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Housing: Databases

Asked by Sir James CleverlyConservativeDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled Answered 19 June 2026UIN 8082

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, with reference to the answer of 22 April 2026 to Question 124769 on Housing: Databases, what the difference is between Unique Address Reference Numbers and Unique Property Reference Numbers for residential dwellings.

Answered by Ian Murray

Unique Address Reference Numbers (UARNs) are HMRC’s primary identifier for rateable domestic (and non-domestic) properties in England and Wales. The UPRN is a permanent, up to 12-digit numeric identifier assigned to features in the landscape of Great Britain, including property. The UPRN is created by local authorities, with the GB-wide dataset collated and managed by GeoPlace and Ordnance Survey. UARNs, as supplied by HMRC, are linked to UPRNs within Ordnance Survey address data products.

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