Investor protection
How to check a UK property investment company
Seven checks you can make on public registers before you send anyone money, including us.
The short answer
Check the registers, not the brochure
Before you invest through a UK property company, confirm it is an active company on Companies House, belongs to a property redress scheme such as The Property Ombudsman, is supervised by HMRC for anti-money laundering, and is registered with the ICO. Pay deposits only to your own solicitor, treat any guaranteed return as a warning sign, and read reviews on platforms the company does not control. Every one of these checks takes minutes and is free.
Before you send money
Seven checks
1. The company is on Companies House
Ask for the full legal name and company number, then look it up. Check it is active, how long it has existed, who the directors are, and whether its accounts are filed on time. The name on your contract and invoices should match.
How to check: Search the company name or number at find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk.
2. It belongs to a property redress scheme
UK firms doing estate agency or lettings work must belong to a government-approved redress scheme: The Property Ombudsman or the Property Redress Scheme. That gives you an independent route to complain if something goes wrong.
How to check: Search the firm on tpos.co.uk or theprs.co.uk.
3. It is supervised for anti-money laundering
Estate agency businesses must be registered with HMRC for anti-money laundering supervision, and must check your identity before a transaction. A firm that does not ask who you are is a warning sign, not a convenience.
How to check: Ask for the HMRC AML registration number. HMRC publishes a register of supervised estate agency businesses.
4. It is registered with the ICO
Any business that holds your personal and financial data should be registered with the Information Commissioner's Office.
How to check: Search the company on the ICO register of fee payers at ico.org.uk.
5. Your money goes to a solicitor, not a company account
Deposits and completion funds for a UK property should be paid to your own conveyancing solicitor's client account. Be wary of anyone asking you to pay a purchase deposit into their own company or personal account, and confirm any bank details by phone before you transfer.
How to check: Use your own independent solicitor, regulated by the SRA, and check them on the SRA register.
6. No guaranteed returns or pooled schemes without FCA authorisation
Buying a property directly is not an FCA-regulated activity, so most property sourcing firms are not FCA authorised, and that is normal. A firm that pools investors' money into a scheme, or promises fixed or guaranteed returns, is a different matter and may need FCA authorisation.
How to check: Check the firm on the FCA register and the FCA warning list at fca.org.uk.
7. Independent reviews and a real office
Look for reviews on platforms the company does not control, from people who have completed a purchase. Visit or video-call the office, and ask to speak to an investor who has already bought through them.
How to check: Read Google and Trustpilot reviews, and ask for a reference you can call.
Apply them to us
Red Cardinal's registrations
These are the same numbers printed in the footer of every page. Check them yourself.
- Legal name
- Red Cardinal Property Investment Limited
- Companies House
- No. 14716108
- The Property Ombudsman
- Member D14716
- HMRC anti-money laundering
- XZML00000188376
- ICO registration
- ZB632945
- VAT
- GB 438 1926 74
- Office
- 33 Cavendish Square, London W1G 0PW
If something goes wrong, our complaints procedure explains how to escalate to The Property Ombudsman.
Frequently asked
Checking a property company: FAQ
Next Step
Ask us anything before you invest
Book a call and ask for our registrations, a reference from an investor who has completed, and how your money moves at each stage. If we cannot answer clearly, do not invest.
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