How to keep track of renewal dates as a couple sharing a home

The simplest answer to how to keep track of renewal dates is one shared renewals calendar: a single list of everything your home renews, each with its date, who it's with, which of you looks after it and a "start looking" date set a few weeks earlier. You both put the start dates in a calendar you can each see, and you do a short check together every month. Renewals slip when they live in two heads, two inboxes and a drawer of letters, so the whole trick is getting them into one place with a lead time attached.

This guide lists the renewals a typical UK household has, shows how to build the calendar and suggests lead times for each kind of renewal.

Every renewal a shared home has

Go through this list together and note the ones that apply to you. Some will be in one name, some in both.

Insurance

• Home insurance: buildings, contents or both. Renters usually only need contents, as the landlord insures the building.
• Car insurance, one policy per car (or a multi-car policy).
• Breakdown cover, which often renews on a different date from the car insurance.
• Pet insurance, if you have a pet.
• Travel insurance, if you buy an annual policy.
• Life insurance and income protection: these often run for years rather than renewing yearly, but note the end date of the term.
• Gadget, phone or appliance cover.

The car

• The MOT. A car needs its first MOT by the third anniversary of its registration, and an MOT lasts for a year after that.
• Vehicle tax. Every car on the road has to be taxed, even if it's exempt and costs nothing, unless it's registered as off the road (SORN).
• The car's service, if you follow the schedule in the handbook.

Documents

• Passports. An adult passport is valid for 10 years, so with two of you the dates will rarely line up.
• Driving licence photocards. A photocard has to be renewed every 10 years, and its expiry date is printed on the front.

The home

• The TV Licence, if you watch or record live TV on any channel or service, or use BBC iPlayer.
• The broadband and phone deal's end date, and any pay TV contract.
• Your energy tariff, if you're on a fixed deal with an end date.
• Mobile phone contracts, one each.
• The boiler service. Many households book one each year. If you rent and the home has gas, your landlord must have a Gas Safe registered engineer do an annual gas safety check on each appliance and flue, and give you a copy of the record.
• The tenancy end date or the mortgage deal's end date, both of which are worth knowing well in advance.

Memberships and the rest

• The gym, annual memberships for days out, a railcard, warranties with an end date and any yearly subscriptions. If subscriptions are the bit that gets away from you, there's a separate guide on how to keep track of subscriptions.

How to keep track of renewal dates in one shared calendar

Once you have the list, turn it into something you'll actually look at. You need two things: a master list and calendar entries.

1. Gather the paperwork. Each of you goes through emails, letters and online accounts and finds the latest renewal notice, policy schedule or contract for every item. The date you want is the renewal or end date, not the date you first signed up.
2. Write one master list. For each renewal note: what it is, who it's with, whose name it's in, the renewal date, how it's paid, any policy or reference number, and which of you looks after it. A shared note or a spreadsheet you can both edit works well.
3. Add a "start looking" date. Work backwards from each renewal using the lead times below, and write that date next to it.
4. Put both dates in a shared calendar. One entry on the start looking date ("car insurance: start comparing") and one on the renewal date itself. Set them to repeat yearly, or every 10 years for passports and licences.
5. Pick an owner for each one. One name per renewal, so nobody assumes the other person has done it. Split them by interest (whoever drives more takes the car) or just alternate.
6. Set a monthly check. Ten minutes at the start of each month: what's coming up in the next six weeks, and has anything changed since last month.

Update the list the day a renewal is done, with the new date and reference number. An out of date list is worse than none, because you'll trust it.

Sensible lead times for each kind of renewal

The point of a lead time is to give yourselves room to compare, switch, cancel or fill in a form without a rush. These are sensible starting points; adjust them to how you work.

Insurance: three to four weeks before

Your insurer should send a renewal notice before the policy ends, but it's easier to start looking before it lands. Since January 2022, FCA rules mean a home or car insurer can't offer a renewing customer a higher price than it would offer the same customer as new through the same channel, though another insurer may still be cheaper. So it's still worth a look each year. Check whether a policy renews automatically, and if you want to leave, tell the insurer before the renewal date. For help weighing up money decisions, MoneyHelper offers free, impartial guidance.

