Short answer: yes, you can use your home address as a registered office address for a UK limited company. Companies House accepts it, and it costs nothing. The big catch? That address goes public on the Companies House register for anyone to find — and it can stay there on old filings even after you change it.
What Is a Registered Office Address?
Every limited company in the UK must have a registered office address. This is the company’s official, legal address on record with Companies House. It is where Companies House and HMRC send statutory mail — things like filing reminders, penalty notices and official correspondence.
Here is something many new directors miss: you do not need to actually trade from this address. You can run your whole business from your laptop at the kitchen table. But any mail sent to the registered office is legally deemed to have been delivered — whether you open it or not. So it needs to be somewhere you can reliably receive post.
When you how to register a limited company is already on your reading list, this decision comes up early — and it is worth getting right before you file.
7 Rules for Using a Home Address as a Registered Office
1. It must be a physical UK address
The registered office must be a real, physical address in the UK — and it must be in the same jurisdiction where the company is registered: England and Wales, Scotland, or Northern Ireland. A company registered in England cannot use a Scottish address, for example.
2. No PO Boxes
A PO Box is not allowed as a registered office address. Following rule changes, this also covers third-party services that merely provide a PO-box-style forwarding address rather than a genuine office address.
3. It must pass the “appropriate address” test
Since 4 March 2024, Companies House requires the registered office to be an “appropriate address”. That means two things:
- Post addressed to the company must be expected to come to the attention of someone acting for the company.
- The person sending the post must be able to get confirmation that it has been delivered.
Your home address normally passes this test easily, since you live there and can sign for mail.
4. Your company can be struck off if the address fails
This is not a box-ticking exercise. GOV.UK warns plainly: “Your company could be struck off the Companies House register if you do not provide a registered office address that meets all of these requirements.” See GOV.UK’s rules for company addresses for the full wording.
5. The address becomes public — permanently
This is the rule that catches most people out. Your registered office address appears on the public Companies House register, searchable by anyone, anywhere, for free. Customers, suppliers, competitors, journalists and data scrapers can all look it up.
GOV.UK’s own advice is blunt: if you do not want an address to be publicly available — for example someone’s home — do not use it.
6. Changing it later does not erase history
You can change your registered office address at any time — filing form AD01, which is free to file online via WebFiling. But the old address stays visible on your company’s historical filings. Companies House keeps a permanent public record of every registered office your company has ever had.
To scrub a former home address from those old documents, you must file form SR01, which costs £34 per document that shows the address. You also have to change the address first — you cannot suppress an address that is still the current registered office.
7. Renters need landlord permission
If you rent your home, check your tenancy agreement. Many agreements restrict or prohibit running a registered company from the property without the landlord’s written permission. Get that permission before you file — a dispute later is far more expensive than a five-minute email now.
Home Address vs Alternatives: The Comparison
So what are your options? Here is how using your home stacks up against the main alternatives:
| Option | Cost (typical) | Home stays private? | Mail handling |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your home address | Free | No — published on Companies House | You handle it |
| Accountant or solicitor’s address (with permission) | £50–£150/year | Yes | Usually forwarded or scanned |
| Registered-office / virtual-office service | £100–£300/year | Yes | Included: mail forwarding and scanning |
| Coworking space | £100+/month | Yes | You collect it |
The Three Companies House Address Types: What’s Public?
One of the most confusing parts of forming a company is realising there are three different addresses involved. Only some are public:
| Address type | What it is | Public or private? |
|---|---|---|
| Registered office | The company’s official legal address | Public — on the open register |
| Director’s service address | Where a director receives company-related correspondence | Public — on the open register |
| Director’s usual residential address | The director’s actual home | Private — held on a closed register |
The smart move: your usual residential address is already protected — Companies House keeps it on a private register that the public cannot see. But your service address is published. So instead of using your home as your service address, nominate the registered-office service’s address as your service address too. That way your home never appears on the public register at all.
Worked Example: The True Cost of “Free”
Using your home address feels like the free option. Sometimes it is. But here is what “fixing it later” can look like:
Imagine your home address ends up on 5 filing documents before you decide you want it removed — your incorporation certificate, confirmation statements and a few officer appointments. Each one costs £34 to suppress with form SR01:
5 documents × £34 = £170 one-off cost
Compare that with a registered-office service at roughly £100–£300 a year, which keeps your home address off the register from day one and includes mail scanning. The one-off cleanup bill (£170) can easily exceed a full year of a basic service (£100–£150). In other words: the “free” option can end up costing more than paying for the proper one in the first place.
Risks of Using Your Home Address (Beyond Privacy)
- Junk mail and visits. Once your address is public, expect marketing mail — and, occasionally, uninvited visitors.
- Professional image. Some clients and suppliers do check Companies House, and a residential address can look less established than a proper office address.
- Data-scraper lists. Company data is harvested in bulk; your address can end up in marketing databases you never signed up for.
- Personal safety edge cases. If your business deals with disputes, complaints or debt collection, the registered office is the first address anyone looks up.
There is a serious-risk protection route (section 243) costing £100, but it exists only for genuine risks of violence or intimidation — it is not a general privacy tool.
When Using Your Home Address Makes Sense
It is not always a bad choice. Using your home address can be perfectly reasonable if:
- You are a sole director with no privacy concerns about the address being public.
- Your business is a simple consultancy or online operation with no foot traffic.
- You reliably receive and open your post — remember, mail is deemed delivered.
- You own your home, or your landlord has agreed in writing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use my home address as a registered office address for my limited company?
Yes. Companies House accepts a UK home address as a registered office, and it is free. It must be a physical address in the same jurisdiction as your company’s registration, meet the “appropriate address” test, and you should know it will appear on the public register.
Will my home address be public on Companies House?
Yes. The registered office address is published on the open Companies House register and is searchable by anyone. If you want your home address to stay private, use an alternative such as a registered-office service or your accountant’s address instead.
How do I remove my home address from Companies House?
First change your registered office to a new address by filing form AD01 (free online via WebFiling). Then file form SR01 to suppress the old address from historical documents — this costs £34 per document. You cannot suppress an address that is still the current registered office.
Can I use a PO Box as my registered office address?
No. A PO Box is not permitted as a registered office address, and this extends to third-party PO-box-style services. You need a genuine physical address where the company’s post can be received and delivery confirmed.
Is my director’s home address also published?
Your director’s usual residential address is kept on a private register and is not published. However, your director’s service address is published — so if you list your home as your service address, it will appear publicly. Use a different service address to keep your home off the register.
Conclusion
Using your home address as your registered office is legal, free and perfectly fine for many small companies. But it comes with one big trade-off: that address becomes public, on a permanent record, for everyone to see. For most directors, the small yearly cost of a registered-office service — typically £100 to £300 — is worth paying to keep home life and business life separate.
This guide reflects Companies House/GOV.UK rules as of October 2026; it is information, not legal advice.
