To file Form MR01, deliver the completed form together with a certified copy of the charge instrument to Companies House within 21 days of the charge being created, paying £14 online through WebFiling or £24 by post. The form registers a security interest a UK company has granted over its assets, and missing the 21-day window makes that security void against a liquidator, administrator, or other creditor if the company later fails.
The 21-Day Deadline Is the Whole Ballgame
Section 859A of the Companies Act 2006 gives you 21 days to get the MR01 and a certified copy of the charge instrument to the registrar. The clock starts the day after the charge is created, not the day of creation itself.1Legislation.gov.uk. The Companies Act 2006 (Amendment of Part 25) Regulations 2013 Either the company or any other person with an interest in the charge, typically the lender, can file it.
Identifying the correct creation date is where filings most often go wrong. Section 859E defines it differently depending on the instrument. For a deed that takes immediate effect on execution and delivery, the creation date is the date of delivery. If the deed is held in escrow, it is the date of delivery into escrow. For an instrument that is not a deed but takes immediate effect on execution, the creation date is the execution date. Where an instrument does not take immediate effect, it is the date the instrument does take effect.2Legislation.gov.uk. The Companies Act 2006 (Amendment of Part 25) Regulations 2013 If any of that is ambiguous on your facts, ask the solicitor who drafted the document. A wrong date on the form can push the registration outside the window.
One scope note before you start. The MR01 applies only to charges created on or after 6 April 2013. Earlier charges fall under a different regime and different forms.3GOV.UK. Register Particulars of a Charge (MR01)
What to Gather Before You Open the Form
Trying to fill in the MR01 without the charge instrument in front of you almost always leads to errors. Have these ready:
- The company’s registered name and its eight-character Companies House number. Not a VAT or HMRC reference.
- The signed charge instrument itself. The creation date, property descriptions, and chargee names all come straight from this document.
- A certified copy of the instrument, certified as a true copy of the original. This is submitted alongside the form.
- The full names of every chargee, security agent, or trustee entitled to the charge, spelled exactly as they appear in the instrument.
If you are filing on paper, print the current version of the form (v3.0) at full size on white A4. You can download it from the GOV.UK publications page for the form.3GOV.UK. Register Particulars of a Charge (MR01)
Completing the Form
Company Details, Creation Date, and Chargees
Section 1 takes the full company name and company number. Section 2 asks for the creation date in DD/MM/YYYY format. Use the date that matches the Section 859E definition above, not the date you happen to be completing the form. Section 3 lists every person, security agent, or trustee entitled to the charge. Where there are several chargees, list them all; continuation pages are available if you run out of space.4Companies House. MR01 – Particulars of a Charge
Description of Charged Property
Section 4 asks for a short description of any land, ship, aircraft, or intellectual property registered or required to be registered in the UK that is subject to the charge, excluding property covered by a floating charge. Take this description straight from the instrument. Vague wording such as “various company assets” will likely see the filing rejected. If the charge covers a specific property address, a registered patent number, or a named vessel, include those identifiers.4Companies House. MR01 – Particulars of a Charge
Charge Type, Floating Charge, and Negative Pledge
Section 5 asks whether the charge was created or evidenced by an instrument and whether that instrument includes a charge in favour of a trustee or security agent. Section 6 asks whether the instrument contains a floating charge, meaning one that covers a shifting class of assets like stock or receivables rather than a specific identified asset. If it does, you must also confirm whether the floating charge covers all the property and undertaking of the company.4Companies House. MR01 – Particulars of a Charge
Section 7 asks about a negative pledge, meaning terms in the charge that prohibit or restrict the company from creating further security ranking equally with or ahead of this one. Ticking the negative pledge box puts future lenders on notice that any later charge may be subordinate. Omitting it when the instrument does contain a negative pledge can create enforcement complications later, so read the deed carefully before you answer.
Authentication
Section 8 authenticates the form. The person signing is typically a company director, the company secretary, or the chargee or their representative. They confirm the information is accurate and that they are authorised to deliver the form on behalf of the company or the interested party.
Redacting the Certified Copy
The certified copy of the instrument goes on the public register, so Companies House lets you redact certain sensitive details before you send it in:
- Personal information about an individual, other than their name
- Bank or securities account numbers
- Signatures, including signature certificates
How you redact is up to you: black marker, digital redaction, or any method that permanently removes the information. Just make sure the redaction does not obscure anything the registrar needs to process the charge.5GOV.UK. Register a Charge (Mortgage) for a Limited Company
Submitting and Paying
You can file online through Companies House WebFiling or send the paper form by post. Companies House recommends online filing as the primary method; it is faster and cheaper.3GOV.UK. Register Particulars of a Charge (MR01)
- Online through WebFiling costs £14 per charge. You will need a WebFiling account and a lender authentication code. You upload the charge details and the certified copy, and a decision can come back within a couple of hours.
- Paper filing by post costs £24 per charge. Send the completed MR01 and the certified copy to the Companies House office. Processing takes longer.
The same fees apply to companies and to limited liability partnerships.6GOV.UK. Companies House Fees Payment for paper filings is typically made by cheque payable to Companies House, or by including card details where accepted. Online, payment is taken electronically during submission.
What Happens After You File
Once the registrar verifies the submission, Companies House records the charge on the public register and issues a Certificate of Registration of a Charge. That certificate is conclusive evidence that the registration requirements were met, and it carries a unique charge code and the date of registration. Keep it with the original instrument as part of the lender’s permanent records.3GOV.UK. Register Particulars of a Charge (MR01) If you filed on paper, the registrar also returns the certified copy.
Registration is not the end of the story. When the secured debt is paid, the charge does not drop off the register on its own. File Form MR04 to record a statement of satisfaction, in whole or in part. For charges created on or after 6 April 2013, you only need the unique charge code to complete it.7GOV.UK. Statement of Satisfaction in Full or in Part of a Charge If part of the charged property is released or no longer belongs to the company, use Form MR05 instead. Both can be filed online or on paper.8GOV.UK. Register a Statement – Property Released in Part or Whole (MR05) Leaving a satisfied charge on the register does no legal harm, but it gives an inaccurate picture of the company’s liabilities to anyone running a search, which can complicate future borrowing or due diligence.
If You Miss the 21 Days
Under Section 859H, a charge that is not registered in time becomes void against a liquidator, an administrator, and any other creditor of the company.1Legislation.gov.uk. The Companies Act 2006 (Amendment of Part 25) Regulations 2013 The lender drops from secured to unsecured, a devastating shift in priority if insolvency follows. The underlying loan contract survives and the borrower still owes the money, but the sum secured by the voided charge becomes immediately payable, which can trigger a cash-flow crisis for the company.
Section 859F lets a court extend the 21-day window, but only on limited grounds. The applicant must show that the failure to deliver was accidental, due to inadvertence, or caused by some other sufficient reason, and that the delay does not prejudice creditors or shareholders. The court may also grant relief if it considers it just and equitable to do so.9Judiciary.uk. Guide to Business and Property Work at the County Court at Central London Annex C – Claim for an Order Extending These applications carry court fees and legal costs, and success is not guaranteed. Treat the 21-day deadline as absolute and file early where you can.