The MOT: a month before

You can get an MOT up to a month (minus a day) before it runs out and keep the same renewal date, so a month is the natural lead time. GOV.UK has a reminder service that can text or email you a month before your car's MOT is due, and you can check when the next MOT is due on the MOT history service. If your car is newer, there's a guide on when the first MOT is due.

Vehicle tax: two weeks before

DVLA sends a reminder before your tax runs out, but don't rely on the post. If you buy a car, you tax it yourself using the new keeper slip from the log book.

Passports: three to six months before

Check how long it will take to get a passport on GOV.UK before you apply, and don't book travel until you have a valid passport. Some countries have their own rules on how much validity a passport needs, so check the entry requirements in GOV.UK's foreign travel advice for wherever you're going. Your new passport will have a different number, so update any bookings.

Driving licence photocards: two months before

DVLA sends a reminder letter before your photocard runs out. Note the date anyway, in case the letter goes astray.

Broadband, phone and energy deals: six weeks before

Under Ofcom rules, broadband, phone and pay TV providers must tell you your contract is ending, between 10 and 40 days before it does. Start a little earlier than that so you have time to look at what else is available. For a fixed energy tariff, note the end date and look at your options in the weeks before, so you're not simply moved onto whatever comes next.

Boiler service: a month before

Engineers get booked up as the weather turns cold, so if your service falls in autumn or winter, book a little earlier.

Tenancy or mortgage deal: three months or more before

These are the big ones, often with notice periods or paperwork, so start well ahead.

Mistakes couples make with renewals

• Each person tracks their own. It works until one of you is away or busy. Keep one shared list, even if each renewal has one owner.
• Trusting auto-renewal. Letting a policy roll over is fine as a choice, but make it a choice. Check the new price and cover each year.
• Tracking the start date. You want the date it renews or ends. Go by the latest renewal notice, not your memory of when you signed up.
• Forgetting the ten-year ones. Passports and licences come round so rarely that nobody remembers them. Put them in the calendar now.
• Leaving the old address. When you move in together, update your address with DVLA, your insurers and every provider, or the reminders go somewhere else.

If renewals are one part of a bigger pile, it can help to look at the whole thing: there's a life admin checklist for that, and a guide to keeping track of household bills as a couple.

Keeping renewals in mylife/

If you'd rather not maintain the calendar by hand, mylife/ keeps renewals in its ledgers, for insurance, the car (MOT, tax, insurance and service dates), the home, documents with an expiry date and subscriptions, each with its date and how often it repeats. You get a nudge before each one, and a morning note can flag a renewal coming up in a couple of weeks. You can photograph a renewal letter or pick a PDF and Slash fills in the details for you to check before anything is saved. You can see what each tab keeps, or try mylife/ free for 3 days.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best way to keep track of renewal dates?

Keep one master list of every renewal with its date, provider and owner, and put a "start looking" reminder a few weeks before each one in a calendar. For couples, use a shared list and calendar so both of you can see it. A ten-minute check each month keeps it current.

How far in advance should I look at my car insurance renewal?

Around three to four weeks before the renewal date gives you time to compare quotes and switch without a rush. Your insurer should send a renewal notice before the policy ends. Check whether it renews automatically and tell the insurer before the date if you're leaving.

Does the DVLA remind you when your vehicle tax or licence is due?

DVLA sends a reminder before your vehicle tax runs out and a reminder letter before your photocard licence needs renewing. It goes to the address DVLA has for you, so keep that up to date. Note the dates yourself as well, and check the current rules on GOV.UK.

How often do I need to renew a passport and a driving licence?

An adult passport is valid for 10 years, and a photocard driving licence has to be renewed every 10 years. Check the expiry dates on both of yours now and put them in your calendar with a few months' notice.