Guidance

Government Property Data Standard: GovS004-PDS010 (HTML)

Published 2 February 2023

1. Introduction

1.1 Purpose of this standard

The Government Property Data Standard is a subject specific standard within the management framework that supports the Government Functional Standard GovS004^{[footnote 1]}: Property. Its aim is to improve data quality, consistency and interoperability throughout the public sector estate.

The standard will enable a common approach to collecting, referencing and reporting all property usages, including land and buildings. The Government Property Function will align all property data with this standard to ensure consistency by enabling all organisations to embed these standards into their systems and processes enabling a common basis for aggregation and comparison.

1.2 Scope of this standard

This standard applies to central government organisations with property responsibilities, including departments, non-ministerial departments, arm’s length bodies and some public corporations. Other public sector organisations might find it useful for assessing their own data handling against the same framework. It provides a foundation for consistent and efficient use of property information across all public bodies in central government and elsewhere.

The standard will be available on the HM Government website, GOV.UK, for public and private sector suppliers to the government to establish consistency in the services they provide.

This standard covers the following elements:

• Data Structure – the data field taxonomy and related property hierarchies.
• Data Quality and Assurance – the process and governance around data coverage and completeness.
• Data Ownership and Access – the contractual data ownership and accessibility of data.
• Data Systems – the flexibility, interoperability and security of data systems.
• Data Usage – the application and decision-making.

1.3 Related standards

This standard has been aligned with national and international standards wherever possible. (annotate with link to uniclass, IPMS, the GEO standard used by GA, and GovS004 or bullet point if easier). In the event of a situation where this standard conflicts with any other standards, please contact [email protected] and the appropriate action will be taken to resolve the conflict.

1.4 Data Standard Governance

The Data Standard is issued by the Cabinet Office. Professional bodies and other government organisations are able to propose additional data fields for inclusion where they see value would be added. The following criteria should be met:

• New data fields should not contradict data definitions already included in the standard.
• Data must comply with regulations and the statutory requirements.
• If an organisation wishes to propose that additional data fields are included in or removed from the standard, or that definitions are amended, it should send its advice to the Office of Government Property for consideration of a system-wide solution.^{[footnote 2]}

1.5 Review and Future Development

The effectiveness of the data standard will be assessed on an on-going basis and this is expected to be a living document. New versions will be issued following consultation. Any assessment will cover the following criteria:

• Relevance: Is the data being standardised relevant to the public estate?
• Outcome-focused: Can the data be linked to a business need?
• Externally defined: Consistent definitions set in law or already in general use.

2. Rationale

2.1 Context

The value of the public estate is estimated to be over £500bn^{[footnote 3]} in a portfolio of over 300,000^{[footnote 4]} properties. They are held by a wide range of organisations including central government departments, executive agencies, other arm’s length bodies (ALBs) and non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs). The wider public sector estate also includes ‘blue light’ services, local authorities and health authorities.

Property records and datasets across Government are held in different places and follow different standards, making it difficult to identify opportunities to collaborate, or to collate comparable information.

2.2 Benefits of the standard

A common data standard will unlock significant strategic benefits as organisations can share information to act collectively. Consistent reporting facilitates cross-government analysis and evidence-based decision making.

Maintaining data to the same standard provides assurance that all public properties are accounted for and there is better transparency.

By adopting this standard, public sector organisations can act collectively within a geographical area, thereby enabling an improved coherent locational analysis of properties within a geography.

Property ownership and use are affected by Machinery of Government (MoG) changes at national, local and devolved levels. These become simpler and faster to implement with a common property data standard.

The public estate is diverse, and therefore common definitions of property use such as offices, laboratories, depots, hospitals, clinics and so on are critical for a strategic understanding of the estate.

Compliance with a standardised approach will enable better interoperability from system to system and improved information sharing practice between organisations over time. A common data standard is a necessary ingredient for continued automation and use of emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) in estate management. These technologies struggle in fragmented data environments and this standard aims to empower the government property function to leverage opportunities from such new technologies.

It will support the Government property strategic priorities through consistent data.

2.3 Data that matters

It is important that data collected has a clear purpose and avoids imposing unnecessary burdens. Therefore, all government organisations should ensure that they have a justification for each data field they collect. In this standard, basic asset management data requirements have been developed to address questions such as those below (not exhaustive):

• I want to know how many properties my organisation occupies and where they are.
• I want to know how much my properties cost to run, according to use, e.g. warehouses, job centres, laboratories.
• I am changing the size of my organisation and need to find accommodation.
• I want to compare my performance against other organisations.
• I need to see how many leases will expire in future years.
• I want to see how many freehold properties my organisation owns and their use
• I want to compare a possible lease renewal against other accommodation.
• I want to report on properties such as, how many have been sold.

