Companies House holds public records on every UK limited company — over 5 million of them. The data is free. The trick is knowing what to look for. Our guides show you how.
Whether you're vetting a supplier, checking a letting agent, or doing due diligence on a new client — these guides explain the data, the risk factors, and what the warning signs look like in practice.
7 guides covering how to check a company, director bans, charges, insolvency, risk factors, Companies House basics, and when to run a check.
Browse all company guides →6 guides covering letting agent checks, rental scams, landlord verification, deposit protection, tenant fees, and how to spot a fake agent.
Browse all 6 rental guides →Every guide is built around public Companies House data — the same data you get in a ScoutCompany search. The guides explain what each data point means in practice:
All the data behind these guides is free and public. You don't need a credit reference agency subscription or a paid account. Companies House is one of the most transparent company registers in the world — and ScoutCompany makes it practical to use.
The complete guide: status, directors, charges, addresses, and filings — everything to check before signing a contract.
Director bans, dormant status, virtual offices, late filings — what each dashboard card means in practice.
8 real-world situations where a two-minute Companies House check is worth doing.
Investigative steps to verify a letting agent: Companies House, address checks, cross-referencing listings.
How TDS, DPS, and mydeposits work — and what to do if your deposit isn't protected.
The Tenant Fees Act 2019: banned fees, holding deposit rules, and how to get a refund.