The Address Lens guide

How to read a property dossier

Every card in Address Lens is built from a public evidence source with real strengths and real limits. This guide explains each one: what it tells you, how to read it, where the data comes from — and just as importantly, what it does not tell you.

Verdict

Property briefing

The briefing is Address Lens’s opening read of the whole dossier. It is deterministic — computed from the evidence on this page by fixed rules, not by an AI — and it gives each evidence area a band plus a handful of key signals.

How to read it

The overall band is set by the worst-reading evidence areas — one “attention” area colours the whole verdict.
Component chips show one band per evidence area; selecting a chip jumps to that chapter.
The AI summary is optional: it is generated only when you press the button, and it is clearly labelled as AI-written.

It tells you

Which evidence areas read as positive, neutral, or worth attention
The key signals behind each band, with links into the relevant chapter
An optional plain-English AI narrative of the same evidence

It does not tell you

A valuation, or a recommendation to buy, negotiate, or walk away
Anything beyond the evidence on this page — the AI summary sees the same data you do
That evidence areas shown as unavailable are risk-free

Sources

Address Lens briefing engineAddress Lens · recomputed from the dossier each time you open the page

Bands, dots & chips

The same three-word vocabulary appears across the app — on the briefing, the vitals band, the chapter navigation dots, and chips. It is deliberately coarse: three readable words instead of false decimal precision.

How to read it

Positive (green): the evidence reads favourably.
Neutral (grey): nothing notable either way.
Attention (amber): read that chapter before relying on the dossier — it flags evidence, not a verdict.
An empty or muted dot means no usable data — that is neither good nor bad.

It tells you

How Address Lens has banded each evidence area, at a glance
Where to spend your reading time first

It does not tell you

A precise score — bands are intentionally coarse
That “attention” is a dealbreaker, or that “positive” needs no reading

Sources

Address Lens briefing engineAddress Lens · recomputed from the dossier each time you open the page

The vitals band

Six tiles under the address answer the headline questions before you scroll: estimate, last sale, EPC, flood, crime, and planning. Each tile links to the chapter holding the full evidence.

How to read it

The dot on a tile uses the same band vocabulary as the briefing.
An em-dash (—) tile means that layer has no usable data for this property; tiles never disappear, so the band always reads the same way.

It tells you

The headline value from each major evidence layer
Where each headline is covered in full — every tile is a link

It does not tell you

The caveats — those live in each card; a tile is a headline, not the story

Sources

Dossier evidence layerssame sources as each underlying card · see each card’s own topic

Location

Map, address & geography

The map and address card anchor the dossier to a place: the address as recorded, its postcode, the best available coordinates, and the statistical geographies the postcode sits in.

How to read it

The map pin is plotted at the best coordinates available — usually the postcode centroid, not the rooftop.
Geographies (ward, LSOA, local authority) come from ONS postcode products and drive area-level layers such as crime.

It tells you

The recorded address and postcode for this property
Which administrative and statistical areas the postcode belongs to
Approximately where the property sits

It does not tell you

The legal boundary of the plot
That the pin marks the exact building — postcode centroids can sit a street away

Sources

National Statistics Postcode LookupONS · updated quarterly

Value & costs

Estimated value

The estimate projects what this property might be worth today by taking its own recorded sale history and rolling it forward with the UK House Price Index, cross-checked against recorded sales of comparable properties nearby.

How to read it

The headline is the mid-point; the range around it matters as much as the number.
Confidence reflects how much evidence sits behind the estimate — an old last sale or few comparables widens the range.
“Insufficient data” means Address Lens would rather show nothing than guess.

It tells you

A modelled value range built from recorded sales and the House Price Index
How confident the model is, given the evidence it had

It does not tell you

A surveyor’s or lender’s valuation
What the property would actually sell for — condition, works, and the market on the day are invisible to the model

Sources

Price Paid DataHM Land Registry · updated monthly
UK House Price IndexHM Land Registry / ONS · updated monthly

Sales history

Every sale of this property that Address Lens has matched from HM Land Registry’s Price Paid Data — the official record of completed residential sales in England and Wales.

How to read it

Each row is a recorded completion: price and date, as registered.
“No matched sales found” means exactly that — no match was found, which is not the same as the property never having sold.

