Tenancy Setup & Management
The best void period utility management and tenant move-in services for UK landlords in 2026
The best void utility service for a self-managing landlord is British Gas VoidCare, because it is free, open to landlords rather than only to agents, closes the outgoing tenant's account, puts the property on a void tariff with 30 days' standing charge waived and a credit per fuel, and hands the account to the new tenant on move-in day. Just Move In offers the same automation through lettings software, Goodlord and Vouch through their agent platforms with up to £57 of credits, Helpthemove automates the change-of-tenancy notifications to council, water and energy, and Tili and Please Connect Me set up the new tenant's bills in one place. Every one of them is free to the landlord because the energy supplier pays a commission for the switch, which means the property lands on a standard variable tariff the tenant is free to leave. This guide compares seven services on who can use them, what they do, the credits offered and the catch, with facts checked on 5 September 2026.
What a void costs in rent, council tax and standing charges is in our void periods entry; this article is about the admin.
Who pays the utilities during a void
The landlord, from the day the outgoing tenancy ends to the day the new one starts, for gas, electricity, water where metered, and council tax. The supplier's deemed contract puts the bill payer on the person responsible for the property, so an empty property accrues standing charges and, if the heating runs for frost protection, usage, at the supplier's default rate. Council tax on an empty furnished or unfurnished property depends on the council: most now charge the full rate from day one and many charge a premium once the property has been empty for a year, so check the council's policy rather than assume an exemption.
Which service suits which landlord
Your situation | Choose | Why |
|---|---|---|
Self-managing, want the void bills handled free | British Gas VoidCare | Open to landlords direct |
Use lettings software (Alto, Reapit, Goodlord, Vouch) | Just Move In, Goodlord, Vouch void management | Built into the tenancy workflow |
Want notifications done but no supplier switch | Helpthemove | Council, water and energy notified from one record |
Want the new tenant's bills set up so they do not chase you | Tili, Please Connect Me, The Bunch (via Goodlord) | Tenant-facing move-in assistant |
Want a specific supplier or a fixed tariff on the void | Do it yourself with your chosen supplier | The services default to their partner |
Portfolio with frequent voids | VoidCare portal, Just Move In multi-property | Bulk management |
What we compared
We assessed each service on whether a private landlord can use it without an agent, what it does at move-out (account closure, switch, void tariff), what it does at move-in (notifications, tenant set-up), the credits or waived charges, which supplier it defaults to, and what the landlord or tenant gives up.
The seven services compared
Service | Open to landlords direct | Move-out | Void tariff | Move-in | Credits | Default supplier | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
British Gas VoidCare | Yes, via online portal | Closes tenant account, clears debt, switches | Yes | Hands to new tenant with readings | Standing charge waived 30 days, credit per fuel | British Gas | Self-managing landlords |
Just Move In | Via lettings software (Alto and others) | Automatic switch to landlord or agent | Yes | Automatic handover | No standing charge 30 days, £15 per fuel (up to £30) | British Gas | Software-led landlords and agents |
Goodlord utility management | Agents; landlords via a Goodlord agent | Void management, 30-day alerts | Yes | Ovo tenant move-in product, The Bunch bills | Up to £57 credits, free standing charge | Ovo | Agent-managed lets |
Vouch void management (Goodlord) | Agents | Alerts utilities and council on move-out | Optional switch | Tili move-in assistant | Ask | OVO | Agent-managed lets |
Helpthemove | Agents (via HomeLet Vision+, Reapit, SME Professional) | Change-of-tenancy notifications | No switch unless chosen | Notifications | Commission to agent | Preferred supplier optional | Notifications without switching |
Tili (via TheHouseShop) | Yes, via TheHouseShop | Switches supplier on departure date | Yes | Free tenant home-move assistant | Discounted referencing offered | Tili partner | Landlords using TheHouseShop |
Please Connect Me | Yes | Notifications | No | Tenant move-in concierge | None to landlord | Tenant chooses | Tenant set-up without switching |
Facts as published on 5 September 2026. August's tenancy records hold the move-out and move-in dates and meter readings the services need, in documents against each tenancy.
1. British Gas VoidCare: best for self-managing landlords
VoidCare is a free service open to landlords, agents, housing associations and councils, managing void stock across more than two million properties. You add the address, void date and expected re-let date to the portal when the tenant gives notice; British Gas closes the tenant's account, clears any debt from the property's supply, switches the void supply to itself, waives the standing charge for 30 days and applies a credit per fuel, then hands the account to the incoming tenant when you enter their name, move-in date and readings. The catch is the tariff: the property lands on British Gas's standard variable rate, and if the void runs past 30 days the standing charge resumes at that rate.
