The Principal Office Address (Rectification of Register) Regulations 2024

Part 4 Change of address to default address with prior notice

Notice that registrar intends to change address to default address

6.—(1) Where the registrar is satisfied that a registered principal office address of a relevant person is not in fact their principal office, and regulation 10 (power to change address to default address without notice) does not apply, the registrar must give the relevant person and the relevant company a written notice in accordance with this regulation.

(2) The notice must state that the registrar intends to change the address registered as the principal office of the person to a default address unless within the specified period—

(a) notice is given by the relevant company of a different principal office address in accordance with the applicable notice requirement, or

(b) the relevant person or the relevant company objects to the address registered as the principal office being changed and provides evidence to the satisfaction of the registrar that the address registered as the principal office is in fact the relevant person’s principal office.

(3) The notice must also state where the address registered as principal office which the registrar intends to change is in the register.

(4) In paragraph (2)(a) the “applicable notice requirement” means—

(a) in relation to a notice given by the relevant company before section 51 of the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 is fully brought into force, section 167, 167D, 276, 279D, 790VA or 790ZA of the 2006 Act, as applicable;

(b) in relation to a notice given by the relevant company on or after section 51 of the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 is fully brought into force, section 167H, 279H or 790LD of the 2006 Act, as applicable.

(5) The notice must be accompanied by a description of any information on which the registrar relied in deciding to act under this regulation.

(6) A notice may be given under this regulation on the registrar’s own motion or following an application under regulation 4.

(7) If it is given following an application under regulation 4, the notice must also state that fact.

(8) In this Part “the specified period” means the period of 14 days beginning with the day on which a notice is given under paragraph (1) (if notice is given to the relevant person and the relevant company on different days, the period begins on the day on which the later notice is given).

Registrar duty to change address to default address

7.—(1) Where the registrar has given a notice under regulation 6 the registrar must change the address registered as the principal office of the relevant person to a default address if—

(a) within the specified period, no notice is given by the relevant company of a different principal office address in accordance with the applicable notice requirement, and

(b) after the end of the specified period, the registrar remains unsatisfied that the address registered as the principal office is in fact the relevant person’s principal office.

(2) The fact that a relevant person and relevant company failed, within the specified period, to object to the change of address may be taken by the registrar as sufficient evidence of the fact that the address registered as the principal office is not in fact the relevant person’s principal office (without further ado).

(3) The change in the address registered as the principal office of the person is effected by the registrar proceeding as if the person had given notice under the applicable notice requirement.

Notice of change of address under regulation 7

8.—(1) If the registrar changes the address registered as the principal office of a relevant person under regulation 7, the registrar must give the relevant person and the relevant company a written notice of the change.

(2) The notice must—

(a) state the new address;

(b) state where in the register the new address has been registered;

(c) state the date on which the address was changed;

(d) explain why the address was changed;

(e) where the change followed an application under regulation 4, state that fact;

(f) explain the person has a right to appeal under regulation 13, and

(g) explain the effect of regulations 18 and 19.

(3) The notice must be accompanied by a description of any information on which the registrar relied in deciding to change the address.

Notice of decision not to change address under regulation 7

9.  If the registrar has given a relevant person and a relevant company a notice under regulation 6 and decides not to change the address registered as the principal office of the relevant person, the registrar must give the person and the relevant company a written notice of that fact.