It tells you

Recorded sale prices and dates matched to this property
The latest sale known to Address Lens

It does not tell you

That a property with no rows has never sold — some transactions (and some matches) never make it into the data
Today’s value — see the estimate for that

Sources

Price Paid DataHM Land Registry · updated monthly

Cost of ownership

A modelled annual running cost for this property, built from its EPC certificate: the energy the certificate says the home needs, priced at typical tariffs — plus the certificate’s improvement measures as a retrofit view.

How to read it

“EPC modelled” means the numbers come from the certificate’s standardised energy model, not anyone’s bills.
The potential figure shows the modelled cost if the certificate’s recommended improvements were made.
Caveats on the card say when the model is stretched — for example a missing floor area or an old certificate.

It tells you

A like-for-like way to compare running costs between properties
Which improvements the certificate says would matter most

It does not tell you

Your actual future bills — occupancy, tariffs and behaviour dominate real costs
Quotes for retrofit work — measure costs are indicative

Sources

EPC certificate energy modelGOV.UK EPC register · as lodged; refreshed by Address Lens on a recurring schedule

Condition & energy

Energy performance (EPC)

The Energy Performance Certificate is the official record of a home’s modelled energy efficiency, rated A (best) to G. Address Lens shows the latest certificate it knows about for this property, plus the full certificate detail.

How to read it

The ladder shows the current rating and the potential rating if the certificate’s recommendations were carried out.
A certificate describes the property as it was surveyed — check the lodgement date; homes change.
“Refresh pending” means Address Lens is fetching newer data from the official register.

It tells you

The latest EPC record known to Address Lens, and when it was lodged
Modelled efficiency, headline property facts (type, built form, floor area), and improvement potential

It does not tell you

That the certificate is legally current — certificates last 10 years and a newer one may exist
Real-world energy use — EPC figures are standardised model outputs, not bills

Sources

Energy Performance CertificatesGOV.UK EPC register · refreshed by Address Lens on a recurring schedule, with a live check for first-time lookups

Risk & constraints

Flood risk

A screening check of Environment Agency flood layers at this postcode: long-term river and sea flood zones, historic flooding outlines, and present-day surface-water extents — plus any live flood alerts near the postcode.

How to read it

Checks run at the postcode centroid — a point that represents the postcode, not your boundary.
Zones 2 and 3 are long-term planning zones for river and sea flooding; surface water is a separate, more local hazard.
Live alerts are operational warnings in force right now — a different thing from long-term risk.

It tells you

Whether the postcode centroid falls inside Environment Agency flood zones, historic outlines, or surface-water extents
Active flood alerts and warnings near the postcode at the time checked

It does not tell you

Whether this specific building floods — this is postcode-level screening, not a parcel-level survey
That there is “no flood risk” — an empty screening result is not a guarantee
Anything about insurance availability or premiums

Sources

Flood map layersEnvironment Agency · checked when you view the page
Flood alertsEA Flood Monitoring · live — the card shows when it was last checked

Planning constraints

Planning designations recorded around this postcode on the national Planning Data platform — conservation areas, listed buildings, and other constraints that can affect what may be changed about a property.

How to read it

The count is of constraints found near the postcode; open the full list for each one’s type and name.
Listed-building entries show their grade. A constraint near the postcode is not proof it applies to this exact building.

It tells you

Which recorded designations exist near this postcode, and what kind they are

It does not tell you

What a local land charges search would reveal — only conveyancing searches are definitive
That an absent constraint does not exist — councils are still publishing data to the national platform

Sources

Planning Data platformMHCLG (planning.data.gov.uk) · as published by each council

Ground risks

A postcode-level screening of three separate ground hazards: UKHSA radon potential, Mining Remediation Authority (formerly the Coal Authority) mining-legacy areas, and historic landfill sites recorded by the Environment Agency within 1 km.

How to read it

Radon, coal mining and historic landfill are independent checks — a low result on one says nothing about the others.
Coal mining areas are classed by reporting requirement, not measured risk; a Development High Risk Area means recorded mining legacy nearby, not confirmed instability.
Landfill distance bands are to the nearest recorded site — sites are historic records, not evidence of current contamination.

