Naming and numbering of streets and houses

Naming your home if it already has a number

If your home is already numbered, you can name it without contacting us, as long as it does not conflict with an existing property name locally.

The name you give your home will not be part of the official address and you will still need to display and refer to the number in any correspondence. For example:

'My House' (not part of official address)
1 My Road (official address)
Town
County
Postcode

You do not have to pay for this service.

Renaming your home if it does not have a number

If your home has a name, but no number, as part of its official address and you want to change the name, you will need to ask us for permission.

To do this, you will need to fill in our Street naming and numbering application form and send it to us.

There is a charge for this service and you can send us a payment with your application or pay for it online using our secure online payment system.

For details of charges, see our street naming and numbering charges page.

What happens next

We will contact Royal Mail to see if there are any similarly named properties near you. We will also check our information systems and if the name is satisfactory, we will register your new address and let you know.

If there is an issue with your preferred name, we will ask you for alternatives.

Once we have approved the new name, we will notify Royal Mail, emergency and essential services and other council services about the property name change. It is your responsibility to tell your own personal contacts.

Naming and numbering new properties - single or small developments

If you are a developer of a single new property, a small development or a conversion, you will need to fill in our Street naming and numbering application form and send it to us with the relevant fees and drawings.

For details of charges, see our street naming and numbering charges page. If you prefer, you can also pay for it online through our secure online payment system.

We will normally incorporate the naming or numbering of a single property or small development into the existing street. If it is a numbered road, we will often use A, B or C with the neighbouring number, so for example, new properties would become 12A, 12B and 12C.

If the street has named properties, we will use the development plot numbers initially to register the addresses. When the new owner chooses a name, we will follow our standard procedure for renaming a property.

We will then send the information to public utilities, the emergency services, Land Registry, Ordnance Survey and relevant council services.

We will also send you a copy of the registered address from which we would ask you to inform your prospective purchasers of their new property address. For more information please see our Street naming and numbering policy.

Naming and numbering streets and properties on a large estate

If you are a developer of a large estate, you will need to fill in our Street naming and numbering application form and send it to us with the relevant fees and drawings.

For details of charges, see our street naming and numbering charges page. If you prefer, you can also pay for it online through our secure online payment system.

We will check your suggested street names for any duplication locally and send them to Royal Mail for consultation.

When we have agreed street names, we will register them and prepare a naming and numbering schedule.

We will then send the information to the public utilities, emergency services, Land Registry, Ordnance Survey and relevant council services.

We will also send you a copy of the schedule so you can tell your customers what their property address will be. Where appropriate, we will ask you to provide new street name plates to our standard design.

• Street nameplate specification

For more information, please see our Street naming and numbering policy.

What happens if a street needs renaming or renumbering

On rare occasions, it may be necessary to rename or renumber a street. This is usually only done as a last resort when:

• There is confusion over a street's name and/or numbering
• A group of residents are unhappy with their street name
• New properties are built in a street and the existing properties need to be renumbered to accommodate the new properties
• The number of name-only properties in a street is seen to be causing confusion for visitors, deliveries or emergency services

In this case, we will contact residents and ask for their views. We will then consult Royal Mail.

To change a street name, we have to ballot those residents affected. Hopefully, there will be 100% support, but we must have at least two-thirds in agreement to make the change.

If you want to change your street name

If you think you have an issue with your street name, please contact us by using the contact details on this page.

If you decide to go ahead and ask for your street name to be changed, you will need to apply using our Street naming and numbering application form. There is charge for this service. Please see our street naming and numbering charges page for details.