Land Registry to provide property identifiers for Price Paid Data

Improved matching and analysis to come, as unique property reference numbers (UPRNs) and INSPIRE IDs are added to monthly dataset. 

From this Friday (August 28), HM Land Registry will add additional, trusted property identifiers to its monthly publication of ‘Price Paid Data’, to support digital services provide more accurate matching and analysis, and unlock greater value. 

Price Paid Data includes information on all residential property sales in England and Wales, and is used by professionals in the housing industry, researchers, public bodies, lenders, digital service providers and anyone else needing reliable market information. 

UPRNs and INSPIRE IDs will now be published in separate lookup tables alongside the monthly dataset. 

The added tables will make it easier to link Price Paid Data with other sources of information, supporting its use with such tech as mapping tools and location-based services. The move also supports wider government objectives to unlock more value from land and property data via improved connectivity, interoperability and reuse. 

That will benefit external data providers and organisations, as they’ll get more reliable, comprehensive and linked datasets. It’s hoped that this will enable further innovation in property data services, analytics and digital products. 

Potential uses of the new information being published alongside the monthly dataset include more accurate listing data for estate agents and property portals, such as in matching historic sales prices to the correct property, and reducing errors caused by duplicate records or inaccurate address information. The property identifiers will also make it easier to show a reliable transaction history for a given property, improving transparency for both buyers and sellers. 

Financial institutions and lenders will also benefit from more reliable property matching and improved risk analysis. Developers and investors stand to benefit from improved site and land analysis, and more granular market insight. For researchers and those working in government, the move will provide better data integration and more accurate insights into the housing market. 

Lynne Nicholson, Deputy Director for Data at HM Land Registry, says: ‘We have a strategic plan to unlock the value of our data to create new opportunities for innovation and growth. To support this, and in response to customer demand, we are providing UPRNs and INSPIRE IDs through a series of lookup tables, beginning with our Price Paid dataset. Later this financial year, we will be adding similar lookup tables to our UK companies data and overseas companies data, as part of our move to support a more efficient, transparent, and digitally connected property market.’

Photo: Jakub Żerdzicki / Unsplash

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