Changing the name of your property

The council is the official body that deals with changes to existing address names.

Naming new properties is dealt with through a separate street naming and numbering process.
 

If your property has a number

If your address has a number on a sequentially numbered street, Royal Mail will refuse permission to change the official postal address. However, you can register a 'property name alias'.

Generally speaking, you will not be able to remove the house number from an official address and the alias will not form part of the official address.

Unofficial changes to an address name will not be recognised by any official body.

If you would like to register or change a property name alias, see our 'apply to rename your property' section below.

If your property only has a name

If you live in a named property with no number (for example: The House, Smith Street), you can apply to change the property name. This will change the property name of the official address.

If you want to change your property name, see our 'apply to rename your property' section below.

Apply to rename your property

To apply, complete our 'apply to rename your house' online form. There is a fee for this service which you can pay when completing the online form.

Your application should include:

• your current full postal address
• your preferred property name
• two other alternative property name options (which we will use if your first choice conflicts with another local property)
• proof of ownership
• the fee (paid as part of the application form)
   

After you have applied

Your choice of property name will be checked for locally conflicting address names, and will be then be submitted to Royal Mail for their approval.

Once the approval from Royal Mail is received, we will formally write on your behalf to:

• Royal Mail
• Valuation Office
• Land Registry
• Emergency Services
• Council Tax
• Electoral Registration
• Planning
• Environmental Services

You will then be sent a formal letter confirming the name change or property name alias. This process generally takes around 2 weeks to complete.