AML Compliance for Managed Offices & Co-Working
If your business provides a registered office or principal place of business address for its members, you're now regulated by AUSTRAC. Since 1 July 2026 AUSTRAC introduced anti-money laundering and counter terrorism financing regulation which applies to a range services; including providers of a registered office address. Visibl can help you easily meet your new compliance obligations without have to build an in-house team.
Why co-working and managed offices are regulated
Why co-working and managed offices are regulated
A registered office address gives a company, trust or partnership a credible, physical presence. That's exactly why criminals look for one. Shell companies use third-party addresses to look legitimate, open bank accounts and hide who really controls them.
Under the Tranche 2 reforms, providing a registered office address or principal place of business is a designated service. If you offer it, whether as part of a dedicated desk, a private suite or a virtual office plan, you're a reporting entity with the same core obligations as accountants, lawyers and real estate agents.
The obligation attaches to the service, not your size. A single-site space with a handful of address-only members is in scope, just as a national network is.
Your obligations as a co-working / managed office provider
Your obligations as a co-working / managed office provider
From 1 July 2026, operators providing a registered office or principal place of business address must comply with all obligations under the Tranche2 AML/CTF Regulation. Visibl covers every one of these requirements: the software to do the work, and the certified specialists to make it defensible.
Compliance that fits how your space actually runs.
Compliance that fits how your space actually runs.
Your members come and go. Plans change from hot desk to suite to address-only. Many members are start-ups and SMEs with fresh ABNs, trusts or overseas founders. Visibl supports with simple verification workflows you can embed into your sign-up flow, so checks happen at move-in rather than after the fact, and ongoing monitoring keeps up as your member base turns over.
“When we learned our registered office address service brought us into AUSTRAC's regime, Visibl made it simple. They built our risk assessment and policy, trained our team and got customer verification up and running. Compliance went from a worry to something that just works."
Cassandra Diaz, Chief Operating Officer, Tank Stream Labs
AML requirement top tips for Co-Working & Managed Office Providers
A question we get asked a lot by Co-Working and Workspace-as-a-service providers is “Do I need to verify every member, or only those using our address?"
The designated service is the address, so members on address-only or virtual office plans are clearly in scope. But members often upgrade or downgrade, and a desk member can start using your address for their company without telling you. The simplest approach is to verify everyone at sign-up. The platform makes it quick enough that segmenting members by plan isn't worth the compliance risk of getting it wrong.
Kaan Yuksel, Managing Partner
The cost of getting it wrong isn't just fines, it's your reputation.
The cost of getting it wrong isn't just fines, it's your reputation.
AUSTRAC has significant enforcement powers to penalise firms for failing to meet these new standards with the maximum civil penalty up to 100,000 penalty units for a body corporate, which could see fines as large as $30 million for firms and $6m for individuals. Learn more about detailed Tranche2 compliance requirements and penalties to avoid.
Beyond financial penalties, regulatory action can damage your long lasting client trust, professional standing and long-term firm value. Visibl helps you keep risks front of mind and not in the rear view mirror, helping to avoid regulatory, reputational and operational risk.
Regulatory Risk
AUSTRAC has the authority to review your files, conduct audits and enforce strict compliance.
Reputational Risk
Non-compliance can undermine client trust and referral relationships.
Operational Risk
Remediation, audits and enforcement divert senior time away from clients and revenue and could cost you in expensive consulting fees.
Yes, if you provide a registered office address or principal place of business for a company, trust or partnership. From 1 July 2026, this is a designated service under the Tranche 2 reforms to the AML/CTF Act.
If members can use your address as their registered office or principal place of business, yes. Check your membership plans and terms: if any plan includes address use, including virtual office or mail-handling plans, you're providing the designated service.
Full AML/CTF obligations commenced on 1 July 2026. you must enrol with AUSTRAC, appoint a compliance officer, maintain a written AML/CTF program and risk assessment, verify members and their beneficial owners, monitor and report suspicious matters, keep records for seven years and train staff. Requirements apply regardless of how many sites you run.
Full obligations commenced on 1 July 2026. AUSTRAC enrolment opened on 31 March 2026, and newly regulated businesses must enrol within 28 days of first providing a designated service. If you haven't enrolled yet, now is the time. Visibl can complete this on your behalf when you sign up.
New members must be verified before you provide the service. For existing members, a risk-based approach applies, and ongoing due diligence means you'll need to bring them into your program over time. Visibl helps you plan and run a member re-verification sweep without disrupting your community.
Yes. One compliance officer can oversee your whole portfolio, with site-by-site dashboards showing outstanding verifications, training and tasks.
Other professions covered by Tranche2 include Real Estate, Accounting, Conveyancing and Legal. Learn how Visibl can support.
Save up to $17k per year*
The Australian Government estimates the cost of an AML compliance program to be over $23k per year. Learn how you can save money with Visibl.
Tranche 2 is here. Get your spaces compliance-ready.
Protect your brand. Keep move-ins moving. Meet AUSTRAC expectations with confidence.
Savings Calculated based on Visibl Starter Plan but does not include additional KYC verifications, users, escalations or support. Annual Subscription AU$3780 plus the one-time onboarding fee AU$2000 deducted from the estimated annual cost burden of $23,800 to the real estate industry determined by the Australian Government. Documented in the 'Reforming Australia's Anti-Money Laundering and Countered Terrorism Financing Regime Impact Analysis' by The Australian Government. Page 111.