,000 — and the awkward reality that your old, empty address is the one with the valid licence. The fix costs nothing, which makes the risk pointlessly asymmetric.
Sources & last checked
- Moving home — update your TV Licence — TV Licensing
- Check if you need a TV Licence — GOV.UK
Last checked against official sources: 17 August 2026.