AUTOMATIC RENTALS LIMITED

💤Zombieactive
02807683 · ltd · incorporated 1993-04-07
Investment thesis
Zombie company — trading but stalled; unlikely mover.
Why interesting: Quiet, steady; could be a succession or carve-out candidate with the right conversation.
Why risky: No growth signal; thin margin for error on price.
🔒Estimated value
—
Upgrade to see
Turnover
—
year to Sept 2025
Net worth
—
book net assets
Opportunity
82/100
Exceptional
🔔
Follow this company (free)
Email alerts on filings, charges, director changes, gazette notices. No account needed.

Unsubscribe any time from any email. GDPR-respectful.

🔒Generate AI memo →🔒Outreach pack →🔒Corporate story →📑 Reports →Sign in to watch
What this business does
Primary activity: Other business support service activities n.e.c.
Sector: Administrative & support services
Investor take
Pursue
Active trading company with a 88-year-old founder — textbook succession opportunity.

Opportunity 82/100 (exceptional), bankability 85/100. Strong seller-intent signal (83/100, director aged 88). Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. Biggest value-creation lever: Broaden director team. Sole director creates succession risk and reduces buyer comfort. Appoint a second director or strong #2. Most likely exit: share sale to pe / searcher (73/100).

🏦

Refinance opportunity

1 live charge · oldest 28.1y

45/100
under pressure

Refinance would be pressure-driven, not opportunity-driven. Expect tighter margins and covenant scrutiny.

  • · Oldest live charge is 28.1 years old — likely at or near maturity.
  • · Single lender — cleanest path to refinance.
  • · Distress signals active — lender appetite narrows.

Data confidence

Overall: high (81/100)

Strong data coverage across all sections. AI outputs should be trusted with minimal caveats.

Company profile
address, 1 SIC codes, incorporation date
100
Financials
2 years of iXBRL accounts extracted (YoY deltas available) + narrative notes parsed
75
Lenders & charges
1 charges (1/1 with lender, 1/1 with type)
90
Directors & officers
10 officers (2 active, 10 linked, 5 with DOB)
80
Ownership & PSC
1 active PSC(s) of 1 total, 1 with control declared
90
Director network
9 connected companies via shared directors
72
Filing history
99 filings on record
85
Gazette notices
No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)
60
Opportunity Score
82/100Exceptional
PassWatchWorth a lookStrongExceptional 

Strong composite across quality, acquirability, and risk. High-priority target — progress to serious diligence.

Business quality
70
Active, clean filings, stable charge profile.
Acquirability
80
Strong succession / seller-readiness signals.
Risk profile
85
Few red flags.
Signal strength
100
Good data coverage for analysis.

Key financials

2 years extracted from filed iXBRL accounts
Cash
—
Net Worth
—
Current Assets
—
Current Liabilities
—
£0£0£0£0£0£0Sept 2024Sept 2025

Hover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series

Financials

Extracted from Companies House accounts · FRS 102
Metric2025-09-302024-09-30
Average employees1100

Amounts extracted automatically from iXBRL. Fields left blank were not reported or not mapped. Values in GBP unless stated.

🔒Filing-note intelligence

1 signal detected in this company's narrative notes — going-concern language, audit opinion, contingent liabilities, related-party transactions.

Available from the Pro tier upwards.

