What is a Director’s Service Address? (& Why You'll Want One)

There’s a lot to do when starting up a business, but one of the first is to register it with Companies House.

To do this requires you to make an important first decision: if you don’t have dedicated office space, what address should you use to register yourself as a company director?

In this article we’re going to explore what a director’s service address is, the differences between them and the other addresses company directors must provide, and why you should use a virtual office provider rather than your home address.

What is a director’s service address?

When registering a company with Companies House, every director must provide a director’s service address (also known as a correspondence address), which is an official correspondence address for a company director. 

This is a legal requirement for UK company directors, and is where Companies House, HMRC and other government bodies will send personal statutory mail. The address you provide as your director’s service address will be listed on the Companies House public register.

Note: that you must also provide a residential address, but this won’t be publicly available information.

Who needs a director’s service address?

There are four groups of people that need to provide Companies House with a service address:

• Directors of limited companies (including shadow directors and de facto directors)
• Persons with Significant Control (PSC’s) – anybody owning over 25% of the share capital/voting rights
• Designated members of limited liability partnerships (LLPs)
• Secretaries of limited companies (where applicable)

Even when you set up a dormant Company, you still have to file a service address. Please see our dormant company registration guide for further details.

Can you use your home address as a director service address?:

Your home address is accepted by Companies House as your director’s service address, but there are a number of reasons we wouldn’t recommend it:

• Privacy: your home address will be discoverable through the Companies House public register by everyone including customers, employees and investors.
• Unwanted marketing: companies that want to market their products or services to your business will also be able to find your residential address, meaning you’ll receive more junk mail and cold callers to your home.
• Mail handling: any statutory mail sent by Companies House or HMRC is usually time-sensitive, and should be dealt with quickly to avoid fines or penalties. However, if all of this correspondence is mixed in with your family post, it’ll be much more likely you’ll miss something important.

It’s possible to change your service address in the future, but we advise using a service address provider from day one, rather than using your home address when you first register your new business with Companies House.

Registered office address vs. director service address

The director’s service address is distinct from the company’s registered office address:

• Registered office address: the official address of the Company. Official documents are received here including from HMRC, Companies House and any formal documentation requiring official notice. All companies must provide one.
• Director service address: the personal mailing address of each director. Each director’s name will show alongside their mailing address on the Companies House register. This address is where all official correspondence specific to the director is sent to.

Most virtual office services include both a registered office address and director service address. For example, at Hoxton Mix, our virtual office plans start from less than £21 per month for a registered office address,  while we also offer a director’s service address (named Full Privacy Service during checkout) for an additional £3 per month. See our registered office addresses guide for further details.

Director service address vs SAIL address

A SAIL (Single Alternative Inspection Location) address is a type of address that UK companies can use to store their company registers, making them available for public inspection at a different location from their registered office address. Where applicable, this includes the following registers:

• Register of members (i.e., shareholders or guarantors)
• Register of directors
• Register of directors’ usual residential addresses
• Register of secretaries
• Register of People with Significant Control (PSC)
• Register of charges and mortgages

The main reason for a company using a SAIL address is if a director has used their residential address as the registered office address, and doesn’t want to have public inspections conducted at their home. Additional reasons you might need a SAIL address include:

• Your registered office is difficult to find or access
• The director isn’t based at the registered office address and wants to store records where they usually work from
• Care of the registers is managed by a third-party based at a different location

How to set up a director’s service address

You have three options when it comes to providing Companies House with a service address (if you don’t want to use your home address):

Option one: use a virtual office provider

The easiest and best solution for most small businesses is to obtain a service address from a virtual office provider like Hoxton Mix. 

Our packages include a dedicated registered office address as standard, and you can add our Full Privacy Service (a director’s service address) for a small additional cost.

Option two: use your accountant’s address

Some accountants will permit their clients to use their offices’ address for the registered office and service address. However, there are a couple of issues with this:

1. Accountants aren’t experts at handling mail, and ensuring your official correspondence is dealt with effectively is secondary to their primary work.
2. If you want to change your accounting firm you’ll also have to go through the process of changing your service address.
3. There may also be a charge that varies per accountancy - make sure to check.

Option three: utilise a coworking space

You can use a coworking space as a service address, but only if the provider permits it and offers mail handling services.

However, this will likely be far more expensive than a virtual office, and you’ll have to provide a new service address  if you terminate your membership.

Changing your service address

To change your director service address simply complete form CH01 (change of director details) and submit it to Companies House. You can do this online through the Companies House webfiling system or by sending the completed paper version via post. Many virtual office services will automatically deal with filing the amended form for you as part of their overall service.

With Hoxton Mix, we supply your new London service address immediately after signing up, and we’ll assist with updating your Companies House records accordingly.

How much does a director’s service address cost?

Our Full Privacy Service provides you with a service address that can be used on the Companies House register for just £3 per month per director, or £30 when billed annually.

If in addition to your service address you also want a registered office address and mail scanning/forwarding then our Virtual Office packages begin at approximately £21 monthly (£249.99 annual).

Cost comparison

Below is how the some major alternatives compare in terms of price:

Consequences of failing to provide a service address

All directors are required to have a service address recorded with Companies House under the Companies Act 2006. 

If you fail to provide one, Companies House may refuse to accept you as a director. If your details go out-of-date and you do not update them within 14 days, you may incur fines or even prosecution. Additionally, Companies House can strike-off companies whose director information is either incorrect or absent.

How Hoxton Mix can help

Maintain your privacy and keep your home address off the Companies House register with Hoxton Mix. 

Our Full Privacy Service costs just £3 per month per director when purchased alongside our virtual office packages, available from under £21/month, providing everything you’ll need to register your business with a professional, London-based address.

Launch a virtual office today - setup takes less than 5 minutes.

FAQ

Can I use a virtual address as my director service address?

Yes. A virtual office address is fully compliant as a director service address under UK company law, as long as the director has permission to use it, and the director can be contactable at that address. Thousands of UK company directors use virtual office addresses for their Companies House filings.

Is a director service address the same as a registered office?

No, but they can be the same address. The registered office is the company official address. The director service address is the individual director correspondence address. Both appear on the Companies House public register.

How much does a director service address cost?

The Full Privacy Service at Hoxton Mix costs £3 per month or £30 per year per director/UBO. Virtual office plans that include both registered office and director service address start from under £24 per month ex. VAT (£279.99/year ex. VAT).

Can I use a PO Box as a director’s service address?

No. Companies House does not accept PO Box addresses as a service address. You need a real physical address. A virtual office provides a genuine London address that is fully compliant.

Do all directors need a service address?

Yes, every director and person with significant control (PSC) must have a service address on the Companies House register. This includes shadow directors and de facto directors.

Can I change my director’s service address later?

Yes, you can change it at any time by filing form CH01 with Companies House. This can be done online or by post. Most virtual office providers handle this for you.

What is the difference between a service address and a SAIL address?

A service address is the directors personal correspondence address on the public register. A SAIL (Single Alternative Inspection Location) address is where company records are available for public inspection, if those records are stored at a location that’s different to the registered office address.

Can I use my accountant address as a director service address?

Yes, but this ties you to that accountant, while they’re not specialists at mail handling. If you change accountants, you will need to update Companies House, meaning a virtual office is a more flexible and appropriate solution.

Do I need a service address for a dormant company?

Yes. Even dormant companies must have directors with valid service addresses on the Companies House register. The requirements are the same as for active companies.

Is my home address still visible if I change to a virtual office?

Your new service address will appear on current records, but historical filings showing your old home address remain visible on Companies House. This is why it is best to use a service address from the start.