How do you hide your address if your company is registered to your home

15th January 2026

If you’re a small business or sole trader operating out of your own home, then registering your office address with Companies House can cause understandable concern. Despite these reasonable concerns, having a registered office address is still a necessary requirement for Companies House.

It is important to recognise that there are ways to file your Companies House application without revealing your residential address to the public. You have a right to protect your personal information, and 99p Company Formations have years of experience helping businesses and individuals do just that.

Why you may want to keep your address private

When you register a limited company using your home address, that address becomes part of the public Companies House register. This information can be accessed by anyone. While it’s rare for company addresses to be misused, many business owners prefer to take reasonable precautions. Common concerns include:

• Protecting personal and family privacy

• Avoiding unsolicited mail or visitors

• Preventing personal data from being widely shared

• Maintaining a clear boundary between work and home

Why do you need a registered address on Companies House?

Companies House requires every limited company to have a registered office address. This address serves several important legal and administrative purposes.

The registered office address is used as the official address for Companies House correspondence and statutory letters, as well as to establish that the company has a legitimate UK presence.

Requirements for your registered office address

Your registered office address must:

• Be a physical address in the UK

• Be located in the same country as your company is registered (England & Wales, Scotland, or Northern Ireland)

• Be capable of receiving official mail

• Be kept up to date at all times

How to keep your home address private?

If you don’t want your home address visible on the public register, there are two main options available.

1. Use a virtual office or registered office service

One of the most common and effective solutions is to use a virtual office or registered office address service. This replaces your home address on the public register with a professional business address.

A virtual office address:

• Appears on Companies House instead of your home address

• Receives official mail on your behalf

• Can forward post to your chosen address

2. Ask Companies House to keep your residential address off the public register

Your residential address as a director is not shown publicly, only your service address is displayed. By using a separate service address, you can ensure your home address remains protected.

In certain limited circumstances, Companies House also allows individuals to apply for additional address protection if there is a serious risk of harm. In this instance, Companies House requires you to provide evidence of harassment or proof of harm, but this is only if you wish to keep your address hidden from credit agencies.

How much does it cost to have your address removed from the public registrar?

In general, it is completely free to have your address removed from the public registrar. However, if you wish to have your address removed from publicly available documents, then you will have to pay £30 for each document due to the additional administrative weight of the process.

If you wish to use a virtual office, this will also cost a modest fee. At 99p Company Formations, you can access a registered office address for only £34.99 a year.

What is a virtual office?

A virtual office provides a real, physical address that your company can use without occupying the space. It’s designed specifically for businesses that operate remotely or from home.

Virtual office services often include use of the address on Companies House, and give you an official address where correspondence can be delivered. Many optional call handling or scanning services, and same day forwarding, so you don’t miss any important information.

How to find a virtual office?

Not all virtual office providers offer the same level of reliability or compliance support. Because your registered office address is used for legal correspondence, it’s essential to choose a provider that understands Companies House requirements and handles mail responsibly.

At 99p Company Formations we understand the pressures that small business experience, and we are all too familiar with the cost of missing correspondence. Our administrative team is highly trained and available for same day forwarding, ensuring you miss absolutely nothing.

Does Companies House accept virtual office addresses?

Yes. Companies House accepts virtual office addresses as long as they meet registered office requirements. This is a common and entirely legitimate solution used by thousands of UK businesses.

How do you change your office details on Companies House?

Changing your registered office address is straightforward:

• The update can be filed online

• There is no Companies House fee for this change

• The new address takes effect from the date Companies House receives it

Looking for a registered office address?

99p Company Formations offers affordable registered office address services designed specifically for home based businesses and startups. We make it easy to protect your privacy while staying fully compliant with Companies House requirements.

Whether you’re forming a new company or updating an existing one, we can help you keep your home address off the public register and manage official correspondence securely.