6 Steps to SPV Company Formation

SPV company formation made simple. Register a company for buy-to-let in 6 steps: name check, package, ID verification, SIC codes, shares and submission.

Written byAashish MishraJul 8, 2026Updated Oct 28, 2026

Setting up a property SPV company involves more than registering a name with Companies House. Successful SPV formation means getting the company structure right, choosing the appropriate SIC code, deciding who will own and manage the business, and making sure the details are in order before applying, if needed, for a Buy-to-Let mortgage.

Getting these details wrong when you register a company can mean extra paperwork, delays to your property investment or changes you could have avoided by planning.

Property SPV makes company formation for your property SPV simpler. With us, you only need to complete six steps to register your SPV company.

Checklist for SPV Formation

Check and secure your name
Choose your package and pay
Verify every director and PSC
Complete your details, including your main SIC code
Review and submit
Collect your certificate, open your bank account, finish HMRC, and diarise your deadlines

1. Choose and Secure Your Company Name

Your SPV needs a name that meets Companies House rules. It cannot be identical to an existing registered company name or so similar that it could be confused with one. Certain words, including “Bank” and “Royal”, are also restricted and require permission from the relevant authority before they can be used.

Property SPV lets you check your proposed name on our platform before you register a company. Within seconds, you’ll see whether your name is available or unavailable. If a name is unavailable, our platform also suggests alternatives.

Tip

When choosing your name, think beyond the first property you intend to buy. A name tied to a specific property or postcode may no longer suit the business if you expand your portfolio. Check domain name availability too if you plan to give your SPV an online presence.

2. Choose Your Company Formation Package and Pay

Once your company name is sorted, the next step is to choose your company formation package. Property SPV offers three options listed below, with different levels of support depending on your requirements. You’ll first need to confirm whether you’re a UK resident or a non-UK resident though, as your residency status determines the price.

StarterCovers up to two shareholders and suits investors who need the essentials for SPV formation, including the correct property SIC code.15-minute consultation with a property tax expert
GrowthCovers up to four shareholders and includes identity verification and a registered office address, helping you keep your home address off the public record.30-minute consultation with a property tax expert
PremiumCovers up to seven shareholders and five directors, with confirmation statement filing included.1-hour consultation with a property tax expert

All three packages include a certificate of incorporation, Memorandum and Articles of Association, share certificates for every shareholder, HMRC Corporation Tax registration and property SIC code selection. Each package also includes a consultation with a property tax expert: 15 minutes with Starter, 30 minutes with Growth and 1 hour with Premium.

The package price is displayed before VAT. The £100 Companies House incorporation fee is charged separately and is not subject to VAT.

You can pay by card or bank transfer. Card payments allow your application to start straight away, whereas bank transfers must be matched to your payment reference before your application can proceed. Check your package and residency selection before paying, as both become locked once payment is made or a bank transfer is pending. Once your payment has been recorded, the remaining application steps become available.

You can see the details and compare our packages here.

3. Verify Your Identity

Since 18 November 2025, identity verification has been a legal requirement for company directors and people with significant control (PSCs) under Companies House rules. For a new SPV, every director must complete verification before you can register the company. PSCs must also verify their identity within 14 days of being registered.

Most property investors going through SPV formation will be both a director and a shareholder and may, therefore, also be a PSC. It’s worth arranging verification early so it doesn’t hold up your company formation.

Once verified, you’ll receive an 11-character Companies House personal code in the format XXX XXXX XXXX. Property SPV asks you to confirm whether each director already has this code.

If You Have a Personal Code – Enter it directly into the platform so it can be included in your Companies House submission.
If You Don’t Have a Personal Code – The next step depends on your package. With Starter, you can arrange verification through our sister company UK Property Accountants, which is an Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP). This will be a separate paid service. With Growth or Premium, identity verification is included in your package. You’ll submit your identification documents through the platform, then complete a Microsoft Teams video call with the company secretarial team. Growth covers up to two directors, while Premium covers up to five. Once your verification is complete, your personal code will be emailed to you. Enter it into Property SPV to proceed to the review and delivery stages.

You can continue completing the other parts of your application while verification is underway, but you can’t submit for incorporation until all directors have verified their identities, supplied their personal codes, and met any PSC verification requirements.

4. Complete Your Company Details

Once your name, package and identity verification are sorted, you’ll need to complete the company information form. This is where you define what your SPV will do, how its shares will be allocated, who will run and own the company, and which addresses will appear on the public register.

Choose Your SIC Codes

Your Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) code tells Companies House what your company does. For a Buy-to-Let SPV, choosing a code that reflects property letting is particularly important because mortgage lenders may consider your company’s registered activities when assessing an application.

But don’t worry if you don’t know what SIC codes to choose. Property SPV automatically suggests the codes that may be relevant to you. A few of them are:

68209 Other Letting and Operating of Own or Leased Real Estate – The usual choice for an SPV that holds property to generate rental income.
68100 Buying and Selling of Own Real Estate – Relevant to companies involved in buying and selling property, including property trading.
68320 Management of Real Estate on a Fee or Contract Basis – Applies to businesses managing property on behalf of others for a fee or under a contract.

For a standard buy-to-let SPV, 68209 is generally the appropriate primary SIC code. However, some mortgage lenders distinguish between companies set up to hold property for rental income and those involved in property trading, so registering only 68100 may restrict your mortgage options with certain lenders.

