Reporting a death

If a home has become unoccupied as a result of someone passing away, the property can be made exempt from Council Tax by using something called a Class F exemption. This is a full exemption awarded for an unlimited period until either:

• the property becomes occupied again (at which point the standard rate applies)
• the property returns to the landlord (in the case of a rented property)
• probate is awarded against the property to allow for the transfer/dissolution of the estate, at which point a maximum of a further six months' exemption is awarded

Once you have reported a death with the registrar, you can then use the Tell us Once service to notify other government bodies of a death.

This service is free of charge and will notify services such as:

• blue badges
• Council Tax
• local authority pension
• passport office
• DVLA

Tell Us Once can be done online or by using a dedicated phone line. The registrar will give you information about how to do this.