The project comes first.

The corporate structure follows.

What can influence the corporate structure?

Not sure where your project fits? Start with the four property sectors below. They provide a practical way to identify the type of project you are establishing before considering the appropriate formation support.

Coddan's Specialist Role in Your Property Project

A well-structured property project may involve several different professional disciplines. The important principle is that each professional should remain responsible for the work that falls within their own specialist field.

Coddan's role is the corporate-services layer: helping establish the relevant company structure, prepare corporate information and documentation, complete applicable incorporation and Companies House processes, and provide ongoing company secretarial or corporate administration support within the agreed scope.

Where Coddan Fits Into the Property Project

Once the project's requirements and appropriate professional advice have been established, Coddan can help translate the required corporate element into an operational company structure.

One project. Different professional responsibilities. The purpose of the professional team is not to make one provider responsible for everything, but to ensure that the legal, financial, property-management and corporate aspects of the project are handled by the appropriate specialists.

Acting for a property client? Solicitors, accountants, managing agents and other professional advisers can refer or instruct Coddan where a client requires corporate formation or ongoing corporate administration support.

You Do Not Need One Provider for Everything

Establishing a property-related company does not mean that you need to replace the professional advisers who already understand your project. In many cases, the strongest approach is to keep the right specialists involved and give each professional responsibility for the part of the project that falls within their expertise.

Keep the professional advisers who know your property project.
Add Coddan where corporate structure and company administration are required.

Coddan — Property-Related Corporate Formation & Company Secretarial Support

Coddan can assist with establishing the appropriate corporate vehicle identified for the property project and, within the agreed scope, provide corporate documentation, incorporation support, Companies House filings, statutory records and ongoing company secretarial or corporate administration support.

The property project determines the structure; the agreed Coddan scope determines the level of formation and corporate support required for implementation. These are separate questions.

The Right Structure Does Not Require the Wrong Professional Team

A solicitor may already be advising on the legal aspects of the transaction. An accountant may already understand the project's tax and accounting position. A property adviser or managing agent may already understand the building, estate or development. Those existing relationships can remain in place.

Coddan complements that team by taking responsibility for the corporate formation and administration layer that falls within the agreed scope. This can be particularly useful where a project involves multiple participants, property-specific governance requirements, director changes, registered-office requirements or continuing statutory administration.

Acting for a property client? Solicitors, accountants, property advisers, managing agents and other professional advisers can refer or instruct Coddan to establish the required corporate structure for their client, subject to the agreed scope and appropriate professional boundaries.

What Are You Trying to Establish?

Property projects can require very different corporate arrangements. A group of leaseholders seeking to manage a block, residents acquiring a freehold, an estate requiring a management company and a property development project do not necessarily require the same corporate vehicle.

Start with the project — not the company type. Choose the sector that best describes what you are trying to establish. The relevant supporting page then takes you further into the project, the possible corporate structures and the formation support that may be appropriate.

Not sure which sector applies to your project?
Start with the property arrangement you are trying to establish. The supporting pages provide deeper guidance on the relevant project types, corporate structures, governance considerations and Coddan's formation support.

A CLG Is One Possible Structure — Not the Starting Point

A Company Limited by Guarantee (CLG) can be particularly appropriate for certain member-based property, residents' management and community arrangements. But a CLG should not be treated as appropriate simply because the project involves property.

Property projects can involve very different legal, ownership and management objectives. The appropriate corporate vehicle may therefore be a CLG, company limited by shares, RTM company, commonhold association or another appropriate structure, depending on the circumstances.

Do not start with the company type.
Start with the property project.

First establish what the project is intended to achieve. The corporate structure should then reflect the project's ownership, membership, management, governance and statutory requirements.

What Needs to Be Understood Before the Appropriate Structure Is Established?

The important question is not simply "Which company should I register?". It is "What is this property-related organisation actually being established to do?"

An RMC and an RTM Company Are Not the Same Thing

Property clients sometimes use the terms RMC and RTM interchangeably. They should not automatically be treated as the same corporate arrangement.

An RTM company operates within the statutory Right to Manage framework, while an RMC may perform management functions under the relevant property and lease arrangements. Where the project involves an RTM, the Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Act 2002 and the applicable statutory requirements may be particularly relevant. The underlying leases, building and circumstances should therefore be considered before deciding what company is required.

The Articles of Association Should Reflect the Property Project

Incorporating a company is only one part of establishing the corporate structure. For property-related organisations, the Articles of Association and other corporate documentation can be particularly important because they determine how the company is governed.