See pricing →

Recent activity

Last 30 days
1
filing
  • • 1 accounts
Last 90 days
2
filings
  • • 1 accounts
  • • 1 confirmation-statement
Last 180 days
2
filings
  • • 1 accounts
  • • 1 confirmation-statement
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (36 events)Click to expand
  1. 2026-04-17
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  2. 2025-03-11
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  3. 2024-01-30
    📄
    change-account-reference-date-company-current-extended
    accounts · AA01
  4. 2024-01-15
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  5. 2022-12-05
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  6. 2022-04-28
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  7. 2021-04-22
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  8. 2019-07-08
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  9. 2018-07-24
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  10. 2017-06-13
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  11. 2016-07-18
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-small
    accounts · AA
  12. 2016-04-11
    📄
    annual-return-company-with-made-up-date-full-list-shareholders
    annual-return · AR01
  13. 2015-06-18
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-small
    accounts · AA
  14. 2015-04-15
    📄
    annual-return-company-with-made-up-date-full-list-shareholders
    annual-return · AR01
  15. 2014-08-13
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-small
    accounts · AA
  16. 2008-02-15
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #1
  17. 2007-06-28
    ➕
    BECKWITH, Carol Ann appointed
    secretary
  18. 2007-06-28
    ➖
    PAGE, Lyndon Graham resigned
    secretary
  19. 2007-06-28
    ➖
    PAGE, Lyndon Graham resigned
    director
  20. 2002-04-08
    ➖
    COOPER, Nigel William resigned
    director
  21. 2002-04-08
    ➖
    MONK, Ronald resigned
    director
  22. 1998-04-02
    🔒
    Charge registered #1
    Lender: Lloyds Bank PLC
  23. 1995-07-26
    ➕
    COOPER, Nigel William appointed
    director
  24. 1995-07-26
    ➖
    ENDEAN, Carol Ann resigned
    director
  25. 1995-02-09
    ➕
    MONK, Ronald appointed
    director
  26. 1995-02-09
    ➕
    PAGE, Lyndon Graham appointed
    director
  27. 1994-01-04
    ➖
    ENDEAN, Carol Ann resigned
    secretary
  28. 1994-01-04
    ➕
    PAGE, Lyndon Graham appointed
    secretary
  29. 1993-04-08
    ➕
    BECKWITH, Hugh Graham appointed
    director
  30. 1993-04-08
    ➕
    ENDEAN, Carol Ann appointed
    secretary
  31. 1993-04-08
    ➖
    AA COMPANY SERVICES LIMITED resigned
    corporate-nominee-secretary
  32. 1993-04-08
    ➕
    ENDEAN, Carol Ann appointed
    director
  33. 1993-04-08
    ➖
    BUYVIEW LTD resigned
    corporate-nominee-director
  34. 1993-04-07
    🏢
    Company incorporated
    As AUTOMATIC RENTALS LIMITED
  35. 1993-04-07
    ➕
    AA COMPANY SERVICES LIMITED appointed
    corporate-nominee-secretary
  36. 1993-04-07
    ➕
    BUYVIEW LTD appointed
    corporate-nominee-director

Owner dependency

100/100
Critical — business is the founder

The business appears inseparable from the founder. Acquisition without a serious earn-out or meaningful transition period would likely destroy value.

FACTORS
  • +Sole director: Only one active director — all governance concentrated on one person.
  • +Long-tenure founder: Senior director has been in place 33 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
  • +Founder age: Director aged approximately 88 — succession pressure is live.

Succession & seller-readiness

100/100
Likely off-market candidate

Strong acquirability signals converging. Worth approaching directly — this is how off-market deals start.

SIGNALS
  • primaryFounder aged 70+: Senior director is approximately 88 years old. Natural succession window is now.
  • primarySole active director: Only one director in control. No visible successor — buyers solve the succession problem.
  • primary20+ year tenure: Director in role 33 years. Very long tenure is a classic succession signal.
  • secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 33 years old and no new directors in the last 3 years — succession not yet being planned internally.
  • supportingClean filings + long tenure: Disciplined long-tenure operator — classic lifestyle-business pattern that often sells quietly.

Red flags

clean
No red flags detected from available public data. (This is not a clean bill of health — detailed accounts review still recommended.)

Shareholders & ownership

1 active beneficial owner · dominant holder ≥75%
NameSharesVoting rightsNature of controlNotified
Mr Hugh Graham Beckwith
Individual · British · DOB 08/1938 · age 88
75–100%
75–100%board control75-100% shares · 75-100% voting · board control06/04/2016

From Companies House Persons with Significant Control filings. Share ranges are banded per the public PSC regime.

🔒Co-director network graph

Radial SVG graph showing every company connected via shared directors, colour-coded by status.

Available from the Pro tier upwards.

