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The Unique Property Reference Number

What is a UPRN?

The Unique Property Reference Number (UPRN) is the unique identifier for every addressable location in Great Britain. It is generated by local authorities who have the authority to name and number every street and property and Ordnance Survey who identify places on the landscape which may not otherwise attract an address. It provides an inclusive and consistent identifier throughout a property's life cycle – from planning permission or street naming through to demolition.

In the same way that every UK citizen has a National Insurance number, every Internet-enabled device has an IP address and every book features an ISBN number, every addressable location has a UPRN.

What are the benefits of using UPRN's?

The UPRN is an underpinning linking mechanism that removes error in data exchange and communication, and delivers efficiency gains in operational processes.

UPRN's make the whole process of getting equipment delivered or arranging for an engineer to visit your business premises much easier as it enables them to locate your business quickly within a building that may contain multiple organisations sharing the same address.

BT now uses UPRN's across Ethernet and Broadband products to help engineers get to you faster.

Where does the UPRN come from?

UPRN ranges are centrally allocated and managed by an organisation called GeoPlace LLP. They provide each local authority with a range of UPRNs for them to allocate to addressable locations as needed.

Local authorities' statutory responsibilities mean that they are the source of information within a property's lifecycle and are responsible for assigning UPRNs for each address record.

For further information on UPRN's, please visit: https://www.geoplace.co.uk/addresses/uprn.

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