Depending on the project, matters requiring consideration can include membership, voting rights, director appointment and removal, member changes, transfer arrangements and the relationship between the corporate structure and the underlying property arrangement.

Standard model articles may not address every property project's particular requirements. Where bespoke or specialist constitutional provisions are required, the appropriate professional adviser should determine the legal requirements and Coddan can assist with the corporate implementation within the agreed scope.

When Can a CLG Make Sense for a Property Project?

A CLG can be useful where the project calls for a member-based corporate organisation without share capital. This can make it relevant to certain residents' management, community, estate and other property-management arrangements.

But a CLG is not automatically preferable to a company limited by shares, an RMC, an RTM company or another structure. The appropriate structure depends on the project's actual legal and operational requirements.

Important Structural and Professional Boundary

Coddan provides corporate formation, company secretarial and corporate administration support within the agreed scope. Coddan does not replace the solicitor, property lawyer, accountant, tax adviser or other specialist professional responsible for advising on the underlying property transaction or legal position.

Where the project involves specialist property law, lease interpretation, statutory qualification, tax, accounting or other professional questions, the appropriate adviser should determine the relevant requirements before the corporate structure is implemented.

Explore the Property Structure That Matches Your Project

If you already know the type of property arrangement you are establishing, explore the relevant specialist route for more detailed information.

The structure follows the project. Once the intended property arrangement is understood, Coddan can assist with establishing the appropriate corporate vehicle and the required corporate support within the agreed scope.

Property Projects We Can Help Establish

Property projects can require very different corporate arrangements. Coddan provides company formation, corporate structure and company secretarial support for a range of property-related management, ownership and development projects.

The examples below are intended to help you identify the type of project you are establishing. They are not a list of structures that are automatically interchangeable. The appropriate vehicle depends on the project's purpose, legal context, ownership or membership arrangement and governance requirements.

RMC, RTM, Freehold, Development or Property-Holding?

A Resident Management Company (RMC) and a Right to Manage (RTM) company are not simply two names for the same arrangement. Likewise, a company established to manage an estate, hold or acquire a freehold, or support a development project may have different requirements. The property project should therefore be understood before the appropriate corporate vehicle is established.

Property Structures Often Require More Than Incorporation

For property-related companies, the practical corporate framework can matter just as much as the certificate of incorporation. Depending on the project, particular attention may be required to membership, voting arrangements, director changes, corporate records, Articles of Association and the relationship between the company and the underlying property arrangement.

Where bespoke or specialist Articles, legal interpretation or property advice is required, these should be considered with the appropriate professional adviser. Coddan can then provide the corporate formation and administration support within the agreed scope.

The Project Determines the Route

These examples provide a starting point for identifying your property project, not a predetermined answer to the question of which company should be used. The appropriate structure can depend on the property arrangement, ownership, membership, governance, statutory context and intended activities. Where the structure has already been determined by the client or their professional advisers, Coddan can focus on establishing and administering that structure within the agreed scope.

Which Property Project Are You Establishing?

Use the four specialist sectors to explore the corporate structures and formation considerations most relevant to your project.

Not sure which project category applies? Start with what you are trying to establish. The structure and level of corporate support can then be considered from there.

From Company Formation to Ongoing Corporate Administration

Establishing the company is an important first step, but it is not the end of the corporate responsibilities created by the property project. Once incorporated, the company continues to have records, statutory requirements, corporate documents and administrative obligations that may need attention as the project, membership and board develop.

Property Companies Have an Ongoing Corporate Lifecycle

A property-related company can remain in place for many years. During that time, its directors, members, registered details, corporate records and filing requirements may change.

This can be particularly relevant to Resident Management Companies, RTM structures, freehold companies and other multi-member property arrangements, where changes in residents, leaseholders, directors or ownership interests can create continuing corporate administration requirements.

Particularly Important for Multi-Member Property Structures

Property companies can have a different administrative profile from a conventional owner-managed trading company. A block, estate or residents' structure may involve multiple members and directors whose circumstances change over time.

When a director resigns, a replacement needs to be appointed, company details change or an annual filing becomes due, the corporate record needs to keep pace with the underlying project. Coddan can provide the relevant company secretarial and corporate administration layer where this forms part of the agreed service.

Keep the Corporate Side of the Project Organised

Once your property-related company is established, you do not necessarily have to manage every routine corporate requirement yourself. Depending on the service selected, Coddan can provide continuing company secretarial and corporate administration support.

