Which SIC code should a property or rent-to-rent company use? 68100, 68201, 68209 and 68320

In England and across the UK, SIC codes are Companies House business-activity classifications, not landlord-law categories. Property companies usually choose the code that best matches what the company actually does, then check lender requirements before applying for finance.

What is a SIC code, and where do you have to give one?

A SIC code is a five-digit UK business-activity code that a company gives to Companies House on incorporation and updates through its confirmation statement if its principal activity changes. The ONS defines UK SIC as “a five-digit classification providing the framework for collecting and presenting a large range of statistical data according to economic activity”, and Companies House says a company uses it as “a 5-digit code that describes your company's economic activity.” The duty is company-only: unincorporated landlords, sole traders and ordinary partnerships do not file a Companies House SIC code just because they let property. A company’s incorporation application must include “its intended principal business activities”, and Companies House practice is that “You must provide at least one code, and you can select up to 4 if your company carries out a range of different activities.” VAT registration can also ask for one: HMRC’s VAT1 notes say, “Please provide a Standard Industry Classification (SIC) code that best describes your business activities.”

Which SIC code should a property company use?

A property company normally uses 68209 for ordinary buy-to-let letting, 68100 for buying and selling property, 68201 for housing-association letting, and 68320 for real-estate management, but no law fixes one code for every property investment company. The legal framework prescribes the SIC 2007 system, not a landlord-specific answer: “The Standard Industrial Classification 2007 is prescribed for the purposes of section 9(5B) and section 853C(3) of the Act”. In lender practice, 68209 is the volume buy-to-let SPV code, while 68100, 68201, 68209 and 68320 are the familiar mortgage list: The Mortgage Works says, “Only Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs) with one or more of the following Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) codes are considered: 68100, 68201, 68209 and 68320.” That lender’s list excludes Northern Ireland companies because “Companies must be registered in England, Wales or Scotland.” The 68320 SIC code is disputed for a landlord’s own portfolio: one broker says lenders commonly accept it, while an accountancy firm says it is only for managing other landlords’ property.

Which SIC code fits a rent-to-rent business?

A leased property you sublet is still usually 68209, the same code as owning and letting property; only managing property for other landlords on a fee basis, without taking the lease yourself, points to 68320. UK SIC 2007’s real-estate section expressly covers leased property: “Activities in this section may be carried out on own or leased property and may be done on a fee or contract basis.” Its class 68.20/9 is “Letting and operating of own or leased real estate”, which is why a rent-to-rent company that takes a lease and grants underlettings normally fits 68209 even though it does not own the freehold or long leasehold investment. Property Tax Adviser makes the same market point for the SIC code for rent to rent, saying that if you are using the Rent to Rent strategy “this will be the SIC code for your company.” By contrast, 68320 is for the management of real estate on a fee or contract basis, so it fits an agency-style management business rather than an operator taking the lease risk.

Can you change a SIC code without filing a confirmation statement?

You cannot normally change a Companies House SIC code on a standalone mid-year form; after incorporation, the update route is a confirmation statement, which you can file early if you need the change now. Companies Act 2006 section 853C says, “The company must give notice to the registrar of the change at the same time as it delivers the confirmation statement,” and Companies House states the practical rule even more directly: “If you need to update your SIC code, file a confirmation statement.” Filing early is the official route, because Companies House says, “If you need to change your SIC code immediately, you can file a confirmation statement early.” An early filing changes the review cycle: the next review period becomes “the period of 12 months beginning with the day after the confirmation date.” The confirmation statement fee is not repeated every time in the same payment year, because GOV.UK says, “You can then file as many confirmation statements as you want in this payment period.”

Does it matter if your SIC code is wrong?

The £5,000 fine often quoted for a wrong SIC code is actually the confirmation-statement non-filing penalty, and no legislation creates a dedicated fine for an incorrect SIC code itself. GOV.UK’s £5,000 line is about failing to file the confirmation statement: “You can be fined up to £5,000 and your company may be struck off if you do not file your confirmation statement.” The real risk of a wrong SIC code is practical and evidential: Companies House says, “If your SIC code does not reflect your company's actual activity, you may experience filing rejections or delays while discrepancies are investigated.” A false filing can also become a general Companies Act issue if it is materially misleading, because section 1112 catches a person who delivers “a document that is misleading, false or deceptive in a material particular.” For property companies, the biggest day-to-day consequence is lending: Companies House says, “Lenders and funding bodies use SIC codes to assess eligibility, and a mismatch can be enough to cause delays or complications in an application.”

Last reviewed September 2026.

Sources

• ONS, UK Standard Industrial Classification of economic activities — “a five-digit classification providing the framework for collecting and presenting a large range of statistical data according to economic activity.” Source
• Companies House blog, keeping your SIC code accurate — “a 5-digit code that describes your company's economic activity.” Source
• Companies Act 2006 s.9 — “its intended principal business activities.” Source
• Companies House blog, keeping your SIC code accurate — “You must provide at least one code, and you can select up to 4 if your company carries out a range of different activities.” Source
• HMRC VAT1 notes — “Please provide a Standard Industry Classification (SIC) code that best describes your business activities.” Source
• The Companies (Disclosure of Address) Regulations 2016 reg.7 — “The Standard Industrial Classification 2007 is prescribed for the purposes of section 9(5B) and section 853C(3) of the Act.” Source
• The Mortgage Works, limited company products — “Only Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs) with one or more of the following Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) codes are considered: 68100, 68201, 68209 and 68320.” Source
• The Mortgage Works, limited company lending criteria — “Companies must be registered in England, Wales or Scotland.” Source
• ONS, UK SIC 2007 PDF — “Activities in this section may be carried out on own or leased property and may be done on a fee or contract basis.” Source
• ONS, UK SIC 2007 PDF — “Letting and operating of own or leased real estate.” Source
• Property Tax Adviser, SIC codes for property companies — “this will be the SIC code for your company.” Source
• Companies Act 2006 s.853C — “The company must give notice to the registrar of the change at the same time as it delivers the confirmation statement.” Source
• Companies House blog, keeping your SIC code accurate — “If you need to update your SIC code, file a confirmation statement.” Source
• Companies House blog, choosing a SIC code — “If you need to change your SIC code immediately, you can file a confirmation statement early.” Source
• Companies Act 2006 s.853A — “the period of 12 months beginning with the day after the confirmation date.” Source
• GOV.UK, filing your company’s confirmation statement — “You can then file as many confirmation statements as you want in this payment period.” Source
• GOV.UK, running a limited company: confirmation statement — “You can be fined up to £5,000 and your company may be struck off if you do not file your confirmation statement.” Source
• Companies House blog, keeping your SIC code accurate — “If your SIC code does not reflect your company's actual activity, you may experience filing rejections or delays while discrepancies are investigated.” Source
• Companies Act 2006 s.1112 — “a document that is misleading, false or deceptive in a material particular.” Source
• Companies House blog, keeping your SIC code accurate — “Lenders and funding bodies use SIC codes to assess eligibility, and a mismatch can be enough to cause delays or complications in an application.” Source