It tells you

UKHSA radon potential band for the postcode
Whether the postcode sits in a Mining Remediation Authority reporting area or Development High Risk Area
The nearest historic landfill site recorded by the Environment Agency within 1 km, if any

It does not tell you

Whether this specific building needs radon protection, a coal mining report, or a contaminated land search — this is postcode-level screening, not a survey or conveyancing search
That an unavailable layer is clear — a check that failed to load is not a clean result
Anything about ground stability, structural condition, or land value

Sources

Radon potential mapsUKHSA · periodic UKHSA model updates
Coal mining reporting areasMining Remediation Authority · as published by the Mining Remediation Authority
Historic landfill sitesEnvironment Agency · as published by the Environment Agency

Air quality

Two checks at the postcode centroid: whether it falls inside a declared Air Quality Management Area (AQMA), and modelled annual-average concentrations of three key pollutants — NO₂, PM₁₀ and PM₂.₅.

How to read it

Values are modelled annual means from Defra’s national model — a long-run average for the area, not today’s air.
An AQMA means the council has declared the area needs air-quality action — read it as “known pressure”, not “do not live here”.

It tells you

AQMA status at the postcode centroid
Modelled annual mean NO₂, PM₁₀ and PM₂.₅ for the area

It does not tell you

Live air quality, or what you would breathe on a given day
Indoor air quality — and none of this is health advice

Sources

Modelled background pollution mapsDefra UK-AIR · annual model outputs
AQMA boundariesDefra · checked when you view the page

Neighbourhood

Crime

Reported crime near this postcode from police.uk — the official public dataset of anonymised, approximately-located incidents — over the latest twelve months available.

How to read it

Incidents are deliberately blurred to protect victims: they are shown at anonymised map points near where they happened.
Counts are “at or near the mapped location”, not a neat radius around the front door.
A month with zero results can reflect an upstream publishing gap as well as a genuinely quiet month.

It tells you

The volume and mix of reported crime categories near the postcode over the latest 12 available months

It does not tell you

Exact incident locations or outcomes at address level
Unreported crime, or how safe a particular street feels

Sources

Street-level crime datapolice.uk · published monthly (England & Wales; Scotland coverage differs)

Crime Insights handoff

Crime Insights is Address Lens’s sister product for deep area-level crime research. The handoff card carries the postcode across so you can continue there with maps, longer trends, and site risk audits.

How to read it

It opens in a new tab; your dossier stays here.

It tells you

Where to go for street-level crime mapping and longer trend analysis than this dossier carries

It does not tell you

Anything extra about this property — it is a doorway, not a data layer

Sources

Crime InsightsLCI · same police.uk data, richer tooling

Transport links

The nearest public-transport access points to this postcode, from NaPTAN — the national register of every station, stop and platform in Great Britain.

How to read it

Distances are straight-line from the postcode centroid — walking routes will be longer.
Expand the card for the full list of nearby stops and their types.

It tells you

The nearest rail station and bus stop the register knows about, and how far away they are as the crow flies

It does not tell you

Service frequency, operators, or journey times — a stop existing says nothing about how often anything calls there

Sources

NaPTANDepartment for Transport · refreshed on a recurring schedule

Broadband availability

Fixed-broadband availability for this postcode from Ofcom Connected Nations open data — the share of premises that can get superfast, ultrafast and gigabit-capable services.

How to read it

Figures are the percentage of premises in the postcode with coverage, not a check on any single address.
A tier marked “Not published” means Ofcom released no figure for it in this postcode, not that the service is absent.

It tells you

How much of this postcode can get superfast (30 Mbit/s+), ultrafast (100 Mbit/s+) and gigabit-capable broadband, and whether any premises fall below the broadband Universal Service Obligation

It does not tell you

Whether a specific address can get a specific service — confirm with providers before relying on it
Real-world speeds, prices, or which providers serve the postcode

Sources

Connected Nations fixed coverageOfcom · published roughly twice a year

Schools & nurseries

Schools and nurseries around the postcode, from education and childcare registers for England and Wales, plotted on a map with their most recent recorded ratings where available.

How to read it

Pins are plotted at each establishment’s registered location; the map covers England and Wales where source files have been ingested.
Ratings shown are the latest recorded and can pre-date recent changes at a school.

It tells you

Which registered schools and nurseries are nearby, their phase and type, and their latest recorded rating

It does not tell you

Catchment areas or admission chances — being near a school is not a place at it
Anything outside England and Wales — Scotland and Northern Ireland are not covered by these registers

Sources

Get Information about SchoolsDepartment for Education · refreshed on a recurring schedule
My Local School / PLASC-derived school recordsWelsh Government · refreshed on a recurring schedule
Inspection outcomesOfsted · refreshed on a recurring schedule
Registered childcare servicesCare Inspectorate Wales · refreshed on a recurring schedule

Street history

A factual view of the recorded sales matched to this street, with resale patterns and price movement shown only when the evidence supports them.

