UPRNs: Unlocking safer homes and tenant wellbeing under Awaab’s Law

UPRNs in the Awaab’s Law data model

The new data model explicitly includes UPRNs under ‘hazard reports’ and ‘investigations’. This enables every report of damp, mould, or other hazards, to be tied to a specific property. That matters because this enables:

• direct linkage to incidents -by attaching UPRNs at the hazard report stage, every issue (like damp or mould) is tied immediately to a specific property, not just to a tenant or address string. That ensures clarity from the very first record created
• consistency across the workflow -means that when a case escalates from report → inspection → remedial action, it always references the same property identifier. This helps to identify duplication or errors, such as two reports for the same flat being treated as separate cases
• audit trails and compliance - regulators will want to see whether landlords responded within legal timescales. With UPRNs embedded at each stage, it’s possible to build a clear audit trail: hazard logged at property X, inspected within timeframe, action taken, case closed
• cross-system integration- because UPRNs are attached to both hazard report and investigation, data can flow easily between repairs systems, housing management, environmental health, and even external regulators. Everyone is referencing the same ‘anchor’.

In short, UPRNs act as the foundational identifier within the property entity—ensuring precise location mapping, consistent tracking of repair workflows, and reliable escalation and compliance management for social housing providers.

Using UPRNs

When used effectively, UPRNs can transform how housing providers and local authorities identify vulnerable tenants, target support, and deliver safer, healthier homes.

UPRNs enable data-driven decision-making across the organisation. By linking services, systems, and intelligence to a single, definitive reference point, they break down departmental silos, improve operational efficiency, and enhance service delivery.

Already, the UPRN is a mandatory inclusion for organisations in the public sector. In April 2020, the Open Standards Board mandated that the UPRN is the public sector standard for referencing and sharing property information. This means that the UPRN must be used when identifying geographic locations in Great Britain.

Supporting tenants with vulnerabilities

Housing providers should be able to identify and prioritise repair requests that involve vulnerable tenants. We’ve published many case studies (see links below) on how the real value of UPRNs comes when they’re combined with wider datasets to support vulnerable people. A report by UKAuthority in April 2023 explored this in more depth, highlighting how UPRNs can unlock a joined-up view of vulnerability across housing, health, and social care.

By anchoring vulnerability data to a property, UPRNs can help to ensure that people don’t fall through the cracks just because their needs are recorded in different systems.

UPRNs are also a key dataset in the Scalable Approach to Vulnerability Via Interoperability (SAVVI) and Rapid identification of vulnerable households in an emergency or crisis (VIPER) projects.

Why this matters for Awaab’s Law

Using UPRNs in line with the new data standard supports both property-level safety and tenant wellbeing:

• pinpointing risk: every hazard report is tied to the exact property
• prioritising support: vulnerability indices help social landlords direct resources where they’re needed most
• ensuring compliance: UPRNs create transparent audit trails, reducing the risk of regulatory breaches
• driving prevention: analysis at property, block, or estate level can highlight patterns before they escalate into serious hazards.

From compliance to care

This new data standard is about much more than reporting damp and mould—it’s about protecting tenants and preventing tragedies. By embedding UPRNs into everyday workflows, housing providers can not only meet regulatory requirements but also build smarter, safer, more targeted services.

Because ultimately, a UPRN is not just a number—it’s a key to understanding where people live, what risks they face, and how services can respond to keep them safe.

Footnote

Case studies and conference sessions on supporting people with vulnerabilities

Leveraging data for better housing conditions: damp and mould management in the London Borough of Hackney

Linking data with UPRNs to improve living conditions for people in Hackney

Using UPRNs to link housing data and support a data community

We CAN support the vulnerable more effectively, when we know where they are

Helping the vulnerable – how data gets the right support to the right people

Linking data with UPRNs to improve living conditions for people in Hackney

Using UPRNs to flag vulnerable households

Wales is using the UPRN to coordinate the COVID-19 response to the most vulnerable

UPRNs can deliver better outcomes for vulnerable individuals by improving the efficiency of emergency services

Durham County Council combines datasets using the UPRN to assist vulnerable residents

Leeds City Council uses UPRNs to identify shielding individuals during COVID-19

Mole Valley’s use of UPRNs to link datasets to support clinically extremely vulnerable people

Sheffield’s linking of UPRNs to council tax data to support over 70’s living alone

Predicting longer-term care needs using UPRNs in Worcestershire

Hackney Council use UPRNs to support vulnerable people

Local authorities are using UPRNs to provide support for vulnerable people

Using UPRNs to flag vulnerable households

Barnsley Council use the UPRN to identify vulnerable individuals and provide support during the Covid-19 pandemic

Interview: sharing data to support vulnerable people in Wales

Barnsley Council use the UPRN to identify vulnerable individuals and provide support during the Covid-19 pandemic

The role of UPRNs in delivering health and social care

Events

Data Connect: Unleashing local authority data – helping the most vulnerable

tech UK: Linking People with Places - Improving local public services through data-driven approaches

Helping the vulnerable – how data gets the right support to the right people

UKA Live: Harnessing data to support vulnerable people

UKA Live: Data, information governance, and supporting the vulnerable

GeoPlace conference 2021 - Identifying and supporting vulnerable people with presentations from:

• Huw Jakeway, Chief Fire Officer, South Wales Fire & Rescue Service
• Tony Bracey, Head of Programmes, Welsh Government
• Paul Withers, Data Protection Officer, Walsall Council
• Graham Hyde, Local Care Partnerships Intelligence Manager, Leeds City Council
• Jo Mann, Risk and Intelligence Manager, Humberside Fire & Rescue Service

GeoPlace conference 2021 - Using data better in health and social care to support the response to COVID-19 with presentations from:

• Tim Adams, Programme Manager, Local Government Association
• Shaun Powell, Newport Intelligence Hub Manager
• Riley Marsden, Business intelligence Technical Solutions Lead, Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council

GeoPlace conference 2025, with presentation from:

Chris Manuel, Community Resilience Lead Officer, Wiltshire & Swindon Prepared