Unique Property Reference Number (UPRN)

Unique Property Reference Numbers are gaining momentum as a feature to be incorporated into property websites and services. UPRNs links address data across a diverse range of systems and services facilitating greater accuracy and immediate data sharing.

The Lettings Industry Council is a strong advocate for its uptake, and I wrote a blog post for TLIC on UPRNs and accessibility. TLIC members meet regularly to understand and deliver best practice, so that tenants and landlords benefit from a safer and more effective service within the industry. As a simple example, gas safety certificates can be uploaded and allied to a URPN, so that a CRM system can flag when one is coming due for renewal and alert the landlord or agent. Similarly, in terms of safe rentals, if a property is let or being let, then tenants and Local Authorities can see exactly what up-to-date  information and certificates exist for the property, so that it complies with current legislation and meets decent homes standards.

We're moving towards all information relating to any particular property being linked across websites, databases and registers, which is designed to make digital services more effective, cut time on property sales and lettings transactions, make the management of properties easier, and offer tenants, landlords and occupants greater levels of safety and compliance. Examples of platforms that UPRNs can be allied with include a property logbook, (click link for more information) and property portals (e.g. Zoopla).

I asked Simon Barlow of GeoPlace how the UPRN handles units within a block and whether there is a UPRN for each unit rather than just one for the entire block or scheme?

Simon explained that "UPRNs are assigned to features known as Basic Land and Property Units (BLPU) which typically represent and mirror a similar construct to freeholds and leaseholds for buildings and sites.  So, within a say a high rise building with flats in, there will be UPRN for the building (classified as a 'parent BLPU') and a different UPRN for each of the flats within that building ('child' BLPU).  In some instances where occupation or use is further divided either through rental agreements or otherwise there will also be UPRNs for any HMOs within those child UPRNs.  This same subdivision will exist for sublets of commercial premises where a named business is recognised as operating from that space.

Individuals and public sector organisations can find out their UPRNs for free via https://www.findmyaddress.co.uk/search.

Currently, any search for an accessible home or one to meet accessible housing needs is a frustrating needle in a haystack process. The Material Information Updates announced at the end of November 2023 would have helped, but the main three property portals have met this update from a technical perspective, but not in any intuitive way with the User Experience in mind - which begs a separate question, why don't they want to capture data on accessibility, given that they're data capture and analysts.

The point of the updates was to allow for the fact that the UK has a complete shortage of truly accessible homes. As a pragmatic and implementable workaround, and to keep property about property, not disability (which is so varied), we've come up with fact based property characteristics to help filter and refine any search (step-free access, wetroom and lateral living).

When we capture data on properties, that data can be recalled to provide knowledge as part of a search, and I see AI as being the next great leap for accessible housing search.

For example, with the right search tool, if we were to run a search for accessible properties, with a wider set of search parameters than is currently allowed for on any portal or website (e.g. you might want a wheelchair accessible home in a seaside town, but don't mind where in the UK, provided it's accessible), and we put in the usual price and number of rooms, perhaps specified ground floor with parking, our new search tool would return many results. If we then had the means to further filter for these property characteristics or only look for new build with an M4(3) adaptable or accessible planning standard, and we could further reference marketing assets such as photos, videos and floor plans, we could focus our search results much more effectively. The accessibility information could be attached to property log books. We just need to define what that data needs to be for it to be effective and implementable. Read my TLIC blog post for a case study on what this might look like for a rental and sale property, and how this could be useful for a large block of properties which are being marketing.

For further information & references, visit: