Scenario
How to find UK companies with active charges
Every secured loan a UK company takes leaves a public footprint: the charge a lender registers at Companies House. Filter the public record down to companies with active charges and you have a list of proven borrowers. That is the exact audience for refinancing, asset finance and facility reviews.
The recipe, step by step
- 1
Switch on the active-charges filter
In the search builder, enable the active-charges filter. A charge is security a lender registers at Companies House over a company's assets: property, equipment, book debts. So every match is a company with borrowing secured against it, published on the public record.
- 2
Target asset-heavy sectors
Combine the flag with SIC codes where secured borrowing is routine. Construction and development (41100), road haulage (49410), property (68100), manufacturing, hospitality. These sectors buy vehicles, premises and plant on finance as a matter of course. A charge signals normal growth, not distress.
- 3
Qualify by age and region
Add a postcode area if you work a local book. Use the incorporation-date window to focus on established firms. A company trading five years with active charges has a borrowing history a broker can work with. The live preview shows the match count before you commit any credits.
- 4
Get the decision maker in every lead
Every lead comes with the director's name, a verified business email and a verified website. Refinancing conversations happen with directors, and each email was published by the company itself, often the named director's. Where nothing can be verified, the record refunds in under 60 seconds.
- 5
Open with the fact, not the pitch
A company with registered charges already understands secured finance. Skip the education and lead with value: a review of existing facilities, a better rate at renewal, headroom for the next purchase. The AI drafts the sequence for you, and the trial sends the first 25 of them free. Drafts only. Nothing sends until you say so.
Why this works
A registered charge is proof of borrowing, published by law on the public register. It tells you the company has assets worth securing, passed a lender's underwriting at least once, and holds facilities that will one day be renewed or refinanced. That beats turnover guesses from bought data. You are contacting proven borrowers, not hoping a cold list contains some.
Frequently asked questions
What exactly is a registered charge?
When a lender takes security over a company's assets (a mortgage on premises, a debenture over the whole business, a charge over equipment or book debts) it must register that charge at Companies House within 21 days. The public record shows which charges are still outstanding. Leadistry's filter surfaces companies with at least one active charge.
Does an active charge mean the company is in trouble?
No. Most charges are routine: a commercial mortgage, asset finance on vehicles or plant, or an invoice finance facility. For brokers that is the point. These companies use finance as a normal tool, which makes them far more open to a refinancing or extra-facility conversation than businesses that have never borrowed.
Can I combine the charges filter with other filters?
Yes, and you should. Active charges plus a SIC code plus a region turns a national register into a broker-ready shortlist. Add an incorporation-date window to filter for trading history. Turn on the watch and each new charged company that matches gets added, never one you have seen before.
Run this recipe today
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