3. Principles

This standard provides common definitions, taxonomy and nomenclature for data used for the government estate.

It specifies the data fields which are fundamental for the function to deliver necessary reporting and to enable strategic, collaborative management of the estate. The standard should therefore be applied to all property types across the public sector and may contain data fields which are not yet required for InSite.

This standard is system-agnostic and does not mandate any specific system requirements on organisations. It is based upon established UK and international industry standards^{[footnote 5]} and supports of the Government’s open-source and interoperability agenda.

When applying this standard several broad principles should be followed:

3.1 - Scope of data – the data defined by this standard covers land and buildings. A property in this standard only applies to land and building.

3.2 - Use (Classification) – this standard applies to all land and buildings use types. Use types are listed in Appendix 9.2.

When applying this standard, the following guidance points should be considered:

3.3 - Specific definitions – this standard has been developed to promote consistency across organisations. It should be sufficiently well-defined to avoid the need for deviation. However, definitions may vary in organisational systems and they should define a clear data matching process to maintain cross-government consistency.

3.4 - Contract lifecycle – the processes and specifications which are agreed during the contracting of property services shall be adjusted to meet this standard, where possible, (e.g. data structure, ownership and access, systems).

3.5 - Level of detail – the standard has been set at a higher level of detail, to provide enough information for organisations to adhere to the standard.

3.6 - Estates Portfolio – this standard will apply to land and buildings across the whole portfolio.

3.7 - Data mastering – Property information shall be recorded and mastered at source.

4. Data Structure

4.1 - A property is any land or buildings having an address and / or geolocation data.

4.2 - A space is a unique definable area within a property. This can be an area of floor space or land.

4.3 - A contract refers to the contractual position. For example, for a property, a contract would refer to ownership and it can be a freehold or leasehold.

The data structure is defined in the following section for physical properties and spaces that are owned or occupied by organisations in the form of data field tables. These have the following headings:

4.4 - Field reference – a unique numeric reference for use within this standard for interoperability and aggregation.

4.5 - Data field – This is the business name given to the field.

4.6 - Definition – This is the description of the field in business terms.

4.7 - Frequency of Update – The frequency with which data should be refreshed or reviewed is business-driven. Guidance is provided on the minimum frequency for each data field. For example, property boundaries rarely change but it is advisable that they are reviewed once a year, e.g. in case of development.

4.8 - Rationale – the reasons and uses behind the data captured in each field.

5. Data Assurance

Assurance is a systematic set of actions to provide confidence to senior leaders and stakeholders that government property data is consistent with this standard and that any changes are managed through an agreed governance process.

While each organisation is responsible for ensuring that their data is assured it is mandatory that assurance includes the following elements:

5.1 - Initial verification – to generate a complete property record, a verification exercise may be required. This should include the verification of geospatial data.

5.2 - Regular verification – regular sample surveys to monitor data quality, coverage and completeness. These surveys should sample different properties each time, with an objective, that over time all properties would be surveyed.

5.3 - Change control / approvals processes for adding, removing or changing data – to maintain data accuracy, a documented, understood and consistently applied change control process is required. This should include a change log detailing the reason for the change, the date, the requestor, the approver and ensure all the required data fields are completed.

5.4 - Data quality checks – regular data quality checks should include data field completeness, data consistency, identifying outlier values, identifying missing data. This can be done by automated business rules or dashboards of data quality measures. For example, data submitted to Cabinet Office systems will undergo automated business rules checks.

Data quality checks should also be made on ingress of data into systems, whether by organisations’ staff or 3rd parties.

5.5 - Data quality board – a governance board to oversee compliance with the data assurance process should exist within all organisations. This board should be responsible for defining and implementing actions to improve property data quality. This board should include representatives from all parties providing, managing and reporting on property data.

5.6 - Documentation – organisations should create and maintain relevant supporting documentation regarding property data. This should include documented assurance processes, governance terms of reference, data dictionaries and data workflow schematics. This documentation should support the application of a consistent approach around property data and the on-boarding of new joiners to the data management process.

6. Data Ownership

The following rules apply to the ownership, reporting and management of access to data..

6.1 - Data ownership – all property data shall be owned and provided by each organisation, regardless of whether this data is managed by a 3rd party or ALB. This includes the security classification of the record.

