The UK’s Residential Property Sector advocates greater adoption of the UPRN

On 12th January, a cohort of the most prominent bodies in the UK’s Residential Property Sector (RPS) sent an open letter to Robert Jenrick MP, Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) – highlighting ways in which government can support the appetite for greater adoption of the UPRN, right across the sector.

Nick Chapallaz, CEO, GeoPlace: “This is an extraordinary open letter. It marks an important shift in awareness among businesses and organisations that are determined to deliver better outcomes by making better use of location data. The signatories represent a formative cohort, and their appetite for greater adoption of the UPRN will be excellent news for the property sector, homeowners and tenants alike”.

The UPRN works much in the same way as the number plate on a car. By linking a unique number to all things property-related, such as surveys, sales and paperwork, every process can be tracked more effectively and enacted more efficiently. However, to make sure the UPRN’s potential is fully optimised, the RPS is asking government to take a number of steps and work towards a number of significant policy changes. As a result, the sector would see:

• Faster conveyancing as processes become more efficient

• More targeted, cost-effective legislation enforcement

• Greater protection for tenants and fewer rogue landlords

• An increase in productivity in the property sector overall

• Improved consumer and market safety and lower levels of fraud