See pricing →

Similar companies

Active · Trade services · DY postcode area
CompanyEst. valueTurnoverNet worthStaffAgeOppDirector
1 MILLION TATTOO STUDIO LTD→
12438194 · est 2020 · no financials extracted
————6y——
42 MYATT AVENUE MANAGEMENT COMPANY LIMITED→
15144580 · est 2023 · no financials extracted
————2y——
7 GLOW & GO LTD→
16888439 · est 2025 · no financials extracted
———————
90DAY-ACCELERATOR (UN) LTD→
16962051 · est 2026 · no financials extracted
———————
A&A PROFESSIONAL HAND CAR WASH & VALET LTD→
09241154 · est 2014 · no financials extracted
————11y——
AA SECURITY SYSTEMS LTD→
10400817 · est 2016 · no financials extracted
————9y——
ABBOTTS SECURITY LTD→
14267467 · est 2022 · no financials extracted
————3y——
ABDEL GROUP HOLDINGS LIMITED→
13836603 · est 2022 · no financials extracted
————4y——
ABK SECURITY SERVICES LIMITED→
06886116 · est 2009 · no financials extracted
————16y——
ABOVE & BEYOND VA LTD→
14857082 · est 2023 · no financials extracted
————2y——
ABREACHIER LTD→
15842050 · est 2024 · no financials extracted
————1y——
ABSTRACTS HAIR STUDIO LIMITED→
07945837 · est 2012 · no financials extracted
————14y——
Peers ranked by estimated value, then turnover, then opportunity score.See all →
🔒Tailored diligence questions

8 specific questions generated from this company's actual signals — liquidity, leverage, director age, charge count, red flags, age-of-company.

Available from the Pro tier upwards.

See pricing →
🔒Advanced scoring suite

Exit-route ranking, improvement thesis, quiet-distress detector, covenant-pressure proxy, extraction monitor, approaching triggers, ownership drift, local cluster, value trap, debt capacity, archetype classification — 48+ scoring modules.

Available from the Pro tier upwards.

See pricing →

Company details

Statusactive
Typeltd
Incorporated1993-04-07
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC82990 — Other business support service activities n.e.c.

Registered office

No 4 Castle Court 2
Castlegate Way
Dudley
DY1 4RH

Filing status

Accounts
Next due: 2027-06-30
Last made up to: 2025-09-30
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2027-04-11
Last: 2026-03-28

Officers (2 active · 8 resigned)

BECKWITH, Carol Ann→
secretary · appointed 2007-06-28
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
BECKWITH, Hugh Graham→
director · ~88y · appointed 1993-04-08
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
ENDEAN, Carol Ann→
secretary · appointed 1993-04-08 · resigned 1994-01-04
Resigned
PAGE, Lyndon Graham→
secretary · appointed 1994-01-04 · resigned 2007-06-28
Resigned
AA COMPANY SERVICES LIMITED→
corporate-nominee-secretary · appointed 1993-04-07 · resigned 1993-04-08
Resigned
COOPER, Nigel William→
director · ~62y · appointed 1995-07-26 · resigned 2002-04-08
Resigned
ENDEAN, Carol Ann→
director · ~77y · appointed 1993-04-08 · resigned 1995-07-26
Resigned
MONK, Ronald→
director · ~67y · appointed 1995-02-09 · resigned 2002-04-08
Resigned
PAGE, Lyndon Graham→
director · ~72y · appointed 1995-02-09 · resigned 2007-06-28
Resigned
BUYVIEW LTD→
corporate-nominee-director · appointed 1993-04-07 · resigned 1993-04-08
Resigned

Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.

Mortgages & charges

1
Total charges
0
Outstanding
0
Active lenders
Status:Lender:1 of 1 shown
TypeProperties
satisfied
Lloyds Banking Group
Lloyds Bank PLC
Debenture1 property02/04/199815/02/2008

Recent filings (99 total)

accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2026-04-17
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2026-03-30
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-03-28
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2025-03-11
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-03-28
change-account-reference-date-company-current-extended
accounts · AA01
2024-01-30
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2024-01-15
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-06-05
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2022-12-05
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2022-04-28
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-04-07
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2021-04-22
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2021-04-12
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2020-06-02
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2019-07-08