The Unique Property Reference Number: a game changer for the lettings industry

8 Jul 2020 01:18 PM

Blog posted by: Theresa Wallace, Chair of The Lettings Industry Council (TLIC), 07 July 2020.

The TLIC comprises lettings experts from across the industry, including professional bodies and schemes, service providers for both landlords and tenants, and representatives from both large and small lettings agents. Government advisors also proactively attend the meetings enabling two-way feedback on current issues. Members are united by their desire to help standards rise across lettings and this wide group represents the views of all parties in the private rented sector.

The aim of TLIC is to share knowledge to inform, educate and improve the Private Rented Sector, ultimately providing benefits to the consumer. Using their extensive lettings experience, group collaboration and market data they are a valuable source of information. TLIC can feed into and liaise with the Government, MHCLG, landlord and tenant bodies and journalists with ‘one voice’ both knowledgeably and accurately when any new comments, reports or legislation are ‘in work’ and / or are published.

Theresa answers the question: How can the UPRN help the lettings industry?

The Unique Property Reference Number (UPRN) could revolutionise the Private Rental Sector (PRS). Better access to information is much needed in the PRS and will go a long way to making the market safer for tenants and fairer for the vast majority of decent landlords and agents.

The vision is to see all companies involved in property using the same reference number, including EPC providers, gas engineers, electrical contractors, CRM systems, deposit and ombudsman schemes. This could link together all data relating to an individual UPRN meaning that in the future tenants would be able to check their properties were safe and local authorities would have the transparency they need to dramatically improve the efficiency and targeting of enforcement.

It has for too long been the case that a great deal of existing legislation and regulations are rendered less effective due to the limited resources to enforce them.

To achieve this, each organisation’s data needs to be properly recorded and attached to the relevant UPRN. The EPC register is soon moving to a .gov website and they have confirmed they are building their new system around the UPRN which is great news, we now need more stakeholders to follow suit.