Companies House ‘Appropriate Address’ Test Explained: What Happens If Your Registered Office Address Gets Rejected

Last Updated on October 2, 2026 by Joy Kyalo

If you run a UK limited company, your registered office address isn’t just a formality on an incorporation form. It’s a legal requirement that Companies House now actively checks. Since March 2024, every company has had to meet what’s known as the “appropriate address” test, and getting it wrong can mean losing control of your own registered office.

In this guide, we’ll break down what the appropriate address test actually involves, why it was introduced, what happens if your address fails the test, and how to fix it if you’ve already been caught out.

Why Was the ‘Appropriate Address’ Rule Introduced?

The appropriate address requirement comes from the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 (ECCTA), which became law in October 2023. The first set of reforms under the Act, including the new address rules, came into force on 4 March 2024.

The change was part of a wider push to improve the accuracy of the Companies House register and clamp down on economic crime. For years, thousands of companies used PO Boxes or “letterbox” addresses that nobody ever checked. Mail piled up unread, directors were untraceable, and shell companies hid behind addresses that existed only on paper. The appropriate address test was designed to close that loophole.

What Counts as an ‘Appropriate Address’?

Under Section 86(2) of the Companies Act 2006 (as amended by ECCTA), an address is only “appropriate” if it meets two conditions:

1. Documents would reach someone acting for the company. In the ordinary course of events, a document delivered to the address by hand or post should be expected to come to the attention of a person acting on behalf of the company.
2. Delivery can be acknowledged. The address must be capable of providing an acknowledgment that a document has been delivered there.

On top of this two-part test, Companies House also requires that the address:

• Is a physical location in the UK, not a PO Box.
• Is in the same UK jurisdiction as the company’s registration. A company registered in Scotland must have its registered office in Scotland; one registered in England and Wales must stay within England and Wales, and so on for Northern Ireland.

Put simply: a real building, where real post gets received and acted on, in the right part of the UK.

PO Boxes Are No Longer Allowed

This is the change that’s caught out the most companies. Before March 2024, Companies House accepted bare PO Box addresses as a registered office. That’s no longer permitted. A standalone PO Box cannot satisfy the “acknowledgment of delivery” part of the test because there’s no one there to confirm receipt or act on what arrives.

If you’re still using a PO Box as your registered office, Companies House expects you to have already updated it. Companies can still use a third-party agent’s address (such as an accountant, solicitor, or a registered office address provider) as long as that address itself meets the appropriate address conditions.

If you’re weighing up what to switch to instead of a bare PO Box, our [PO Box alternatives post] walks through the practical options.

What Happens If Your Address Gets Rejected?

This is where the consequences get serious. Companies House now has the power to actively query and act on registered office addresses it considers inappropriate — it isn’t just a rule sitting quietly in the background.

If Companies House decides your registered office is not appropriate, here’s the process:

1. Your address is changed to a Companies House default address. This happens without you needing to do anything. Companies House simply moves your registered office on the public register.
2. You get a window to respond. You’ll be expected to provide an appropriate address, along with evidence showing your company’s genuine connection to it, generally within 28 days.
3. If you don’t respond, strike-off proceedings can begin. Failing to provide evidence of a valid address within the given window can lead to your company being struck off the register entirely.

There’s also a financial angle: failing to maintain an appropriate registered office address is a compliance failure that can carry a fine on top of the address being moved. And because your registered office address is publicly listed, having it flagged and reverted to a “default” Companies House address is a visible red flag to anyone who looks up your company, including clients, lenders, and suppliers.

If your address has already been changed to a default one, don’t panic, but don’t sit on it either. You (or your formation agent) can file the correct, appropriate address using your company’s authentication code through the Companies House online service.

How to Make Sure Your Registered Office Passes the Test

A few practical checks can save you from ever hitting this problem:

• Drop the PO Box. If you’re still using one, switch now rather than waiting for Companies House to flag it.
• Confirm the jurisdiction matches. Double-check your registered office sits in the same UK country as your company’s registration.
• Use an address where mail is actively managed. Whether that’s your own premises or a third-party provider, someone needs to be available to receive and act on posts sent there, rather than letting it pile up unopened.
• Keep evidence of your link to the address. If Companies House ever queries it, you’ll want to show quickly that you have a genuine arrangement in place.

For many small businesses, directors working from home, or companies that don’t want their residential address on the public register, a commercial registered office address is the simplest way to satisfy all of this in one go. At BusinAssist, our registered office and virtual office service is built specifically around the appropriate address rules. Mail is received at a real, staffed UK address and forwarded to you, so there’s always someone there to acknowledge delivery.

A Wider Pattern of Reform

The appropriate address test isn’t a one-off change. It’s part of a broader rollout of reforms under ECCTA, alongside the new requirement for a registered email address and the “lawful purpose” statement that companies must now confirm. If you want the fuller picture of what’s changed (and what’s still coming) at Companies House, our [Changes in Companies House Requirements] post rounds it all up. Businesses that keep a general watching brief on these updates tend to avoid getting caught out by any single change, address rules included.

FAQs:

Q: Can I still use a PO Box for anything related to my company?
Ans: You can use a PO Box for general correspondence, but not as your registered office address. Since 4 March 2024, Companies House requires a physical address that meets the appropriate address test for this purpose.

Q: What’s the difference between a registered office address and a service address?
Ans: The registered office is your company’s official address on the public register, used for statutory correspondence from Companies House, HMRC, and the courts. A director’s service address is a separate, publicly listed contact address for that individual and can be located anywhere in the world, not just the UK.

Q: Can I use my home address as my registered office?
Ans: Yes, as long as it meets the appropriate address conditions. Bear in mind that your registered office address is published on the public register, so many directors choose a commercial address instead to keep their home address private.

Q: How long do I have to fix an inappropriate address once it’s flagged?
Ans: Companies House generally gives you 28 days to provide an appropriate address, along with evidence of your company’s link to it, once your registered office has been moved to a default address.

Q: Does using a third-party or agent’s address automatically count as appropriate?
Ans: Not automatically. A third-party agent’s address, including a registered office address service, only qualifies if it independently meets the appropriate address test. This means it must be a physical UK location where the post is received and acknowledged.

Q: Is a registered office address the same requirement for all UK company types?
Ans: Yes. The appropriate address rule applies to all companies incorporated in the UK, including incorporated partnerships, not just standard limited companies.

Read Also:

• What Is a Registered Office Address? Key Facts Every Entrepreneur Should Know
• Someone Has Registered a Company at My Address in the UK – Understanding Your Rights
• Can a Virtual Office Address Be Used as a Registered Office Address?
• The Best Registered Office Address Providers in the UK: How to Choose the Right One for Your Business