What Is A Registered Office Address? Everything You Need To Know in 2025

Table of Contents

Launching your own business is incredibly exciting, and there are a lot of advantages to being your own boss that you’re about to benefit from.

Setting your own hours, only working on the projects you’re really interested in and retaining more of the income you earn are just three of the things you can look forward to—but there are also a lot of things you have to be aware of.

One of the first things you’ll need to do is choose a registered office address so that you can register your business with the HMRC. While that sounds simple enough, there’s a lot you need to think about.

Understanding registered office addresses

Let’s take a closer look at registered office addresses, including what they are, the associated legal requirements and what types of companies need them.

What is a registered office address?

A registered office address is the official address of a limited company or limited liability partnership (LLP), as recorded at Companies House. It’s where all statutory correspondence from the government and HMRC is sent and, since March 2024, it must be a physical address in the UK rather than a PO Box.

By contrast, a service address is the official contact address for a company director, secretary, shareholder or PSC (person with significant control). It’s where official correspondence is sent and, like a registered office address, it must be a real UK address, though it can be the same as the registered office.

Legal requirements and obligations

Every UK limited company and LLP is legally required to have a registered office address before they start trading. 

The registered address must be located in the same UK jurisdiction in which the company is registered—i.e. England and Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland—and it must be a genuine street address, not just a PO Box. Even if your business operates remotely or based in your own home, the registered office must always be an address where official correspondence can be reliably received and processed.

Your registered office address will be made publicly available on the Companies House website, meaning anyone can view it, including clients, suppliers and members of the public.

If you fail to register with Companies House or you do not keep the registered office details up to date, you may face penalties such as fines, compliance notices or even the risk of being struck off the register, while directors can also be held personally liable for failing to meet statutory filing obligations.

Who needs a registered office address?

A registered office address is required for any business that wants to be incorporated in the UK, even if the directors of that company are based abroad. This includes limited companies and LLPs.

However, note that sole traders and partnerships do not need to register with Companies House, although they do still need to provide an address to HMRC when registering for self-assessment.

Your registered office address options

UK businesses have three options for registering an office address with HMRC and Companies House:

• Your home address
• Commercial office space
• A virtual office in London or based elsewhere in the UK

So, what are the key considerations when choosing between these three options?

Using your home address

When you first launch your new business, there’s a good chance you won’t yet have a dedicated office space. After all, you probably won’t have any employees yet, and depending on the nature of your business, an office might not be appropriate anyway.

For that reason, a lot of business owners start by registering their company at their home address. It’s probably where they’ll be working from; it doesn’t cost them any extra money, and you can get going straight away.

However, there are a number of issues with using your family home as your registered office address.

First of all, and most importantly, your registered address will be publicly available on the Companies House website. This means anyone can look it up, putting the privacy of you and your family at risk.

Secondly, you have to think about whether or not a residential address portrays a professional image. For some businesses, for example, a mobile nail technician or make-up business, a home address would be perfectly suitable. Less so for a professional services business, such as accountancy.

Finally, you’re also running the risk of mixing up important business correspondence from HMRC or Companies House with your regular household mail, and missing important filing deadlines that could result in financial penalties.

Commercial office addresses

Leasing a dedicated commercial office used to be the standard for the majority of businesses, and it is still the ambition for a lot of business owners. However, office space costs make it out of reach for the vast majority of new businesses, indeed, even most well-established small businesses.

Unsurprisingly, the most expensive office space per square metre can be found in London (£70-£150 on average), but it’s not cheap anywhere in the UK.

Tying yourself into a commercial office lease also restricts your flexibility—one of the best things about being your own boss. You can’t work from anywhere in the world if you're based in a single location. Remember, your registered office will be where all of the correspondence from HMRC and Companies House will be sent, and you need to be available to receive it and act on it if necessary.

Virtual office and registered office services

So, how do you address the challenges of protecting your privacy and creating a professional business image, without having to pay a fortune for commercial office space? With a virtual office and registered office service.

A virtual office fulfils the legal requirements of a registered office address because it’s a genuine physical location, unlike a P.O. box, but it also offers so much more.

For example, our virtual office service doesn’t just provide you with an address you can use to register your business, but we’ll also organise, digitise and deliver all of your business mail. This means you can work from anywhere in the world with internet access and still receive your important correspondence.

We dive deeper into the benefits of a professional registered office service below.

Benefits of professional registered office services

There are three main benefits of choosing a registered office address via a provider like Hoxton Mix, compared to using your home address or leasing dedicated office space:

1. Privacy and security protection
2. Enhanced business credibility
3. Operational convenience

Depending on the provider you choose, there may be additional business services included - to find out more have a look at our article the cost of virtual offices.

Let’s take a closer look.

Privacy and security protection

As mentioned above, your registered office address will be publicly listed on the Companies House website. This puts the privacy of your family at risk, as everyone from disgruntled customers to suppliers can find your home address.

