Last updated Oct 18, 2024 and written by Aditi Mohan

2024 Companies House Requirements for Registered Office Addresses

featured-image

A registered office address is a legal requirement when you own a UK Limited Company. You must provide an address to form a company and keep it updated to remain in line with company law.

The address is the official correspondence address for your business. This address is where you’ll receive your official communication from the government, i.e. your correspondence from Companies House, UK Courts, HMRC and DWP.

Following the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023, the legal requirements for a registered office have changed. Since March 4th 2024, Companies House expects a company registered office address to follow their new requirements in order to stay compliant.

This guide will run through all of the registered office requirements in place, helping keep your business running smoothly without any compliance issues.

Legal Requirements For Registered Office Address 

Your Registered Office Must Be in the Same UK Country As Your Company.

Due to legal and logistical details, your registered office must be within the same country or jurisdiction where your company is registered. Whether this is in Scotland, or Northern Ireland, or England and Wales.

For example, if you registered your company in England, then your Registered Office must remain in England or Wales. However, if you register your business in Scotland, your Registered Office address must remain within Scotland. The same applies to Northern Ireland. 

Your Registered Office Must Be a Physical Location, Not a P.O. Box. 

Before March 2024, it was permissible to use a P.O. box for your Registered Office address. Unfortunately, following the latest changes, a P.O. box no longer fits as a replacement for a Registered Office address.

If a company fails to update its address from a P.O. box to a physical location it can be penalised for non-compliance. This penalty can vary on a case-by-case basis, and the only way to avoid it is by updating your P.O. box to a physical address by using your home address or a registered office service.

Any Changes to Registered Address Must Remain Within the Same Jurisdiction As the Business.

As always, a company is welcome to change its Registered Office address anytime. However, the address must remain within the same jurisdiction as the company.

For example, if you registered your company in England, then your new Registered Office must remain in England or Wales. However, if you register your business in Scotland, your new Registered Office address must remain within Scotland. The same applies to Northern Ireland.

Changing your registered address requires an AD01 Form which can be filed online through your Companies House WebFiling Account. If your new Registered Office address is compliant, your change will be approved and the register will update within 24 hours. 

Your Registered Office Address Will Be Public.

Companies House puts a few details of your company on a public register, one of these details is your Registered Office address.

Anyone who searches for your company name, or the name of your director is able to access your Registered address. Therefore, using your home address as your Registered Office address, while allowed, can be problematic– especially if you have security and privacy concerns.

You Can Use Your Home Address As Your Registered Office

You can use a residential address as your Registered Office address. However, if you rent your property you may need to ask your landlord’s permission. This is because it may invalidate your tenancy agreement and your landlord may prefer not to have their property address on the Companies House register.

Other addresses you may consider using can be; a virtual office address, your accountant or solicitor’s address, a company formation agent’s address, a commercial property (which you rent and have permission to use) or any residential or non-resident premises which you are permitted to use.

Your Registered Office Address Must Be Able To Acknowledge the Post

Following the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act, your Registered Office must have someone available to sign for post and confirm the receipt of your statutory mail. Companies that fail to follow this can be struck off the register.

An easy way to ensure your Registered Office is compliant with the new and previous rules is by using a Registered Office Service, like ours. At our central London office, we have a dedicated post team and receptionist ready to sign for your post, and then send it your way safely and securely.

Using an Inappropriate Address as a Registered Office

If Companies House deems your Registered Office as ‘inappropriate’ or ‘non-compliant’, you can face serious penalties, such as:

  • Legal Non-Compliance: Companies are legally required to provide an appropriate Registered Office address. Failure to do so means a company is at odds with the law.
  • Missing Important Letters: All of your company’s correspondence is sent to their Registered Office. An inappropriate address means a company risks missing critical documents and communication from UK governing bodies and more. 
  • Risk of Being Struck Off: Companies House has the right to strike off a non-compliant business, this means your business will cease to exist legally. 
  • Harms Your Company's Reputation: Using an inappropriate address, such as a PO box, can harm a company’s reputation. This can affect a company’s relationship with its clients, investors or partners.
  • Non-Compliance Penalties: Companies House will now impose financial or more severe penalties for companies that are non-compliant with company law and continue to be.

How to Change Your Registered Office Address

Changing your Registered Office address is simple. Firstly, you must check your Articles of Association to determine if you need to pass a board resolution before changing your address. This means you must seek permission from your shareholder(s) before filing your AD01 Form.

The AD01 Form informs Companies House of the change. The name change usually takes 24 hours to process. The form can be completed online or via post. Once processed your Registered Office address will be updated on the public register and Companies House will inform HMRC and other governing bodies about the change. 

What To Do if Companies House Moved Your Registered Address to a Default Address

The default address is an address held and maintained by Companies House. When Companies House determines a company’s Registered Office address to be inappropriate, they change it to their default address.

There are three default addresses for each jurisdiction (England and Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland) in the UK. The company will also appear on the register with the default address, this signals that the company is non-compliant.

When Companies House moves a business’ registered address to a default address, the company has 28 days to update its Registered Office to an appropriate address or provide proof that the current address is fit for purpose. A company can notify Companies House by sending an AD01 form via post.

Once Companies House verifies the new address/ examines the evidence, they will update the company’s Registered Office address. However, the default address will remain publicly visible as a historic filing. 

Why Does Companies House Require New Registered Office Rules?

Companies House is cleaning up the register in a bid to reduce economic crime and illegal misuse of the UK’s Registrar of Limited Companies.

By prompting legitimate businesses to keep their records accurate, compliant and updated. Companies House can use their expanded powers to target those who are non-compliant. This helps to clean the register of inaccurate information and catch cases of economic crime. 

Can I use a Company Formation Agent as my Registered Office Address?

A company formation agent, like us, will provide you with an appropriate address for your business. With a Registered Office Service, you can rest assured that your company’s Registered Address meets the requirements set out by the registrar now and always.

Additionally, there are benefits such as; keeping your home address off the register, the ability to work from anywhere but receive your post safely and securely via email, and with Companies MadeSimple, you can host your clients at your Registered Office Address by utilising our meeting rooms!

Additional Requirement: Registered Email Address

One additional requirement for all current and new UK Limited Companies is a ‘registered Email Address’. This is a new requirement since March 4th 2024, but failure to update your company details with your email address can result in non-compliance penalties.

Your Company’s Registered Email Address will receive essential notes, reminders, queries on information and other documents. It must be accessible by someone authorised to make decisions on behalf of your company. New companies will supply this Email Address when registering their company, all existing companies must add a Registered Email Address when filing their next confirmation statement.

Any email ID is appropriate, as long as it is a monitored inbox.

Key Takeaways 

As Companies House starts to exercise its newly broadened powers, it is critical to remain updated and compliant with the new changes or risk facing penalties.

If you're interested in knowing more about the Registered Office changes and our Registered Office service, contact Companies MadeSimple today to ensure your registered office is compliant and avoid penalties. Our expert team are here to answer your questions and support you throughout the process. We can help set you up on our business address service so your Registered Office stays compliant with current and future company law.