I received a letter for a company registered at my address – What Should I Do?

It can be alarming and confusing to receive a letter for a company registered in your address when you have no connection to that business. You might worry about financial liability, identity theft, or simply having your home address used without permission.

We understand your concern. At GoSolo, we occasionally send marketing materials based on the publicly available Companies House register. If you have received a letter from us or any other sender addressed to a company you don't recognise, here is a clear guide on the steps you should take.

Why Is an Unknown Company Registered at My Address?

When a company is formed in the UK, it must provide a registered office address, which is then publicly listed on the Companies House register. There are two main reasons why an unknown company might be using your personal address:

1. Administrative Error: The company director or formation agent made a genuine mistake when entering the address details.
2. Fraudulent Activity: Unfortunately, a rare but not uncommon scenario involves potential fraudsters registering a company at a random address to avoid being easily traced or to give the appearance of legitimacy.

In either case, you must take action to have your address removed from the public record for the unauthorised company.

Immediate Steps: What to Do Next

The official UK government body responsible for company registration is Companies House. They have a specific process for reporting the unauthorised use of your address.

Step 1: Gather Information and Do Not Panic

Keep the letter you received, noting the full name of the company and the company registration number (if available). While this situation is concerning, it typically has no impact on your credit rating or personal finances, as the debts of a limited company are separate from its directors’ personal finances (unless fraud is proven).

Step 2: Report to Companies House Immediately

This is the most crucial step. You must formally report the misuse of your address to Companies House.

Official Procedure:

You can make a formal report that a company is using your personal details without your permission via the official Companies House portal.

• Official Link: Report a company using your personal details without your permission

When you submit the report, Companies House will contact the directors of the company and instruct them to change the registered office address. If they fail to comply, Companies House has the power to change the address on the public register themselves.

Step 3: Handling Future Mail

If you received a letter for a company registered in my address and it keeps coming, you can help alert the sender and the postal service that the company is not at the location:

• Do not open the mail.
• Write "NOT KNOWN AT THIS ADDRESS" or "COMPANY NO LONGER AT THIS ADDRESS" on the envelope.
• Put the letter back in the postbox.

Taking these steps ensures that any official or legal correspondence intended for the unknown company is eventually returned to the sender or Companies House, helping to expedite the address change process.

Summary

If you received a letter for a company registered at your address that you do not know, the single most effective action is to follow the official government process: Report the unauthorised use of your address to Companies House using the link provided above.