How many new charges are registered at Companies House each week?

The short answer

In the week from 6 to 13 October 2026 Lockley counted 1,424 new charges registered at Companies House, by the date on the record. The week before, 29 September to 6 October, it counted 8,522. A charge is a record that a company has given security for a loan, so a new one can show it has just borrowed.

What a charge is

GOV.UK describes a charge as the security a company gives for a loan, and a mortgage is one type. A charge generally has to be registered at Companies House within 21 days, counting from the day after it is created. The company or any person interested in the charge may file the MR01 form, so the lender or its representative often does.

Reading the swing

The latest week is 7,098 below the one before. A gap that size is more likely to reflect how and when filings were made, or incomplete recent days, than a sudden change in borrowing. Do not read a single week as a trend. Compare several weeks, as in our guide on why weekly signal counts swing.

Who should care

A newly registered charge suits sellers of anything a company buys when it has new money or new obligations: asset finance, insurance, accountancy, legal services, property and fit-out. It is weaker evidence for firms that borrow routinely. Check the lender and the date on the record before opening a call with it. See our guide to finding UK companies that registered a new charge.

Reading a charge before you call

Open the record and note three things: the date the charge was created, the lender, and what it secures. A charge created weeks ago and registered promptly is fresher than one registered at the deadline. The lender can hint at the purpose, whether a bank facility, an asset finance provider or a property lender. Never claim to know why the company borrowed. A better opening is to say you saw the filing and ask how the company is planning the next stage.

Sellers should also be aware that charges are satisfied or released over time, so an old registration may no longer be live. Look at the status on the record before you call.

Comparing weeks properly

To use these counts, record the figure for the same seven-day window each week and note the dates the window covers. Lockley's windows run from one Tuesday to the next, by the date on the record. Then compare four or more weeks before you describe a direction. A single high or low week is common in registers where lenders file in batches.

Pair the charges count with other signals before deciding whom to call. A company that registered a charge and also posted its first finance role, or filed a director change in the same month, has two dated reasons for a conversation, which is a stronger opening than either alone.

How Lockley uses it

Lockley reads the charges register nightly alongside officer filings, contracts, job postings, planning registers and company websites. Each finding links to the record, so a seller can check it before calling.

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