The objective is straightforward: keep the company's corporate records, documents and relevant filings organised while you and your professional advisers remain focused on the underlying property project.

Corporate Administration Works Alongside Your Professional Advisers

Ongoing company administration does not replace the other professionals involved in your property project. You can continue working with your existing solicitor, accountant, property adviser or managing agent while Coddan provides the corporate-services layer within the agreed scope.

What Ongoing Corporate Administration Does Not Replace

Coddan's role remains focused on corporate formation and administration within the agreed scope. Legal advice, tax and accounting advice, property advice, lease interpretation, service-charge advice and other specialist professional matters should remain with the appropriate qualified adviser.

Your Corporate Structure Can Continue to Evolve

Formation creates the company, but the company remains part of the property project afterwards. As circumstances change, Coddan can continue to support the corporate administration requirements that fall within your agreed service. This creates a practical transition from initial incorporation to longer-term corporate administration without requiring you to manage every corporate task alone.

Establish the company. Maintain the corporate structure. Stay focused on the property project.

Ongoing company secretarial and corporate administration services are provided according to the agreed service and agreed scope.

Your Existing Professional Advisers Can Stay Involved

Choosing Coddan for the corporate formation and administration layer does not mean you need to replace the professionals already involved in your property project. Your solicitor, accountant, property adviser or managing agent can remain part of your professional team.

You Do Not Need One Provider for Everything

Property projects can involve several professional disciplines. Each professional can continue to work within their own area of expertise, while Coddan provides the corporate formation and administration support that falls within the agreed scope.

You Can Refer or Instruct Coddan on Behalf of Your Client

Professional advisers do not need to step outside their existing client relationship when a property project requires a company to be established. You can refer or instruct Coddan to provide the required corporate formation and administration support for your client, subject to the agreed scope.

This provides a practical route for solicitors, accountants, managing agents, property advisers and other professionals who need a corporate-services specialist to establish or maintain the relevant company.

Build the Right Professional Team Around the Project

The purpose of this model is not to make Coddan the only provider involved. It is to make sure that the corporate element of the project has an appropriate formation and administration resource alongside the other professional disciplines.

You can therefore retain the professional relationships that are already appropriate to the project while using Coddan for the corporate-services requirements within the agreed scope.

Professional boundaries remain important. Coddan provides corporate formation, company secretarial and corporate administration support within the agreed scope. Legal, tax, accounting, property and other specialist professional advice remains with the appropriate adviser.

Your professional team can stay together.

Coddan can provide the corporate-services layer alongside the professionals already advising or managing your property project.

From Property Objective to Properly Established Company

A property company should not be approached as a simple form-filling exercise. The process begins with understanding what the property project is intended to achieve, identifying the relevant corporate route, and then establishing and maintaining the company in accordance with the agreed requirements.

The formation process follows the property project — not the other way around.

An RMC, an RTM company, a property-holding CLG and a company limited by shares can serve very different purposes. The appropriate route should therefore be established before selecting a formation support.

Property Companies Often Need More Than Incorporation

Property structures can have an ongoing administrative dimension that a standard company formation does not address. Ownership and membership can change, directors can move or be replaced, and the company's registered information and statutory records may need to be updated.

This is particularly relevant to resident management and other member-based property arrangements, where the relationship between the company, its members and the underlying property can continue long after incorporation.

The property project comes first. The corporate structure follows.

Once the appropriate route has been established, the formation support can be agreed according to the practical requirements of the project. The support does not determine whether a project should be an RMC, RTM, CLG or another corporate structure.

If the appropriate property structure is not yet established, start with the relevant property route before moving to formation.

Build the Right Professional Team Around Your Property Company

A property company can sit at the centre of a wider professional structure. Whether you are establishing an RMC, RTM company, property-holding CLG or another property-related corporate vehicle, Coddan can provide the corporate formation and administration layer while your solicitor, accountant, property adviser or managing agent continues to handle matters within their own professional remit.

One Corporate Layer Within a Wider Property Team

Coddan does not need to replace the professionals already involved in your project. Our role is to establish and support the company itself — its formation, corporate documentation, statutory records, Companies House filings and agreed corporate administration.

The Corporate Vehicle Is Only One Part of the Project

Property projects can involve very different corporate and operational requirements. A resident management arrangement is not necessarily the same as a statutory Right-to-Manage structure, and neither should automatically be treated in the same way as a property-holding or investment company.

Where the project involves matters such as leasehold rights, qualifying RTM requirements, membership arrangements, voting rights, freehold ownership, service charges, leases or specialist property documentation, the appropriate specialist adviser should establish or confirm those requirements where legal or property advice is needed.

