Broadband when you move house

By Inspire Telecom · Published and checked 15th October 2026

Your broadband is tied to an address, not to you. When you move, you either take the contract to the new place, if the provider can serve it, or you end it. Leaving the old house with the router in a box and hoping the direct debit sorts itself out is how people end up paying for two lines.

Do this as soon as you have a date

Tell your provider you are moving, and give them the new postcode. Ask three things: can they supply the new address, what speed, and on what date. Then ask what happens to the old service on the day you leave.

Check the new address yourself as well. The line that was fine in a flat on a city street may not exist in a new-build that is still waiting for fibre, or in a rural property still on a long copper run. A postcode check takes a minute and stops you booking a move the network cannot do.

Taking the contract with you

If the provider can serve the new address, a home move keeps you on the same contract. You are not starting from zero, and you should not be treated as a brand-new customer who has to take a fresh minimum term unless you agree to change package. Ask them to confirm that in the order.

The new property still needs its own connection. On full fibre that can mean an engineer and an ONT on the wall. On FTTC or SOGEA it is often a router in the master socket, but only if that socket is already there and working. Book the start date for the day you get the keys, or the next working day, and the cease date at the old address for the day you hand the keys back. Overlap of a day or two is cheaper than a week with no internet.

Take the router unless the provider says it stays with the property. The ONT on a full fibre install stays on the wall. It belongs to the network, not to you.

When you can leave without an exit fee

If the provider cannot give you the service at the new UK address, you should be able to end the contract without an early termination charge. That is an Ofcom rule for residential customers who are moving home, not a goodwill gesture. Ask for written confirmation before you cancel anything else.

If they can supply the new address and you still want a different provider, the exit fee for the remaining months can still apply. Weigh that fee against the new deal. If you are close to the end of the term, waiting is often the cheaper move. How to switch broadband covers early termination charges in more detail.

A new provider at the new address

Place the new order against the new address, with the date you want service to start. Do not use a switch order written for the old address and expect it to follow you. One Touch Switch changes who supplies an existing line. A house move changes the line.

If the old contract is ending because the current provider cannot serve the new place, time the new install so you are not paying the old direct debit after you have left. Cancel only once the new order is confirmed.

Inspire can take a home move where we can supply the new address on the Openreach network. Check the new postcode on the broadband page before you assume the same package is available.

Moving house FAQ