Question 1

What is a registered charge on a company?

Accepted Answer

A registered charge is a form of security interest that a lender or creditor holds over a company's assets. It is registered at Companies House and gives the charge holder (e.g. a bank) rights over specific assets if the company fails to repay a debt. Common examples include mortgages on property, debentures securing a loan, and floating charges over a company's changing assets such as stock or receivables.

Question 2

What is the difference between a fixed and floating charge?

Accepted Answer

A fixed charge attaches to a specific, identified asset — such as a building, piece of machinery, or intellectual property. The company cannot dispose of that asset without the charge holder's consent. A floating charge, by contrast, attaches to a class of assets that fluctuate in the ordinary course of business (like stock or trade debtors). It "floats" above the assets until a trigger event (such as default) causes it to "crystallise" into a fixed charge over whatever assets exist at that moment.

Question 3

What does an "outstanding" charge mean?

Accepted Answer

An outstanding charge means the security is still active — the lender currently holds rights over the company's assets as security for an unpaid or ongoing debt. It does not necessarily mean the company is in financial difficulty; many healthy businesses operate with outstanding charges as part of normal financing arrangements. However, it is worth noting for due diligence purposes.

Question 4

What does a "satisfied" charge mean?

Accepted Answer

A satisfied (or fully satisfied) charge means the underlying debt has been repaid and the lender's security interest has been released. The charge remains visible on the register as a historical record but no longer gives the charge holder any rights over company assets.

Question 5

How do I check if a company has a mortgage or is heavily secured?

Accepted Answer

Search for the company name or registration number using this free tool. The results show all charges registered at Companies House, their status (outstanding, satisfied, or part-satisfied), the type of charge, and the names of the secured lenders. You can see at a glance how many lenders hold security over the company's assets.

Question 6

Where does the charge data come from?

Accepted Answer

All charge data is sourced directly from Companies House, which is the official register for UK company charges. Under the Companies Act 2006, most charges must be registered at Companies House within 21 days of creation, making the register the definitive public record of secured lending against a company.

Question 7

What is a debenture?

Accepted Answer

A debenture is a document that creates or acknowledges a debt owed by a company, usually secured by a charge over the company's assets. A debenture commonly includes both a fixed charge over specific assets and a floating charge over the rest of the company's assets. It is one of the most common forms of security taken by banks lending to UK companies.

Type	What it means
Fixed charge	Secured against a specific, identified asset. The company cannot sell or encumber that asset without the lender's consent.
Floating charge	Secured against a class of changing assets (e.g. stock, debtors). Crystallises into a fixed charge on default.
Mortgage	A charge over land or property registered with Companies House and the Land Registry.
Debenture	A document creating both a fixed and floating charge over a company's assets, commonly used by banks.
Legal charge	A charge over specific real property, giving the lender legal rights in the event of default.

Charge & Debt Exposure Checker

About this tool

What are registered charges?

What we show

Charge status explained

Who is it for?

Common charge types