6.2 - Data management – To maintain consistency it is the responsibility of the Government owner of each freehold or head lease to manage the provision of data such as operating cost and sustainability for their own organisation and for their direct tenants, where these are external costs. External costs exclude inter-organisational payment, such as MOTOs, so as to provide an accurate cost to Government of occupying property.

6.3 - Data accessibility – each organisation shall have access to its property data to facilitate portfolio management, contract management and data assurance. Whether this is by access to the 3rd party systems or via a common data platform with regular updates is an organisational decision.

6.4 - Data access management – Organisations should have an approval process to manage user access to the data including controlled read/write/edit permissions. User lists need to be documented along with user permissions.

7. Data Systems

The following principles apply to the supporting data systems used for property data in government organisations.

7.1 - Data taxonomy / flexibility – the property data system should be flexible enough to adjust the data fields and data values to align to this cross-government standard and also to organisation specific standards.

7.2 - Data interoperability / transferability – each organisation’s system should facilitate interoperability of data between Cabinet Office, organisation and supplier systems. Especially when considering supplier procurement by adhering to this standard.

7.3 - Common data platform – an organisation data system which allows for aggregation of data from ALBs and 3rd parties will support better organisational decision-making. However, this is an organisational decision.

7.4 - Data security – the data security requirements for an organisation’s property systems is an organisation’s responsibility but should align to current government standards such as Digital, Data and Technology (GovS005)^{[footnote 6]} and Security (GovS007)^{[footnote 7]} functional standards.

7.5 - Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery – data back-up and disaster recovery are an organisation’s responsibility but should align to current government standards such as Digital, Data and Technology (GovS005) and Security (GovS007) functional standards.

8. Data Usage

Each organisation shall develop policies and procedures to promote the active use of property data to support the management of the organisations properties.

The policies and procedures will support the following:

8.1 - Management information – utilising standardised reporting and interactive dashboards which are regularly updated to inform decision making.

8.2 - Contract management – active monitoring of third party performance against contract metrics.

8.3 - Mandatory and statutory compliance – monitoring and tracking the required mandatory and statutory compliance requirement.

8.4 - Investment prioritisation – make informed evidence-based decisions on prioritising investment based on business need and property condition

