Definition
A service address is the address that a company director (or secretary, LLP member, or person with significant control) provides to Companies House as their official contact address. It is distinct from their residential address and is the address that appears on the public Companies House register.
The purpose of a service address is to provide a reliable contact point for official correspondence without requiring the individual's personal home address to be disclosed to the public.
Why it appears on the public register
Under the Companies Act 2006, the details of all company directors must be recorded at Companies House and made available on the public register. This transparency requirement exists so that anyone dealing with a company can identify who is responsible for managing it.
Section 163 of the Companies Act 2006 requires every director to provide a service address, which is then publicly listed. The director's residential address is collected separately under section 165 but is protected from public disclosure under section 240 — meaning it is held by Companies House but not visible to the general public.
How it differs from a registered office
These two address types are often confused but serve different purposes:
| Aspect | Service Address | Registered Office |
|---|---|---|
| Who it belongs to | Individual director or officer | The company itself |
| Purpose | Contact address for the individual | Legal address of the company |
| Mail received | Correspondence addressed to the director | All statutory and company correspondence |
| Can be the same address? | Yes | Yes |
Many business owners use the same address for both — and Basely Virtual can serve as both the registered office address and the director service address simultaneously.
GDPR and privacy implications
Prior to the introduction of the service address option, directors had little choice but to use their home address on the public register. This created significant privacy concerns — home addresses are visible to anyone, including members of the public, journalists, and occasionally bad actors.
The service address mechanism aligns with the privacy principles of UK GDPR. Directors have a legitimate interest in not exposing their personal residential address when an alternative contact address satisfies the legal transparency requirement. Using a professional service address is both legally compliant and good data hygiene practice.
Note that if a director does not provide a service address, their residential address defaults to the public register — so it is important to designate a service address when setting up or updating your company.
Changing your service address
A director can update their service address at any time by filing form CH01 with Companies House. The change takes effect upon filing and is reflected on the public register within a few days. There is no fee to change a service address.
Keep your home address private
Use our London address as your director service address. It is included with all Basely Virtual plans.