When you set up a limited company in the UK, you’re legally required to provide a registered office address for your business. It has to be a physical location in the same country that your company is registered in, and it’s where all your HMRC and statutory documents will be sent. So it’s a pretty important piece of information!
We often find that when they’re just starting out, founders tend to use their home address as their registered office address on Companies House. It makes sense, right? You don’t have the cashflow for an office space, and you’re doing most of the hard work from your kitchen table.
However, while it’s perfectly legal to use your home address as your registered business address on Companies House, it might not be the best idea in the long term. Companies House is a public record, which means that anyone can access the website to find information on the company’s name, address, directors, and shareholders. Which means that if you’ve used your home address, anyone will be able to locate and view it!
Don’t worry. There are lots of ways to get around this issue, and it’s possible to change your Companies House address. This blog post will look at affordable alternatives to using your home address, and explain the process of how to change your correspondence address on Companies House.
How to Choose Your Registered Company Address
Okay, so we’ve already covered that it’s not the best idea to use your home address as your limited company address on Companies House. This is because Companies House is a public record easily accessible online, which means that anyone could search your company and discover your address.
But if you can’t use your home address and you haven’t got an office space, you may be wondering – what address can I use on Companies House?
Use a Virtual Office
A modern and affordable alternative to using your home address on Companies House is using a virtual office address. A virtual office is a registered office address service that provides you with a registered office address without you having to pay expensive overheads including rent and maintenance.
For a small fee per month, you get to use your registered office address provider’s virtual office address, which is a physical location often in a desirable location. So you get all the benefits of a professional registered business address for a fraction of the cost of renting a physical office space!
This is especially good if you’re keen to get a registered office address in a renowned business hub like London. One of the cheapest virtual office London providers is Impact Brixton, where you can get a virtual registered office address in London from just 0.41p per day. That means that you can use their virtual office London address in SW9 8LE as your registered company address, effortlessly giving your brand a professional and credible reputation.
Impact Brixton also has the added benefit of being a shared office space in London, which means that you can hotdesk on the days where you don’t feel like working from home, hire a meeting room to meet your clients in person, and attend networking and educational events to grow your network. So not only is it an ideal registered company address service, it’s also the perfect solution to modern hybrid working!
To read more about the benefits of using a virtual office as your registered company address, check out our blog post.
How to Change Your Company Registered Address
If you’ve already registered your company using your home address, but you’ve decided that you’d prefer to use a virtual office to help protect your privacy and boost your brand with a professional business address, you’ll need to change your address on Companies House.
But don’t worry! It’s perfectly possible to make a registered office address change on Companies House. WIth Companies House, you can change your address online.
– and the great news is there’s no fee to change your registered office address.
Here’s how to change your company address:
- Head to the find and update company information page on the Gov UK website.
- Search for your company to see your current Companies House registered address.
- Click on the ‘file for this company’ tab and follow the simple instructions.
- Enter your new registered office address UK.
- Submit your changes.
- Look out for a confirmation email, which should arrive within a few minutes and confirm your Companies House change of address form has been received.
And that’s all it takes to change your limited company address! Once you’ve updated your address with Companies House, don’t forget to update your address on your website, and on any order forms, receipts or business cards.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How do I change my company address?
It’s quick and easy to change your company address on Companies House, and there’s no fee for updating your registered business address. All you need to do is head to the find and update company information page on the Gov UK website and follow the instructions. Or, you can follow the six simple steps set out above!
Can you change your address on Companies House?
Yes, you can easily change your business address on Companies House, and it’s free to do so. All you need to do is navigate to the find and update company information page on the Gov UK website and follow the steps.
What address should I use on Companies House?
You have a few options of what address to use on Companies House. It’s perfectly legal to use your home address, but as Companies House is a public record of information which makes your business address easily accessible online, you might not want to use your personal details.
Instead, you could consider using a virtual office, which is a service that allows you to use a professional office address in a renowned district hub for a fraction of the price of renting a physical space. For a cheap virtual office option, check out Impact Brixton – a prime limited company address service in London.
Can I use my home address as my business address?
Yes, you can – but you might not want to. Don’t forget that when you use your home address as your registered business address, it becomes publicly available on the Companies House website. So if you’re not comfortable sharing that information, you might be better off using a virtual office instead.
Can I use a virtual address for Companies House?
Yes, you can! This is a great way to protect your privacy and give your business a boost with a professional reputation. If you’re searching for the best registered office address provider UK, check out Impact Brixton. This is a cheap virtual office that can also provide you with access to a physical coworking space with professional meeting rooms. So you can enjoy all the benefits of having a professional office space at a fraction of the cost.
Can an address be removed from Companies House?
You cannot ask to remove your company’s registered office address from Companies House. So even if you’ve used your home address, you can’t remove it unless you replace it with another address, which is where services like virtual offices come in useful. Scroll up to find step-by-step instructions on how to change your registered office address on Companies House!
If you used your home address as your service address (or ‘correspondence’ address), it is possible to instruct Companies House to stop providing your address in certain instances. You can ask Companies House to remove the address from the register, and in some circumstances you can ask them to withhold it from credit reference agencies. To find out more, check out this Gov UK webpage.
Conclusion
Your company registered address has implications for both your home life and your business. Companies House is a public record that is easily accessible online, so using your home address as your registered office address might not be the best idea. Instead, consider using a virtual office in Central London or another renowned district hub to give your business a professional and credible reputation.
Impact Brixton would be delighted to be your virtual office London. Check out our subscriptions, starting at just 0.41p per day.
