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When and why does company landlord verification cost £220?

Company landlord verification costs £220 because any company check can become a complex ownership verification, which we cannot predict or control.

When you submit a company landlord for verification, our provider (Griffin) assesses the ownership structure. If any of the following apply, the check automatically becomes a complex ownership verification:

  • One or more shareholders are overseas
  • One or more shareholders are another company
  • One or more directors are overseas

We cannot know in advance whether a company will be classified as complex. The determination happens at the point Griffin examines the ownership structure. Because we're charged £220 for complex ownership checks, we must pass this cost on for all company verifications.

Alternative option: If you want to avoid the £220 company verification fee, you can verify a director as an individual instead. This provides AML compliance while keeping costs lower.

Fees:

  • Initial verification: £220 (one-off)
  • Annual re-verification: £110 (applies if the payee is active, meaning they have received or paid funds within the last six months)

 

Question: How can I avoid higher verification fees for complex ownership landlords?

Answer: You can verify an individual director instead of the company to avoid complex ownership verification fees.

If your landlord operates through a company but you want to avoid the £220 company verification fee, you have an alternative option.

Verify a director instead:

Rather than verifying the company, you can verify one of the company directors as an individual. This satisfies AML compliance requirements while keeping verification costs lower.

This approach is suitable when:

  • The company structure is straightforward but may still trigger complex ownership classification
  • You want predictable verification costs
  • The director is UK-based (overseas directors will incur the higher fee regardless)

Note: This is a business decision for you and your client. Some landlords may prefer full company verification for their own compliance records.

Fees for individual verification:

  • Initial verification: Standard individual rate
  • There is no annual re-verification fee, but the monthly OFSI monitoring fee does apply