A virtual office eliminates this problem completely, because you can use that address to register your business with Companies House. For example, when you use Hoxton Mix’s registered office address service, your business will be listed at our central London office on Paul Street, Shoreditch.

It also makes it easier to keep your home life and work life separate, as your business mail will be sent directly to your inbox, rather than getting mixed up with your family's post.

Enhanced business credibility

If your business is registered to a residential address, it might make your potential customers or clients think that you’re not very well established or credible. It also highlights that you’re probably quite a small operation. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, depending on what your business offers, but some people could see it as a red flag.

By contrast, virtual office addresses are located in places you’d expect to find established businesses that consumers can trust, for example, in Shoreditch—London’s creative hub.

Operational convenience

Registered address services don’t just provide you with a suitable business address, but also a number of other important operational benefits.

You can feel confident that you’re complying with your legal obligations and that you’re never going to miss important business correspondence, while you can also work from anywhere, whether that’s at home, from a co-working space or while travelling.
Service providers like Hoxton Mix also offer a wide range of supplementary services, such as free business banking and accountancy services, as well as a number of discounts on software and services that can help take your business to the next level.

How to choose the right registered office solution

You have a few options when it comes to registered office solution providers, so how do you identify the one that’s right for you?

Assessing your business needs

When choosing the right registered office solution for your business, it’s important to start by assessing your specific needs based on your business type and industry. 

As we’ve discussed, you may be tempted to use your home address to keep costs low, but this causes issues around privacy and professional image. 

By contrast, businesses in regulated or client-facing industries benefit from using a more credible, commercial address to inspire trust. A virtual office can provide the best of both worlds, offering a central, professional address without the overhead of a physical office.

Your business’s growth stage is another key consideration. New businesses need to stay lean, making a virtual office a cost-effective alternative to leasing a dedicated workspace, while allowing for flexibility and scalability as your operation expands. 
For more established businesses with a larger team, a commercial office might be necessary, but even then, a virtual office can serve as a secondary address for mail handling or a presence in another city if you want to appear for local enquiries in a specific location. However, with business budgets under pressure like never before, virtual offices are particularly appealing, providing professional benefits like mail forwarding, a virtual office number with call handling, and meeting room access at a fraction of the cost of a traditional lease.

Comparing your options

For a new business, one of the biggest factors in every decision is cost. When it comes to your registered service address, the cost comparison is relatively simple:

However, you should also be considering service level offerings. What do you get for your money, beyond a registered business address? 

Key factors to consider

When selecting a registered office solution, the location of the address plays a significant role in how your business is perceived. A prestigious address in a well-known area, such as central London, can enhance your company’s credibility and give the impression of an established, professional operation — even if you’re working remotely. 

It’s also important to look closely at how your mail will be handled, and a reliable provider should be transparent about their offering and prices. Hoxton Mix offers an easy-to-understand pricing structure. Our virtual office plan with AI-powered mail handling starts from £19 per month, with additional services available as bolt-ons.

These additional services can add real value and support your day-to-day operations, especially if you’re not yet ready to commit to a full-time office. Finally, make sure the provider you choose is well-reviewed and has a solid reputation, including testimonials and online reviews, and check how long they’ve been operating. Reliability is crucial when it comes to something as fundamental as your company’s registered office.

Setting up your registered office address

Ready to set up your registered office address? It’s a quick and easy process.

Registration process

Registering for a virtual office address couldn’t be simpler, and with Hoxton Mix, you can secure yours within 10 minutes. Fortunately, the process of registering your business with Companies House is also relatively simple.

You’ll first need to choose a suitable company name and decide on your company structure. Most businesses opt for a private company limited by shares (Ltd). 

You’ll then need to provide key details, including your company’s new registered office address, the names of at least one director, and information about any shareholders and share capital.

You can incorporate your new business online through the Companies House website or digital accounting software for a fee of £50, and the process usually completes within 24 hours. Alternatively, you can use a paper application for a fee of £71. 

Once approved, you’ll receive a Certificate of Incorporation confirming your company’s legal existence. From that point, your business is officially registered, and you can begin trading.

Changing your registered office

If you’re changing your registered office address, you can do so using the government’s online service. You must tell Companies House within 14 days of the change taking place.

Summary and recommendations

Are you ready to launch your new business? Navigating the decision about your registered office address is one of the first things you need to get right.

Key takeaways and recommendations:

• Protect your privacy by avoiding the use of your home address
• Choose a prestigious address to boost credibility (e.g. central London)
• Ensure efficient mail handling to avoid missing important notices
• Compare service levels, not just costs — look for extras like virtual office mail forwarding, call handling and meeting rooms
• Check provider reliability, including reviews and how long they’ve been operating
• Register online quickly and easily via Companies House or a trusted provider like Hoxton Mix

Ready to find out how Hoxton Mix’s virtual office service can offer you all the benefits of a dedicated commercial office without any of the cost? Get in touch with the team today, or get started with your new virtual office immediately.