Guide · updated 28 September 2026
Charges on Companies House explained
The "charges" section of a Companies House record lists the security lenders hold over a company's assets. Reading it well tells you how a company is funded and who gets paid first if it fails.
What a charge is
When a company borrows and gives the lender security — over property, equipment, its customers' unpaid invoices, or everything it owns — that security is a charge. The company must register it at Companies House within 21 days of creating it, so the register is a reliable record of secured borrowing.
Outstanding, part satisfied and satisfied
Outstanding charges are still in force. Satisfied charges have been repaid or released, and the company has filed a statement saying so. Part satisfied means some of the secured assets have been released. A long list of satisfied charges usually just shows a company that has borrowed and repaid over many years.
Common types of charge
- Debenture (fixed and floating charge): security over all or most of the company's assets, typical of bank lending. The most comprehensive kind.
- Legal mortgage or fixed charge over property: security over a specific building or piece of land.
- Charge over book debts or receivables: security over money the company's customers owe it. This is how invoice finance and factoring work.
- Charge over specific equipment or vehicles: common with asset finance.
When a charge is worth noticing
Most charges are routine — ordinary businesses borrow. Pay attention when:
- several new charges appear within a few months;
- a new lender takes security over everything the company owns;
- the lender is a specialist in short-term or rescue lending;
- new charges coincide with other warning signs such as late filing.
Why charges matter to suppliers
If a company fails, secured lenders are paid from their security before ordinary unsecured creditors such as trade suppliers. A company that has given security over everything may leave little for suppliers who are owed money. It doesn't mean the company will fail, but it affects how much credit you should be comfortable giving it.
Invoice finance
A new charge in favour of an invoice finance or factoring provider tells you the company sells on credit and wants to be paid faster. It is often a sign of growth rather than trouble — but it does mean the company's cash depends on its own customers paying on time.
Every RiskDiver company page shows the number of outstanding charges, and RiskDiver alerts you to new charges on the companies you monitor. Check a company free.
Common questions
What is a charge on Companies House?
A record that a lender holds security over some or all of a company's assets for money it has lent. The company must register it within 21 days of creating it.
What does 'satisfied' mean?
The debt the charge secured has been repaid, or the security released, and the company has filed a statement saying so. Outstanding charges are still in force.
Why do charges matter to suppliers?
Secured lenders are paid before ordinary unsecured creditors if a company fails. The more security a company has given, the less there may be for unpaid suppliers.
More guides
- How to check a UK company before you trade with it
- Warning signs a customer or supplier is in financial trouble
- Accounts overdue on Companies House: what it means
- Supplier and customer risk monitoring for UK businesses
- What to do when a customer goes into administration
General information, not legal or financial advice.