9. Data Definitions

9.1 - Data Fields: Physical characteristics

Field Ref	Data Field	Definition	Update Frequency	Rationale
1.1.0001	Primary Property Name	The name of the property that can be used without reference to another part of the address. Use the primary addressable object (PAO) as per the BS7666 standard where addresses are currently stored in this standard.	On Change	To identify properties by their geographical location.
1.1.0005	Primary Property Number	The number of the property that can be used without reference to another part of the address. Use the primary addressable object (PAO) as per the BS7666 standard where addresses are currently stored in this standard.	On Change	To identify properties by their geographical location.
1.1.0014	Secondary Property Name	The property name that is used alongside and in reference to a primary name or number, as recorded in 1.1.0001 or 1.1.0005, e.g. ‘First Floor’ or a sub- building name. Use the name of the secondary addressable object (SAO) as per the BS7666 standard where addresses are currently stored in this standard. Conditional; a primary object must be recorded.	On Change	To identify properties by their geographical location.
1.1.0015	Secondary Property Number	The property number that is used alongside and in reference to a primary name or number, as recorded in 1.1.0001 or 1.1.0005, e.g. a sub-building number. Use the secondary addressable object (SAO) as per the BS7666 standard where addresses are currently stored in this standard. Conditional; a primary object must be recorded.	On Change	To identify properties by their geographical location.
1.1.0003	Street Name	A descriptive identifier for the street, for geographic addressing; the street which provides access to the property.	On Change	To identify properties by their geographical location.
1.1.0006	Town	City or town in which the property is situated for geographic addressing; that is not an administrative area, or a suburb of an administrative area that does not form part of another town.	On Change	To identify properties by their geographical location.
1.1.0008	Postcode	For the UK, use the Royal Mail full postcode unit. For non-UK estate, this should be the local equivalent such as the ZIP Code for the US.	On Change	To identify properties by their geographical location.
1.1.0009	Region	The regions, formerly known as the government office regions, are the highest tier of sub-national division in England. Not required for the non-English and non- UK estate.	Annual	To identify properties by their geographical location.
1.1.0010	Country	The country in which the property is located.	On Change	To identify properties by their geographical location.
1.1.0013	Local Authority	The Local Authority in which the property is located.	On Change	To identify properties by their geographical location.
1.3.0005	Location Coordinates (Longitude or Easting)	Spatial (longitude or easting) coordinate appropriate to the Coordinate Reference System (CRS) specified in 1.3.0007, of the property.	On Change	It is important for the function to identify properties by their geographical location for transparency.
1.3.0006	Location Coordinates (Latitude or Northing)	Spatial (latitude or northing) coordinate appropriate to the Coordinate Reference System (CRS) specified in 1.3.0007, of the property.	On Change	It is important for the function to identify properties by their geographical location for transparency.
1.3.0007	Coordinate Reference System (CRS)	Coordinate Reference System used for property coordinates provided in 1.3.005 and 1.3.006.	On Change	It is important for the function to identify properties by their geographical location for transparency.
1.3.0008	Unique Property Reference Number (UPRN)	The Unique Property Reference Number (UPRN) for the property. Not required for the non-UK estate.	On Change	It is important for the function to identify properties by their geographical location for transparency.
1.3.0010	Boundary of the property	Spatial extent / boundary of the property stored as spatial polygon vector data.	Annual	It is important to identify the boundaries of a property for monitoring of the government estate.
2.1.0001	Floor Area	Total floor area of the property (sq m based on the measuring standard (indicated by the ‘Floor Area Measurement Type’ below).	On Change	To record the size.
2.1.0003	Floor Area Measurement Type	The measuring standard that has been used to measure the floor area. In the UK, all new surveys will follow IPMS standards. Recording to the old standards, generally Com6 (Net Internal Area, Gross Internal Area, Gross Floor Area) is permitted however it is recommended to move to IPMS standard as soon as practical. If the area has been measured using any other Measurement Types, these should also be named and recorded.	On Change	To identify the standard used for measurement and to enable standardisation of measurement for the UK estate.
2.1.0005	Land Area	The area in hectares (ha) of a portion of land variably described as a ‘land parcel’, ‘immovable property’ or ‘real estate’, etc. which becomes a ‘land record’ when it is linked, through recognised ownership, right or interest of people and legal entities in that land.	Annual	To record the size.
2.2.0002	Usage	Defines the primary use of the physical property. Master list held in Appendix 10.3 * To be supported by a master list of all the property types in use across Government Property. Property types associated with 2.2.0002 are to be derived from and associated with industry standards including Town and Country Planning Act and Uniclass.	Annual	To know how properties are being used.
2.2.0004	Listed Building	The protection applied to a building in accordance with: England and Wales: Planning (Listed Building and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 Scotland: Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) (Scotland) Act 1997 Northern Ireland: Planning (Northern Ireland) Order 1991 (A building that has been placed on the Statutory List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historical Interest. A listed building may not be demolished, extended or altered without special permission from the local planning authority).	Annual	To enable collective use of the estate, taking into account protections applied to parts of the government estate. Further information that may affect disposal or future use.
2.2.0005	Ancient Monument	Determined in accordance with The Ancient Monuments Protection Act 1882 which provides such protections.	Annual	For monitoring and reporting of the government estate on the heritage status of the property which may affect disposal or future use.
2.2.0006	Special Scientific Interest	An indication that all or part of the land is of Special Scientific Interest. A conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom and the Isle of Man. In Great Britain, it is called a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and in Northern Ireland and the Isle of Man, it is an Area of Special Scientific Interest (ASSI). The SSSI / ASSI may cover only part of the property.	Annual	To enable collective use of the estate, taking into account protections applied to parts of the government estate. Further information that may affect disposal or future use.
