Registration of charges at Companies House

Charges over a company’s assets must be registered at Companies House. Use our checklist to find out what needs to be filed and when.

Company records

Companies have to keep copies of charge documents at their registered office (or other official inspection location) and make them available for inspection. In the case of charges created before 6 April 2013, companies have to keep a register of them too. As many charges are in place for a number of years, some companies will still have their own register of charges. This should be updated if the charge is released or satisfied and made available for inspection.

All charges must be registered at Companies House. There is a strict time limit for doing so, which can only be extended in limited circumstances by applying to court. It is important that the relevant form is filled out correctly and that it is accompanied by the right enclosures and fee if Companies House rejects the application for registration, it will have to be corrected and resubmitted within the original timeframe.

Personal information

The certified copy of the charge filed with the application may include sensitive personal information, such as an individual’s residential address, banking details and signature. When filing, this information can be omitted or redacted. If a charge is filed including such information in error, an application can be made to Companies House or court to have it removed.