A Straightforward Route for Professional Introducers

Professional advisers do not need to become company-formation specialists simply because their client requires a corporate vehicle. Where the corporate route has already been established or agreed, Coddan can provide the formation and agreed corporate-services layer.

A Clear Division of Professional Responsibilities

Professional Boundaries Matter

Coddan provides corporate formation and administration services within the agreed scope. Where a project raises specialist questions concerning property law, leasehold rights, RTM qualification, taxation, accounting, valuation or other regulated professional matters, those questions should be addressed by the appropriately qualified adviser. This clear division of responsibilities helps the client receive the right expertise at each stage of the project.

Your property project can have the right specialist at every stage.

Your existing advisers do not need to disappear from the process. Coddan provides the corporate-services layer that allows the required company to be established and maintained within the agreed scope.

Understanding Coddan's Role in Your Property Structure

A specialist property company can sit within a wider professional arrangement. The most reliable approach is to ensure that each part of the project is handled within the appropriate professional remit. Coddan therefore focuses on the corporate-services layer rather than attempting to replace the wider advisory team.

The project determines what needs to be established.
The appropriate professionals determine specialist advice.

A Property Project Can Have More Than One Professional Layer

There is no requirement for the company formation provider to become the project's solicitor, accountant, managing agent or property adviser. In many cases, the strongest arrangement is for the client to retain the professionals who already understand the property and its circumstances while using Coddan for the corporate component.

Formation Support Is Not the Same as Legal or Property Advice

Selecting or establishing a company is only one part of some property projects. Questions about whether a particular structure is legally appropriate, whether statutory qualification requirements are satisfied, how a lease should operate, or how a transaction should be treated may require specialist professional advice.

Where such questions arise, the appropriate adviser should determine the relevant position before the corporate structure is implemented. Coddan can then provide the applicable corporate formation and administration support within the agreed scope.

Coddan Can Form Part of Your Client's Existing Professional Team

Professional advisers do not need to surrender the client relationship simply because a company needs to be incorporated or administered. Where appropriate, Coddan can provide the corporate implementation layer while the referring or appointed professional remains responsible for their own specialist advice and client relationship.

Clear boundaries create stronger structures.

The aim is not to make one provider responsible for everything. It is to ensure that the right corporate structure, the right professional advice and the right administrative support work together around the property project.

Frequently Asked Questions About Property Company Formation

The questions below explain how the property project, corporate structure, formation support and professional team fit together when establishing a property-related company through Coddan.

How do I know which company structure is right for my property project?

Is a Company Limited by Guarantee suitable for every property project?

Can Coddan help establish a Resident Management Company (RMC)?

Can Coddan help with an RTM company?

Will my property company always use standard Articles of Association?

Can I protect my home address when becoming a director of a property company?

Do I need to replace my solicitor, accountant or managing agent?

Can a solicitor, accountant or managing agent instruct Coddan for a client?

Can Coddan support the company after incorporation?

Does Coddan replace specialist legal or property advice?

Explore the Structure That Matches Your Project

The main property formation hub provides the overview. The supporting pages allow you to examine the specific corporate structure or property scenario in greater detail before proceeding with the applicable formation route.

Start with the project. Establish the appropriate structure. Then implement it through the relevant support.

Coddan can then provide the appropriate formation and corporate administration support within the agreed scope, working alongside the other professionals involved in your property project.

First establish the appropriate corporate route.
Then implement it through the relevant formation support.

Use the Property Structure Guides Before Formation

The supporting pages within this property formation hub are designed to help you understand the principal corporate routes before the appropriate formation route is established. They address different property scenarios rather than forcing every project into a single CLG model.

Formation Support Does Not Determine Your Property Structure

Coddan's formation support can work across different property projects. You do not need to know the name of a particular formation product before entering the corporate-services process. The project determines the appropriate corporate route; the agreed service scope determines the level of formation and corporate support.

Your existing professional advisers can remain involved. Coddan does not replace your solicitor, accountant, tax adviser, property professional or managing agent. We provide the corporate formation, corporate documentation and company administration layer within the agreed scope.

Need more than formation? Depending on your project, additional corporate services may also be relevant, including a registered office, director service address, company secretarial support or other corporate administration services. These can be added where required and within the applicable service scope.

Prefer to discuss your property project with us? Contact Coddan on +44 (0) 207 935 5171 or 0330 808 0089 or email info@coddan.co.uk .