2.2.0007	Conservation Area	An indication that all or part of the property is in a conversation area. The current legislation in England and Wales defines the quality of a conservation area as being: “the character or appearance of which it is desirable to preserve or enhance”. The legislation in England and Wales is the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 (Section 69 and 70). In Scotland, it is the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) (Scotland) Act 1997. In Northern Ireland, it is the Planning Act (Northern Ireland) 2011.	Annual	To take into account protections applied to parts of the government estate. Further information that may affect disposal or future use.
2.2.0008	Construction Date	Approximate date of construction (year).	Annual	For identifying the age and ensuring safety of the government estate.
2.2.0009	Acquisition Date	Date (year) on which the property became part of the estate.	Annual	For identifying changes to the government estate and enabling decisions for further changes.
2.2.0011	BREEAM Rating	The BREEAM Rating grade awarded to a building	Annual	To monitor and report the sustainability of the estate and enable improvement.
2.2.0012	BREEAM Certificate Reference Number	Certificate reference number for the BREEAM certificate.	Annual	To monitor and report on the sustainability of the estate and enable improvement.
2.2.0014	Physical Constraints	Physical constraints on site which may affect access, disposal or occupation.	Annual	To identify limitations on parts of the estate.
4.1.0004	Building Condition	Select from: A – Good: Operating efficiently as intended, elements sufficiently maintained (to date). B – Satisfactory: Operationally safe, minor deterioration to some elements that require attention. C – Unsatisfactory: Elements showing major defects that require attention to prevent a risk of reduced operational life. D – Poor: Requires urgent attention, elements carrying a risk of imminent breakdown and a loss of business services if action not taken to address.	Annual or On Change	To monitor and report in a standardised way the condition of the estate including any inherent safety risks, in order to inform operational and investment decisions.
4.1.0005	Building Condition date	Date on which the condition was last assessed.	Annual or On Change	To monitor and report in a standardised way the condition of the estate including any inherent safety risks, in order to inform operational and investment decisions.
8.4.0001	DEC Building Rating	The rating is awarded if the building also has an EPC Energy Performance Certificate. Display Energy Certificates (DECs) are designed to show the energy performance of public buildings. They use a scale that runs from ‘A’ to ‘G’ – ‘A’ being the most efficient and ‘G’ being the least.[footnote 8] It will only appear on a building’s DEC if the building also has an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC). (UK only).	Annual	To monitor and report on the sustainability of the estate. To inform engagement on non sustainable properties.
8.4.0002	DEC Certificate Reference	Unique Certificate Reference Number from the top right corner of the certificate.	Annual	To monitor and report on the sustainability of the estate. To inform engagement on non sustainable properties..
8.4.0003	DEC Expiry Date	This is the ‘Valid until’ date from the Administrative Information section of the DEC certificate.	Annual	To monitor and report on the sustainability of the estate. To inform engagement on non sustainable properties.
8.4.0004	DEC Operational Rating	This is an operational rating based on the value assigned on the certificate using the range A+ to G.	Annual	To monitor and report on the sustainability of the estate. To inform engagement on non sustainable properties.
8.4.0005	DEC Operational Rating Value	Actual numerical value that is provided in conjunction with the rating on the certificate.	Annual	To monitor and report on the sustainability of the estate. To inform engagement on non sustainable properties.
8.4.0006	DEC property Reference	This is a DEC-specific property reference number from the Administrative Information section of the DEC certificate.	Annual	To monitor and report on the sustainability of the estate. To inform engagement on non sustainable properties.
8.4.0008	EPC Property Rating	Operational rating based on the value assigned within the graph on Page 1 of the certificate. This, and the associated report, sets out the energy efficiency rating of a property and contains recommendations for ways in which the efficiency of the property could be improved. (UK only).	Annual	To monitor and report on the sustainability of the estate. To inform engagement on non sustainable properties.
8.4.0009	EPC Property Reference	Property Reference number from the Administrative Information section of the EPC certificate.	Annual	To monitor and report on the sustainability of the estate. To inform engagement on non sustainable properties.
8.4.0010	EPC Property Rating Value	Numerical value from the Energy Performance Rating contained in the graph on the certificate. The property rating of a building reflects energy performance as built rather than in operation.	Annual	To monitor and report on the sustainability of the estate. To inform engagement on non sustainable properties.
8.4.0011	EPC Certificate Reference	Unique Certificate Reference Number from the top right corner of the certificate.	Annual	To monitor and report on the sustainability of the estate. To inform engagement on non sustainable properties.
8.4.0012	EPC Expiry Date	The ‘Valid Until’ date from the Administrative Information section of the EPC certificate.	Annual or On Change	To monitor and report on the sustainability of the estate. To inform engagement on non sustainable properties.
8.4.0013	DEC Certificate Issue Date	Nomination Date from Administrative Information section of the DEC certificate.	Annual	To monitor and report on the sustainability of the estate. To inform engagement on non sustainable properties.
8.4.0014	EPC Certificate Issue Date	Issue Date from Administrative Information section of the EPC certificate.	Annual or On Change	To monitor and report on the sustainability of the estate. To inform engagement on non sustainable properties.
8.4.0015	Out Of Scope Reason for DEC	Why the building is outside the requirements for mandatory DEC certificate.	Annual	To monitor and report on the sustainability of the estate. To inform engagement on non sustainable properties.
8.4.0016	Out of Scope Reason for EPC	Why the building is outside the requirements for mandatory EPC certificate.	Annual	To monitor and report on the sustainability of the estate. To inform engagement on non sustainable properties.

