How to Change Your Limited Company's Registered Office Address in the UK

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Things can change fast in the business world, especially for startups and small businesses, and having to change their registered office address is a common scenario for companies at this stage of their growth.

However, although a business’s official address is important (and a legal requirement with HMRC and Companies House), changing it doesn’t have to be a difficult task. In this blog we’re going to take a look at the reasons you might need or want to update your address, the circumstances in which you can do so, and how to actually go about it.

In practice, there are countless reasons why business owners might need to know how to change registered office addresses. This applies equally to both your physical trading premises and to your publicly logged contact information. Depending on your setup, this might point to your real-world base of operations or something like a virtual mailbox address (you can check out our extensive guide on the best virtual mailbox services to compare the best solutions for managing your post).

Although the actual process of changing company addresses isn’t particularly difficult, there are a few other considerations worth taking into account when looking to change your registered company address.

The basics: Companies House registration

Changing company addresses isn’t overly complex, but there are some HMRC rules you’ll need to know if you do decide to change it. This is, after all, the only address to which HMRC and Companies House will send official correspondence relating to your business, so it’s essential that they have the right information on file (and you know the process, so you don’t get caught out).

Businesses that are already registered will have to fill out the AD01 form.

There are both paper and online versions of the ‘AD01 - Change of Registered Office Address’ form available. You shouldn’t use the paper form if your company is in the PROOF (Protected Online Filing) scheme, but if you are sending a hard copy by post, be sure to factor in mailing times when planning around the 14-day requirement.

You won’t be charged by Companies House for changing your business address, and the process will usually take around 2-3 working days from the date it receives your completed forms.

Registered business addresses and your privacy

It’s important to understand that the address you use to register your business with Companies House will be made available on the public register. This can create a potential privacy issue if you’re running a business from home, or from any other remote location that you’d prefer to be kept out of the public domain.

The best way to avoid jeopardising your privacy is to use a virtual office as your registered business address. These virtual addresses aren’t just compliant with the requirements of Companies House and HMRC, but they protect your home address from being accessed by scammers or disgruntled customers, while also enhancing the professional image of your business. What’s more, many providers of virtual office services will also offer professional mail forwarding services that ensure you never miss essential communications.

This isn’t just something new businesses can benefit from. Existing businesses that have already registered with a residential address can boost privacy by securing a virtual office within minutes and updating their registered address with Companies House.

Creating complete privacy: As well as the registered address for your business, all company directors (for Limited Companies) will need to publish their addresses separately (Directors Service Address).  As with the Registered Business Address, there is an option to add on a virtual Directors Service address - for £3 per month as an add-on to your Virtual Office Address - which you can then use in place of your home address. By combining the two options, you create absolute privacy during the business registration process.
Want to find out more about how to get up and running with your own virtual office? Check out our blog outlining how to set up a virtual address for business.

Easy mail handling at a virtual business address

After registering a business address with Companies House, you’re going to start receiving critical postal communications, which means it’s really important that you never miss a mail. If you also promote this address to customers and suppliers, you may receive correspondence from these groups too.

This is where a virtual office service can take your business to the next level. With advanced AI-powered mail handling that makes it easier to manage all of your business post.

There are a few options for mail handling available: you can either use a very basic service where you travel to collect post from the virtual office address provider, have the received mail scanned, digitised and uploaded to an online portal, and/or have the mail forwarded to a location of your choice.

Hoxton Mix’s virtual office service comes with AI-powered mail scanning as standard, with all of your mail uploaded to a secure online customer portal. All of your post will be automatically categorised and summarised by our AI agent HaiRo, making it easier than ever before to deal with business communications. There are built-in workflows that allow you to share your mail with your accountant as well.

When can a company change its business address?

Here are a few scenarios where it makes sense to change a company's address:

• You don’t want your current business address to appear on the public record, so you’ve purchased a virtual office service.
• You don’t want to receive unwelcome visitors and unsolicited mail at the current address. 
• You want to draw a clear distinction between different addresses associated with the company.
• The office is moving within the same UK jurisdiction. 
• The current address isn’t good for your brand image. 
• Your business growth means you need to be seen as more professional in terms of your location.

