A registered office is a location which is known as a company’s official residence. The location of the address is recorded at Companies House and will be used to send all statutory documents to the company.
Every UK Limited Company is required to have a registered office at all times during its existence. In order to incorporate a company, it is a mandatory requirement that a registered office address is specified at the time of formation.
Business Trading Address
A registered office location is not the same as a business trading address. Whilst it is possible for a company to have its official statutory address at a location from which it trades, this is never assumed without the proper notification being given.
Change of Registered Office Address
It is possible to change a company’s registered office at anytime by making the application online or by using the Form 287.
Form 287 should note the new location of the registered office and be signed by a company director or secretary. The completed document should be sent to the registrar of Companies for approval and implementation.
Once the change of registered office application has been approved, the old address is still valid for a period of fourteen days. During this time, the company should retain the facility to access any statutory mail sent there.
Using a Home Address as a Registered Office
The choice of whether or not to use a home address as a registered office would depend on individual preference.
The desire to avoid receiving unsolicited junk mail usually is an important consideration, which might result in a third party location being used.
In addition, having a publicly disclosed registered office might lead to unannounced visitors to the home, which at best might be inconvenient.
