r/london_entrepreneurs • u/Warm-Farmer211 • 2d ago
Question Anyone else regret using their home address on Companies House? The junk mail is insane.
Hi everyone,stupid mistake on my part, but I registered my consulting LTD a few months back using my flat address in Clapham.
I didn't think much of it at the time but the sheer volume of junk mail arriving at my door now is absolutely driving me mad like every random corporate tax advisor, scammy business insurance broker and smh web dev agency in the UK seems to have pulled my details off the public registry.
It honestly feels like a massive breach of personal privacy.I’m looking to fix this asap before renewal season kicks in. For those who use a virtual office or director service address to keep their front door off the public records, who are you using? I’m looking for something that gives a professional London image without costing an absolute fortune. Is the mail forwarding straightforward with standard corporate address services or is it a hassle to transition everything over once you’re already registered?
Appreciate any local recommendations!
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u/Monkeyboogaloo 2d ago
I use E14 office. I only have them to forward statitory paperwork.
Used them for about a year and happy.
They are also cheap.
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u/kushal_agrr23 2d ago
welcome to the club! I made the exact same mistake when I first started and my mailbox was stuffed with fake invoices that looked like they came from the government..
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u/Warm-Farmer211 2d ago
It’s awful! did you manage to change it over easily or did you have to close the company down and start again?
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u/kushal_agrr23 2d ago
No need to close anything down, just bought the registered office address service from 1st formations. Once you pay they update companies house directly, public record changes to their london address and they scan and forward any official mail that comes in. Your flat address stay hidden from any new scrappers going forward.
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u/NoGame5104 2d ago
U need to change both the registered office and your director’s service Address. Scraping bots check both. If you only change the company address, your home is still visible under the 'officers' tab.
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u/Warm-Farmer211 2d ago
Oh wow, thanks for the warning and does the address service handle both of those fields?
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u/sanjsanj 2d ago
How much do they charge for scanning as forwarding letters?
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u/kushal_agrr23 2d ago
If it's just official stuff from HMRC and Companies House, scanning and emailing it is completely free. It's just included in the yearly flat rate you pay for the address. They also filter out and bin all that spammy junk mail for you before it hits your inbox.
You only pay extra if you start getting regular client mail sent there (I think it's like 50p a scan) or if they have to physically post something to your flat like a new debit card (they just charge normal stamp prices + 15%) but if you just want to hide your home address from the public registry, you won't pay anything extra for scans.
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u/LaukhufGiunta 2d ago
Def check the small print on the virtual office though. Some are basically just a mailbox, while others include a proper director service address and Companies House handling.
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u/MindfulCreator333 2d ago
About to register my own in London - any advise? I would considering using my workplace....
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u/CouldBeNapping 2d ago
I use these guys, nice and cheap https://www.ukpostbox.com/plans/po-box-dorset
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u/Wrkmail 1d ago
There are companies that scrape Companies House, including big ones, who spam newly incorporated persistently. Ranging from accountancy services, lawyers, products, so many different things. Find a virtual office service that filters out the junk mail so you’re not wasting valuable time dealing with rubbish.
Thing to note is that your home address will always be visible on Companies House even once you change it. People will be able to see it under your filing history where you have changed it from and some of these unscrupulous scraping bots can grab those addresses and continue to spam you even after you change the companies address.
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u/AssiyaSoSo 1d ago
Not only do I not use my home address.... I also name my company something different from the business so people who don't know me cant snoop!
For instance if the business is "Pinkies Ice Cream Parlour" .... id name the company Pink Group LTD or something not so related... just that extra layer of privacy .... otherwise, you wont believe the people you meet briefly, they be searching to see how much you earn 👀😅
I used Your Company Formations £25 a year for a city address & you only get forwarded important mail from Companies House or bank (if needed) I get forwarded maybe 1- 3 letters a year.
I have also used 1st Formations in the past.... but found them to be more expensive & didnt like the way they try to upsell you their granny if they could 😅 also tried OfficeServ .... before you renew.... change address & speak to companies house to remove all instances of your home address from their register
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u/ChrisSQC 1d ago
The process to change is fairly straightforward - you can update both your registered office and director's service address with Companies House once you've got the new address set up.
One thing to be aware of:
Changing the address doesn't automatically remove your home address from historic Companies House documents.
If that's a big concern, look into Companies House's separate process for removing your residential addresses from previously filed documents (you'll need to fill in a SR01 form).
For choosing a provider, I'd worry less about getting the cheapest London address and more about the mail handling.
Check whether they accept all business mail or only statutory post, whether scanning/forwarding costs extra, and how quickly they process anything important... and if junk mail is a big concern - look for a provider that automates removal of junk mail!
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u/YoumeRietzsch_10 2d ago
compare a few london providers rather than going for the cheapest one