9.2 Data Fields: Contractual and Financial

Field Ref	Data Field	Definition	Update Frequency	Rationale
1.3.0004	Title Number	If the property is registered, a unique Title Number that has been allocated by the HM Land Registry (HMLR) in England and Wales, Registers of Scotland (ROS) in Scotland, Land and Property Services (LPS) in Northern Ireland.	On Change	To support mapping with Land Registry records.
2.1.0002	Floor area – tenure	Total floor area for the occupancy agreement (sq m), based on the measuring standard indicated by the ‘Floor Area Measurement Type’ field.	On Change	To know the size of the property that is contained in the occupancy agreement.
2.2.0001	Surplus status	Status of areas which are no longer required by the organisation and are considered surplus and available for disposal. *This is distinct from vacancy, which is an organisation retaining space for future operations but is prepared to release for another organisation.	Annual	Aids monitoring and reporting of Surplus area to enable reduction of surplus estate thereby improving efficiency.
4.1.0001	Value	Estimated value of the freehold (£) based on the Value Type defined.	Annual or On Change	To enable efficient reporting of the estate value.
4.1.0002	Value Type	The basis of valuation used for the figure supplied. Depreciation Replacement Cost (DRC) Existing Use Value (EUV) Market Value (MV) Other – UK Estate Other – Non-UK estate The basis indicated should be the valuation that has been used for accounting purposes.	Annual or On Change	To enable improvement of the efficiency and value of the freehold estate through reporting of its value.
4.1.0003	Valuation Date	The date on which the current value was determined. This is the date on which the opinion of value applies, not the date of any subsequent report.	Annual or On Change	To enable improvement of the efficiency and value of the freehold estate through reporting of its value.
5.0.0003	Rates	The annual payment for Business Rates also known as Non-Domestic Rates in the UK or other annual payment to a local or regional authority. Environmental taxes and changes such as parking should be included while any business and sales taxes that are levied on business profits and sales as distinct from the occupation of the building should be excluded. Rates are captured and defined under cost item A4 in the IPD Occupiers International Total Occupancy Cost Code.	Annual	To monitor the whole cost of the estate efficiency
5.0.0004	Capital Expenditure	Total capital expenditure including for any material improvements made that enhance capital value. Improvements may include building and extension or installation of services. Also include fit-out (including the interior renewal and upgrading of space to satisfy the specific functional requirements), extensions and refurbishment of existing floor space, and all other capital costs.	Annual	To enable improvement in the efficiency of the estate through monitoring and reporting of these costs.
5.0.0005	Unitary Charge	The annual charge paid to the contractor by a organisation under a PFI contract. This should exclude capital expenditure. In general, unitary charge should exclude all separately charged extra services and annual periodic usage and service charges associated with infrastructure and hardware.	Annual or On Change	To monitor the whole cost of estate efficiency.
4.2.0001	Future Disposal Date	The date by which planned disposal of the Freehold is due to complete.	Annual or On Change	To monitor and report on disposals of surplus freeholds. To enable reduction of surplus estate thereby improving the efficiency of the estate.
4.2.0002	Disposal Date	Date when the owning body’s legal responsibility and liability for the Freehold ended.	Annual or On Change	To monitor and report on disposals of surplus freeholds. To enable reduction of surplus estate thereby improving the efficiency of the estate.
4.2.0003	Status of Sale	If a freehold is being sold, the current status of the sale.	Annual	To monitor and report on disposals of surplus freeholds. To enable reduction of surplus estate thereby improving the efficiency of the estate.
4.2.0004	Date Property Disposal Receipt Claimed	Date on which contract for sale is agreed.	Annual	To monitor and report on disposals of surplus freeholds. To enable reduction of surplus estate thereby improving the efficiency of the estate.
4.2.0005	Disposal Method	Method used to dispose of property. Master list held in Appendix 10.2	Annual	To monitor and report on disposals. To enable reduction of surplus estate thereby improving the efficiency of the estate.
4.2.0006	Disposal Proceeds	This records the proceeds from a disposal, the funds raised from a sale or transfer of an asset.	Annual or On Change	To monitor and report on disposals of surplus freeholds. To enable reduction of surplus estate thereby improving the efficiency of the estate.
4.2.0007	40-day expiry status	Status of surplus property in relation to the 40-day exclusive access period for public sector consideration.	Annual	To inform other public organisations to make use of the surplus space before it is offered to the wider market.
4.2.0008	Future Property Disposal Value	Targeted value of the freehold disposal, as estimated by the property owners.	Annual or On Change	To monitor and report on disposals of surplus freeholds. To enable reduction of surplus estate thereby improving the efficiency of the estate.
4.2.0011	Reason For Property Disposal	Provides a reason for the divestment, e.g. surplus to requirements.	Annual or On Change	To monitor and report on disposals of surplus freeholds. To enable reduction of surplus estate thereby improving the efficiency of the estate.
4.2.0013	Total Surplus Area	The actual area in hectares (Ha) that is surplus and available. Ideally, all land parcels have unique references, Land Area and Surplus Status.	Annual or On Change, whichever is earlier	To monitor and report on disposals of surplus freeholds. To enable reduction of surplus estate thereby improving the efficiency of the estate.