How to read it

Resale intervals are gaps between consecutive registered sales for the same normalized street address.
Recorded-price movement compares median registered prices in the latest five complete calendar years with the preceding five complete years.
Outward comparisons use the same filters, windows and sample thresholds.

It tells you

Matched sales, sold addresses observed, record coverage, and supported resale or price patterns for the street

It does not tell you

Future value, demand, desirability, why a home was sold, or whether an EPC lodgement represents renovation
Like-for-like valuation — the mix of property types sold can move the recorded median

Sources

Price Paid Data (street aggregate)HM Land Registry · updated monthly

Report & next steps

Property report

Turns this dossier into a shareable report, framed for the reader you choose — buyer, landlord, agent, or the full Investigation with its AI verdict, questions to ask, and comparable sales evidence (plan-dependent). A report is a snapshot: it captures the evidence as it stands at the moment you generate it.

How to read it

Pick the audience; generation takes a moment and share options appear on the card.
Reopen the dossier to request the latest available evidence; a saved report remains its dated snapshot.

It tells you

A fixed, shareable record of this dossier’s evidence at a point in time

It does not tell you

Live data — a saved report does not update itself after generation

Sources

Address Lens report generatorAddress Lens · snapshot at generation time; source caveats carry into the report

Search & coverage

Postcode search

Address Lens starts from a postcode: type one on the home page and you get every address the platform can identify there, each opening into a full property dossier.

How to read it

Rows carry headline chips (such as EPC band or last sale) where evidence already exists for that address.
If an address you expect is not listed, see “Why is a property missing?” below.

It tells you

Which properties Address Lens can identify at a postcode, with their headline evidence

It does not tell you

That the listing is the complete legal address universe for that postcode

Sources

EPC registerGOV.UK · refreshed on a recurring schedule
Price Paid DataHM Land Registry · updated monthly
Postcode lookup (NSPL)ONS · updated quarterly

Why is a property missing?

Address Lens builds its property list from evidence trails: energy certificates, recorded sales, and property identity records. A home that has left no trail in any of those sources may not appear yet.

How to read it

The Identifier chip on a dossier shows how the property is identified: an official UPRN, or a property identity record when the property is known only from sales data.
Internal keys are stable within Address Lens but are not official UPRNs.

It tells you

How Address Lens knows a property exists, and how it is identified
Why coverage can differ between postcodes

It does not tell you

That a missing address does not exist — it means no evidence trail has reached Address Lens yet

Sources

EPC registerGOV.UK · refreshed on a recurring schedule
Price Paid DataHM Land Registry · updated monthly

Workspace

The workspace is your shortlist: save any property from its dossier, then compare candidates side by side and keep your own notes as you narrow the field.

How to read it

Save from the hero button on any dossier; everything you have saved lives under Workspace in the top navigation.
Saved rows are comparison summaries; reopen the full dossier to review the latest available evidence.

It tells you

Your saved candidates and their headline evidence, side by side

It does not tell you

A complete evidence review — reopen the dossier to request the latest available evidence

Sources

Your saved listAddress Lens (private to your account) · updated as you save and remove

Reports & AI briefing

AI summary

Two kinds of summary exist on a dossier: the deterministic briefing (fixed rules — the same evidence always produces the same result) and optional AI-assisted wording that you trigger yourself.

How to read it

The AI-assisted wording is generated from the dossier’s own evidence and is clearly labelled as AI-assisted.
If generation is unavailable, the deterministic briefing still stands on its own.

It tells you

A readable narrative of the evidence already on the page

It does not tell you

New facts — the AI cannot see anything the dossier does not already show, and it can phrase things imperfectly; the cards are the recorded evidence

Sources

AI summary serviceAddress Lens · generated on demand from the dossier evidence

Plans & investigations

The billing page shows the products and plans currently available, their capabilities, allowances and prices. Your account UI shows your active entitlement and remaining metered use.

How to read it

Check the billing page before checkout for the current products, plan capabilities, allowances and prices.
Use your account UI to review the active entitlement and remaining metered use available to you.

It tells you

What your plan includes and how many investigations remain

It does not tell you

Future availability or prices — the billing page shows what is currently available

Sources

Your billing stateAddress Lens · live from your account