What is an RP07 form and when is it used?

An RP07 form can be used to apply to Companies House to change a company’s or LLP’s registered office or a person’s service address/principal office when there is a dispute over the address. 

Address disputes may arise for various reasons, such as fraudulent or unauthorised use of an address or when a company’s registered office is not an ‘appropriate address’. 

In this post, we discuss the RP07 form in detail, including why someone may dispute an address, how to complete and file the form at Companies House, and what happens after submission.  

The purpose of an RP07 form

Companies House (the Registrar) requires official address details from companies, limited liability partnerships (LLPs), and certain persons associated with companies and LLPs. This information is disclosed on the public register.

Any address supplied to Companies House must be accurate and genuine. The company (or LLP) or person providing the address must also have authorisation to use it.

Where there is a dispute over any such address, an RP07 form can be used to apply to Companies House to change the address. Specifically, any person may use this form to complain about a:

• Registered office address of a company or LLP
• Service address (correspondence address) of a company director, company secretary, person with significant control (PSC), or an LLP member 
• Principal office address of a ‘relevant person’ 

However, a company or LLP cannot use this form to change their own registered office address or the service address/principal office of one of their directors, secretaries, PSCs, or LLP members. 

Why would someone dispute an address?

There are many reasons why someone may dispute a registered office address, service address, or principal office address, including:

• The fraudulent use of an incorrect address by a company or an individual (e.g. to set up a company, apply fraudulently for credit, or appoint a director) 
• Using a residential or commercial address without the knowledge or authorisation of the owner 
• When a company’s registered office is not an ‘appropriate address’
• Continuing to use the address of a third-party provider (e.g. a registered office service from a company formation agent) after renewal failure, unsuccessful payments, missing ID checks, or abusing the service

When providing any address details to Companies House, you must ensure you have the owner’s permission to use the address for such purposes. 

How to complete an RP07 form

The RP07 form is available from Companies House. You can complete and file it online using the Upload a document to Companies House service. Alternatively, you can download the form to print and send by post.

When filling in an RP07 form, the following information is required: 

• Applicant’s title, full forename(s), and surname—or the company/firm name if the applicant is a corporate body or firm
• Applicant’s contact address and email address 
• Name and registration number of the company that is the subject of the application
• The address you’re complaining about 
• How the address is being used—i.e. as a registered office address, a person’s correspondence (service) address, or a person’s principal office address
• Reason for applying for a change of address: 
  • Provide the name of any person or company shown on the records at Companies House as using the address in dispute (i.e. on what forms does it appear on the Companies House register)
  • Provide as much detail as possible about where the address can be found on the records at Companies House
  • Explain why the company and/or person named is not entitled to use the address
• Signature of the applicant 

The applicant must also include supporting evidence (original documents or copies) with form RP07, such as:

• A utility bill sent to the applicant at the address in dispute—this must be dated within the last six months
• A land registry deed dated within the last 12 months
• A written agreement allowing the applicant to use the address
• Documents proving the applicant’s proprietary rights in the address, including freehold or leasehold
• Written evidence of the start and end of a contract (if the RP07 applicant is a service provider)

Companies House will consider any other relevant supporting documents or information on a case-by-case basis.

What happens after submitting form RP07

Upon filing an RP07 form, Companies House will send confirmation to the applicant, review the application, and notify the individual or company that is the subject of the application. They will have 28 days to provide evidence of their right to use the address. 

If the company or individual cannot provide evidence, or if Companies House is not satisfied with the evidence provided, the Registrar will remove the disputed address from the register and change it to the Companies House default address.

However, before the expiration of the 28-day notice period, the company or individual may avoid the application of the default address by changing their registered office or service/principal office address to another location instead.

What is the Companies House default address?

A Companies House default address is an address held and maintained at Companies House. The Registrar will change a company’s or LLP’s registered office to a default address if the existing registered office address is being used without permission.

A default address will also apply if an individual’s existing service/principal office address is being used without authorisation.

There are three Companies House default addresses. The one used will depend on the company’s or LLP’s jurisdiction of incorporation:

England and Wales 

Companies House Default Address, PO Box 4385, Companies House, Crown Way, Cardiff, CF14 3UZ

Scotland 

Companies House Default Address, PO Box 24238, Edinburgh, EH7 9HR

Northern Ireland 

Companies House Default Address, PO Box 2381, Belfast, BT1 9DY

Statutory address services from Quality Company Formations 

At Quality Company Formations, we offer a London Registered Office Address Service for companies and LLPs incorporated in England and Wales. Available to buy online for only £39.00 (+ VAT) per year, our address will appear on public record as your company’s registered office, ensuring adherence to corporate transparency rules while enhancing your brand image and keeping your home address private.

Your registered office address will be:

Your Company Name
71-75 Shelton Street
Covent Garden
London
WC2H 9JQ

All official government mail (e.g. from Companies House and HMRC) will be sent to your company at this address. Our team will then scan and email any registered office mail to you free of charge on the day it arrives.

The same prestigious address is also available as a London Service Address for directors, company secretaries, subscribers (the first shareholders or guarantors in a company), PSCs, and LLP members. Available for £26.00 (+ VAT) per year, this address will serve as your statutory correspondence address for official government mail.

Since these address details are also publicly disclosed on the Companies House register, many people avoid using their home address for such purposes. Our London Service Address provides a solution, enabling you to protect your privacy while also boosting your professional image.

You can renew these address services on an annual basis for however long you require them.

Does Quality Company Formations use RP07 forms? 

We will file an RP07 form immediately if we discover that a company or person is using our London address without our knowledge and authorisation.

Where a client continues using our London address after failing to renew and pay for their address service(s), we will only file an RP07 form with Companies House as a last resort. Our team will always attempt to contact the client by email or phone before initiating this process. 

What is a registered office and why do I need one? What is a director’s service address? How can you change your address at Companies House?

Should you receive notification from Companies House that we have filed an RP07 form disputing your use of our address, please contact us as soon as possible. If you genuinely forgot to renew your address service, we may be able to withdraw the application within 28 days of its submission. 

Thanks for reading 

We hope you’ve found this post informative and helpful. If you have any questions, please comment below. You can also contact our London-based team if you’d like to speak to us about setting up a company or using our address services.  

Explore the Quality Company Formations Blog for more business advice and limited company guidance.