4.2.0014	Estimated Housing Capacity	Number of homes that could be provided on surplus properties based on information available. Not applicable to all estates, e.g. non-UK estates.	Annual	To monitor and report on disposals of surplus freeholds. To enable reduction of surplus estate thereby improving the efficiency of the estate.
4.2.0015	Cost of maintaining surplus Property	This is the annual cost of maintaining a surplus property.	Annual or On Change	To monitor and report on disposals of surplus freeholds. To enable reduction of surplus estate thereby improving the efficiency of the estate.
6.0.0001	Tenure	Indicates the relationship between the Owner and the Occupier, generally Freehold or Leasehold. Also referred to as the occupancy agreement in this standard for leases to include all such similar tenure types to leases.	Annual	To identify the ownership.
6.0.0003	Rent	The total annual monetary amount paid by the tenant to the landlord, as defined within the terms of the lease or occupancy agreement.	Annual or On Change	To understand key variable cost in an estate.
6.0.0004	Landlord Name	Official name for the landlord (A landlord is anyone who rents out a property they own under a lease or a licence).	Annual or On Change	To identify ownership across portfolios.
6.0.0007	Licence Type	Licences allow the licensee to use the premises for a specific purpose for a defined period of time.	Annual	Within the government estate, this information enables the National Property Controls.
6.0.0008	Lease or Occupancy Agreement Expiry Date	Expiry Date of the Lease or Occupancy Agreement (The date at which a tenancy comes to an end).	Annual or On Change	To identify lease renewal timelines.
6.0.0009	Earliest Lease or Occupancy Agreement Break Date	The earliest date at which a break option can be exercised, and the lease or occupancy agreement can be terminated before its contractual expiry date if certain criteria are met.	Annual or On Change	To identify lease break opportunities.
6.0.0010	Actual Lease or Occupancy Agreement Break Date	If the lease break or similar mechanism in an occupancy agreement has been triggered, this is the actual date that the tenant’s responsibilities for the property ends and the liability for remuneration ends.	Annual or On Change	To identify lease renewal timelines.
6.0.0011	Lease or Occupancy Agreement Break Notice Term	The period of notice (in months) required to trigger a lease break as stipulated within the lease agreement. A break notice is a formal notification that one party wishes to exercise its right to terminate the lease.	Annual or On Change	Within the government estate, this information enables the National Property Controls.
6.0.0012	Occupancy Agreement Last Break Date	The last date that the lease or occupancy agreement break can be triggered, as stipulated within the agreement, in advance of the contractual expiry date.	Annual or On Change	Within the government estate, this information enables the National Property Controls.
6.0.0013	Occupancy Agreement Break Penalty	Penalty that is payable in the event that a break in the lease or occupancy agreement is exercised.	Annual or On Change	Within the government estate, this information enables the National Property Controls.
6.0.0014	Post-Expiry Occupancy Agreement Status	Lease or occupancy agreement has expired but is being re-negotiated.	Annual or On Change	Within the government estate, this information enables the National Property Controls.
6.0.0015	Occupancy Payment Frequency	Frequency of payment specified in the lease or occupancy agreement.	Annual	Within the government estate, this information enables the National Property Controls.
6.0.0016	PFI End Date	Expiry Date of the PFI contract.	Annual or On Change	Within the government estate, this information enables the National Property Controls.
6.0.0017	Rent Review Frequency	The frequency with which the payable rent may be reviewed by either party as defined in the lease of an occupancy agreement. Expressed usually in years.	Annual	Within the government estate, this information enables the National Property Controls.
6.0.0018	Repair Liability	Identifies the split in responsibility between tenant and landlord for repairs to the property.	Annual	Within the government estate, this information enables the National Property Controls.
6.0.0019	Lease or Occupancy Agreement Review Date	This is the next date on which the terms of the lease or occupancy agreement may be reviewed, reflecting the notice period required to exercise any break.	Annual or On Change	To identify lease renewal timelines. Within the government estate, this information enables the National Property Controls.
6.0.0020	Lease or Occupancy Agreement Start Date	This is the start date for the lease or occupancy agreement as stipulated in the agreement.	Annual or On Change	Within the government estate, this information enables the National Property Controls.
7.0.0001	Total Operational Costs (£)	This is the total external operating cost of the lease or freehold, less rent and rates, if they have been applied. It will include Service Charge. Soft FM, Hard FM and Security costs.	Annual	To enable improvement in the efficiency of the estate through monitoring and reporting on these costs.
7.0.0002	Total Property/ Space Running Costs (£)	This is the total external cost of the lease or freehold and is the sum of the following costs: Rent, Rates and Total Operational Costs (refer to 7.0.0001). In case of a Private Finance Initiative (PFI) or Public- Private Partnership (PPP), Net Unitary Charge may substitute for some of these elements. Any recoverable costs, e.g. rent to external parties should be deducted.	Annual	To enable improvement in the efficiency of the estate through monitoring and reporting of these costs.

