Transfer Rates Concession When Moving Councils in Victoria

Your Concession Does Not Follow You Automatically

When you sell your home in one Victorian council area and move to another, the rates concession at your old council ends and nothing starts at the new one until you apply again. Each of Victoria's 79 councils maintains its own rates database, and there is no cross-council transfer mechanism. The concession is tied to a specific property assessment record within a specific municipality.

This means that moving house always requires a fresh application at the new council — even if you have been receiving the concession for years at the old address.

What to Do When You Move

At your old council: The concession ends on the date of settlement (when the property transfers to the new owner). You receive a pro-rata concession for the portion of the rating year you owned and occupied the property. If settlement happens mid-quarter, the council adjusts your final rates balance accordingly.

At your new council: Submit a new DFFH Municipal Rates Concession Application Form as soon as you settle on the new property. You will need the same documents as the first time — your concession card, your CRN or DVA file number, and consent for CCeS verification. The concession at the new address is calculated pro-rata from the date of settlement, so the sooner you apply, the less you miss.

The principal place of residence rule still applies. You can only claim on one property at a time — the one you actually live in. If there is a gap between selling the old home and moving into the new one (for example, if you rent temporarily), the concession does not apply during the gap because neither property qualifies as your PPR at the right time.

What Happens If You Move Within the Same Council

If your old and new properties are both in the same municipality, you still need to notify the council and update your concession to the new assessment record. The process is simpler because you are dealing with the same rates department, but it is not automatic — tell them you have moved so they can transfer the concession to the correct property.

Do Not Assume the New Council Knows

The most common mistake is assuming that because your Centrelink card has not changed, the new council will pick it up. It will not. The CCeS system only verifies cards for properties that already have an active concession application on file. No application, no verification, no concession.

For the full application checklist — including what to have ready before settlement day — the Victoria concession guide covers the move scenario step by step.

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