2. Just Move In: best for software-led landlords
Just Move In's Void Utilities Automation runs inside lettings software such as Alto and switches the bill payer to the landlord or agent automatically when a vacate is processed, then closes the void account on move-in, with no standing charge for 30 days and £15 credit per fuel. The void supply moves to British Gas. It also runs a tenant home-setup service and plants a tree per switch. It is only available through software that integrates it, so a landlord without such a platform cannot use it directly.
3. Goodlord utility management: best for agent-managed lets
Goodlord alerts agents when a tenancy has fewer than 30 days left, manages the void supply with a free standing charge and £15 fuel credit that reduces most void bills to zero, and gives the incoming tenant Ovo's tenant move-in product with The Bunch for bills, paying the agent £10 per Ovo sign-up and £50 per Bunch sign-up. Landlords benefit through their agent; there is no direct route. Goodlord and Vouch are the same company reviewed for referencing in the best tenant referencing services.
4. Vouch void management: agent route with Tili
Vouch, now part of Goodlord, launched a void management service in late 2024 that notifies utilities and the council on move-out, optionally switches the supply to OVO, and hands the incoming tenant the Tili move-in assistant. Agent-facing only.
5. Helpthemove: best for notifications without a switch
Helpthemove automates change-of-tenancy notifications to councils, water companies and energy suppliers from a single record, with time-stamped evidence of what was sent and when, and is embedded in HomeLet's Vision+, Reapit and SME Professional. It does not require a supplier switch, which makes it the cleanest option for a landlord who wants a chosen supplier kept in place, but it is sold to agents.
6. Tili via TheHouseShop: best for landlords already on TheHouseShop
TheHouseShop's void energy service, run with Tili, switches the supply on the departure date you give it and offers the incoming tenant a free home-move assistant covering energy, broadband, council tax and water in a few taps, with discounted referencing for enrolled properties. Open to landlords who list on TheHouseShop.
7. Please Connect Me: best for tenant set-up without a switch
Please Connect Me is a free tenant move-in concierge that sets up energy, broadband, council tax and water for the incoming tenant and can notify on move-out. It does not manage the void supply, so it pairs with VoidCare rather than replacing it.
The catch with "free" void services
Every service above is paid by the energy supplier it moves the property to, in commission per switch, which is why they cost the landlord nothing. Three consequences follow. The void supply lands on the partner supplier's standard variable tariff, which is rarely the cheapest; the incoming tenant is free to switch away, and should be told so in the welcome pack; and the service's incentive is the switch, not your void bill, so a void of more than 30 days should be checked against a fixed tariff of your own choosing. For a two-week void the free credit outweighs any tariff difference. For a three-month refurbishment it does not.
The process, whichever service you use
Take the readings on the check-out day; see end of tenancy inventory checks. Register the void with the service the same day, with the expected re-let date. Notify the council yourself if the service does not, and ask about empty-property rates. Keep the heating on frost protection if the void spans winter; an empty property in winter needs frost protection, covered in preparing a rental property for winter. On move-in, the check-in report records the opening readings; see the best inventory services for landlords, and give the tenant the supplier's name and a note that they may switch. Set a reminder for the move-out date in August's reminders so the switch happens on the day rather than when the first estimated bill arrives.
From working with landlords across the UK, the void bill that hurts is not the standing charge; it is the estimated bill for a tenant's last quarter that lands on the landlord because nobody closed the account with a reading on the day.
Frequently asked questions
Who pays the bills during a void period?
The landlord, from the end of one tenancy to the start of the next, for gas, electricity, metered water and council tax, at the supplier's default rate unless the void is managed.
Are void utility management services free?
Yes, to the landlord and agent, because the energy supplier pays commission for the switch. The cost is that the void supply and the incoming tenant start on that supplier's standard variable tariff.
Can the new tenant switch supplier?
Yes. No service ties the tenant to the void supplier; they can switch from the day they move in.
Do I need August to manage void utilities?
No. You need the readings, the dates and a service to send them to. August holds the readings and dates against the tenancy and reminds you when the void starts. You can start for free.
This article is general information. Service terms and credits change. Confirm with the provider before enrolling.
Author
August Team
The August editorial team lives and breathes rental property. They work closely with a panel of experienced landlords and industry partners across the UK, turning real-world portfolio and tenancy experience into clear, practical guidance for landlords.