What to do if you are moving your business to another part of the UK

When you move the company to another city but stay in the same part of the UK—for example, when moving within England or Wales—the change of company address will follow the standard procedure. 

However, if you move to a different jurisdiction, let’s say, from England to Scotland, you can’t simply change a limited company address without re-incorporating it to a Scottish address first. Your company needs to be incorporated in the same region as your new address—the regions are England & Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland. 

This process is the same as converting one business into another and involves: 

• Registering at Companies House
• Transferring your existing business assets
• Notifying stakeholders
• Registering your company for tax and PAYE

Documents required for changing a business address

During the submission of your application to change a registered company address, you will need to provide the following:

• Company name in full (including the type of incorporation, e.g. *Company Name* Limited)
• Company number
• New registered office address in full

If there's a dispute over the address, you will need to submit additional evidence, which might be originals or copies of: 

• A utility bill issued in the last 6 months
• A land registry deed
• A written agreement permitting the use of the address
• A leasehold or freehold
• Written evidence of the service contract (indicating the start and the end)

Steps for changing a registered office address

Here is how to change a registered business address in five quick and easy steps. 

1. Go to Companies House Webfiling

If you want to notify the agency online, go to the government portal and click “Start now”.

On the same page, you will see important information for applicants and instructions for other ways to apply (software, post). 

2. Enter your email address and password

You’ll then be prompted to create or sign in to your GOV.UK One login. If you have an existing WebFiling or Companies House account, or both, you’ll be able to connect them to your GOV.UK One Login here too, if you haven’t done so already. 

The same webfiling service can also be used for the company’s annual statement, returns, information about the members, etc.

3. Fill in the details

Follow the instructions to fill in the necessary fields, including, of course, the old and the new addresses. 

4. Submit your changes 

Double-check the information you’ve provided and send the changes for processing.

5. Get a confirmation email and wait 

You will receive a confirmation email within a few minutes. Go to the portal in a few days and see if your company’s information has been updated. 

Any addresses you’ve used as a registered office in the past stay in the public register for the company’s lifespan and then another 20 years after it is dissolved.
If you submit a Self Assessment tax return, your details should also be updated with HMRC.

Virtual business addresses make it easy to manage change

If your business changes address, either because you’re moving office or moving house (and you work from home), there are a lot of admin tasks to take care of in addition to updating your registered office address with Companies House and HMRC.

You’ll need to update all your customers, clients and suppliers, as well as adjust company letterheads, business cards, website, social media profiles, livery, and so on. This doesn’t just take a lot of time, but can also be quite costly.

However, when you’re registered with a virtual office address, your trading address can change while keeping your official correspondence address the same, meaning you don’t need to spend all of that time updating key stakeholders and business collateral.

If you’d like to learn more about any of our industry-leading cheap virtual business addresses (or our coworking spaces, private office and meeting room hire in the centre of London’s trendy Shoreditch), feel free to get in touch with a member of the Hoxton Mix team today.

Ready to explore address alternatives for your business? Discover our virtual address solutions starting from £0.63 a day.

Have questions? Contact us via live chat, call 020 3475 3374 or email help@hoxtonmix.com

FAQ

How long does it take to change a registered business address?

If you do it online, Companies House should process the form within 2-3 working days from the day you submitted it. If you do it by post, they also take around 2-3 days, but it’s from the day they receive the paper forms - so, you should account for postal delays.

Can I change a company registered address online?

Yes, you can do so easily through the Companies House WebFiling portal. It’s even preferred over the post if you’re approaching the 14-day limit since the day your business relocated, as postal forms may not be received by Companies House in time.

Is it expensive to change a company registered address?

No, Companies House does not charge a fee for changing your address. However, note that there will be a cost for re-incorporating the business if you’re moving into a new UK jurisdiction (e.g. from England to Scotland).

Do I need to inform clients that I changed the trading address?

There’s no legal requirement to inform customers or clients of a change to your trading address, but you are required to make a postal address available to them, either by informing them directly or via your website. Depending on the types of products or services you provide, it may be advisable to contact your customer base and inform them of the change.

Do I need permission from shareholders to change a company’s registered office address?

Yes, you will need permission from members of the company (shareholders, guarantors, and LTD members). If you are renting a physical office location, you will also need permission from the landlord.