Look up your company on Companies House and the registered office reads "Companies House Default Address, PO Box 4385, Cardiff, CF14 8LH"? That means Companies House has moved your company's registered office to its own default address. It's a serious warning sign, and you should act straight away.
What the default address is
Every UK company must have an appropriate address as its registered office: a UK address where documents delivered there are expected to come to someone's attention, and where delivery can be acknowledged. When Companies House concludes that a company's registered office isn't appropriate, it can move the company to the default address.
Why companies get moved
- Someone (for example a property owner or former address provider) complained that the company is using their address without permission.
- Post sent to the address was returned undelivered.
- The company's address service ended and nobody replaced it.
- The address was a PO box or another address that doesn't meet the "appropriate address" rules introduced by the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act.
You can read Companies House's own explanation in its guidance on registered office address disputes.
What's at risk
Being on the default address isn't a holding pattern; it's the start of a countdown.
- Strike-off: if you don't move to an appropriate address within the time Companies House allows, it can start striking the company off the register.
- No post: Companies House doesn't forward mail sent to the default address. You may miss tax letters, court papers and bank notices.
- Frozen accounts: banks and payment platforms such as PayPal, Stripe, Wise and Payoneer check the public register. A company on the default address, or one that's being struck off, can have its accounts restricted and funds held.
- Credibility: customers and suppliers can see the default address on the public record.
How to fix it: step by step
- Get an appropriate address. Use an address you're entitled to use, such as a professional registered office address service that accepts and scans post for you.
- Apply to change the registered office from the default address. Companies House has a specific application for this, and you must show the new address is appropriate. A normal address change won't work while you're on the default address.
- Wait for the review. Companies House checks the application and updates the register.
- Check your registered email address is also correct, so official messages reach you.
- Tell your bank and payment platforms that the address is fixed, especially if they've restricted your account.
How long you have
Companies House sets a deadline for moving off the default address. If you miss it, it can begin strike-off action. Don't wait for a second letter: once you notice the default address, fix it the same week.
If your company has already been struck off
A dissolved company can sometimes be restored through administrative restoration (if it was struck off by Companies House and the application is made within six years) or by a court order. Restoration costs more and takes longer than fixing the address in time, which is why acting early matters.
How to avoid it happening again
- Use a stable, professional registered office with mail scanning.
- Renew your address service before it expires.
- Keep your registered email address up to date.
- Track your company: our portal shows your Companies House status and warns you if the default address appears.
We'll fix it for you
Our Default Address Change service provides an appropriate London address, prepares and files the application, and keeps an eye on your company record. While you're at it, check your confirmation statement deadline too, as companies on the default address often have other filings overdue.