When you register a company, Companies House allows up to four SIC codes. You can add other codes where they reflect activities the company genuinely carries out, but your primary code should accurately describe its main business. Property SPV also asks you to confirm that the selected code matches your company’s intended activities before proceeding.

Set Up Your Shares

Next, decide how the company’s shares will be structured and allocated. Most straightforward property SPVs start with a single class of Ordinary shares, which is the default on our platform.

Your package determines the maximum number of shareholders you can add: two with Starter, four with Growth or seven with Premium. The platform prevents you from exceeding your package limit and shows you how to upgrade if you need to include additional shareholders.

If you intend to allocate different classes of shares, such as alphabet shares for spouses or other family members, you’ll need to consider how those arrangements should work before incorporation. Unless you adopt bespoke articles, your company is incorporated with the Model Articles of Association, so the rights attached to different share classes usually need to be set out in tailored Articles of Association (AoA).

Add Your People

You’ll then enter the details of your company’s directors, shareholders, company secretary and people with significant control (PSCs). Property SPV brings these roles together on one screen, so someone holding more than one role only needs to be entered once.

A private limited company must have at least one director aged 16 or over and at least one shareholder. You must also identify any PSCs in accordance with the applicable Companies House rules. This generally includes individuals who hold more than 25% of the shares or voting rights, as well as people who exercise significant influence or control over the company.

Make sure the information reflects the actual ownership and control arrangements. These details form part of the company’s statutory records and determine who must meet the relevant identity verification and reporting requirements.

Registered Office and Service Addresses

Your registered office is the company’s official address for correspondence and appears on the public Companies House register. It must be an appropriate physical address in the relevant UK jurisdiction; a PO box alone is not sufficient.

Growth and Premium include use of our London registered office at 809 Salisbury House, 29 Finsbury Circus, EC2M 7AQ for 12 months. This covers Companies House and HMRC correspondence, but not banking correspondence or your bank’s address requirements. If you’d prefer to use your own address, you can tell us during the application.

Both packages also include a director’s service address, covering up to two directors with Growth and up to five with Premium. A service address appears on the public register instead of a director’s usual residential address, helping protect their home address from public display in that capacity.

Your registered office and each director’s service address serve different purposes, so make sure you understand which address is being used for each before completing the form.

5. Review and Submit Your SPV Formation Application

The review page is a single summary of your whole application, with each section expandable. Our automated checks run for free and flag problems before anything is sent.

When everything is green, press Submit. Your dashboard then shows live progress as your company formation application moves through each stage.

6. Get Your Documents and Set Up to Trade

Once you’ve submitted your application, Property SPV handles the incorporation process and keeps you updated through your dashboard. Companies House usually incorporates a company within 24 business hours, although weekends and bank holidays can extend the wait because applications aren’t processed on those days. Applications from non-UK residents take under five working days. If Companies House rejects an application, your dashboard explains the reason and what needs correcting.

After incorporation, you’ll receive the following company documents by email and can access them through your dashboard:

Certificate of IncorporationConfirms that your company has been registered and shows its name, company registration number, incorporation date and the registrar’s seal.
Memorandum of Association (MoA) and Articles of Association (AoA)The memorandum records that the company’s first shareholders (subscribers) agreed to form the company and become members. The articles of association set out the rules governing how the company operates, including directors’ powers, shareholder decisions and share rights.
Share CertificatesOne for each shareholder, recording their shareholding in the company.

With your SPV incorporated, you can start putting the arrangements in place for buying and letting property. Property SPV also provides access to several services to help with the next steps.

Corporation Tax RegistrationWe register your company with HMRC within two working days of incorporation and help you keep track of relevant deadlines.
Business Bank AccountEvery package includes a referral link to Wise. Premium also includes pre-filled applications and support with the application process.
Buy-to-Let MortgageWe can introduce you to mortgage brokers who specialise in limited-company Buy-to-Let finance.
ConveyancingWe can introduce you to solicitors experienced in property purchases through SPVs.
RentalBuxYou can claim your free 12-month subscription to RentalBux, our MTD software for landlords and self-employed individuals.
Companies House Authentication CodeWe can generate the code for you, or you can choose to manage this yourself.

These arrangements help you move from incorporating the company to preparing for your first purchase. Before committing to a property, make sure your bank account, mortgage arrangements and conveyancing are in place, and check that your company is ready to meet its ongoing tax and filing obligations.

Keep an Eye on These

Confirmation statementFile it yourself for free for the first 12 months. After that, our team can file it for £116 in total (£55 + VAT for the service, plus the £50 Companies House fee).
Registered office and director service addressBoth are free for 12 months, then £60 each to renew. We email you before they expire.
Tax guideYou get an email guide for limited-company property landlords after each Budget or tax change that affects you.

Your dashboard shows a timeline of every deadline, plus a “needs attention” list, so nothing slips.

What Happens After You Complete SPV Company Formation?

Company formation is the start, not the finish. Once you register a company, you’ll need to stay compliant: file confirmation statements, keep company records up to date, and file annual accounts and a Corporation Tax return, even if the company is dormant in its first year. Many investors pair their SPV with a property accountant and property management software from day one so the admin never piles up.