9.3 Data Fields: Vacant Spaces

Field Ref	Data Field	Definition	Update Frequency	Rationale
3.1.0001	Vacant Space – Floor Area	Vacant space defined as space within a property that is not currently required by the occupying organisation. *Total floor area that is vacant (sq m), based on the measuring standard indicated by the ‘Floor Area Measurement Type’ field. If the area has been measured using different Measurement Types, these should also be recorded.	On Change	To identify and minimise unused space.
3.1.0002	Vacation Date	This is the actual date when the space will be / was vacated.	On Change	To identify and minimise unused space.
3.1.0003	Vacant space Available Start Date	The first available date that the space can be made available to any other organisation, if practical to do so.	Annual or On Change	To enable organisations to offer a vacant space to be occupied by other public organisations who may require it.
3.1.0004	Vacant space status	This field identifies the status of the vacant space. ‘Under Offer’: Negotiations with a potential tenant are in progress but contracts have yet to be signed (the space could still be available for consideration by potential occupiers), ‘Available’: The space is available. ‘Underlet’: The space has now been sublet to a tenant. ‘Withdrawn’: No longer available	Annual	To provide an update on the status of the vacant space available for other public organisations to use.
3.1.0005	Vacant Space Description	Information on the vacant space available that will be informative to potential users of vacant space.	Annual or On Change	To provide additional useful information on the vacant space.
3.1.0007	Vacant space Availability End Date	Date that the space is available until and must be vacated by this date.	Annual or On Change	Organisations need to know when a vacant space needs to be vacated.
3.2.0002	Occupying Organisation	The organisation who are the occupier of the space.	Annual	In case a space within a property is sublet, this will enable organisations to know who is occupying the space for monitoring of their estate.
3.2.0008	Use Classification	This defines the use of the space. * To be supported by a master list referred to in 2.2.0002.	Annual	Organisations need to know what their space is being used for in order to better monitor their estate.

9.4 - Data Fields: Other

Field Ref	Data Field	Definition	Update Frequency	Rationale
1.2.0001	Space Occupier Contact Name	The contact person in the organisation occupying the space/premises.	Annual	To identify who the occupier is and their contact details. This is relevant when the space occupier and the organisation owning the property are different, such as when a vacant space within a property has been sublet.
1.2.0002	Organisation Contact Name	The name of primary contact in the organisation who is responsible for the property.	On Change	The responsible owner who is accountable for the information on the property.
1.2.0005	Organisation Contact Email	Contact email for organisational contact person.	On Change	The responsible owner who is accountable for the information on the property.
1.2.0006	Space Occupier Contact Email	Contact email for 1.2.0001 occupation responsible name.	Annual	To identify who the occupier is and their contact details. This is relevant when the space occupier and the organisation owning the property are different, such as when a vacant space within a property has been sublet.
1.3.0001	Organisation	Identifies the tenant or owning organisation with which the property is associated.	Annual	To identify responsible organisation for monitoring of the government estate
1.3.0002	Organisation Identifier	This is an organisation specific identifier for the property.	On Change	To enable property tracing in internal systems.
1.3.0009	Parent Organisation	A Parental Organisation has associations with other Organisations. e.g. DWP and H&SE are both Organisations within their own right but DWP is the Parent Organisation for H&SE. This field is used to define the relationship and is blank if there is no further parent.	Annual	To identify responsible organisations for monitoring of the government estate.
2.3.0002	Security Classification	Classified: A status to depict the highest security classification of information. Formally referred to as ‘sensitive’. Information with this status should only be available to those with appropriate access levels set by an Organisation. Official-Sensitive: Controlled access to information to ensure more secure / commercially sensitive information. It is only available at the appropriate access level set by an organisation. Official: Information fields generally deemed suitable for sharing purposes within Government. Non-Sensitive: Information fields generally deemed suitable for sharing more widely.	On Change	To protect sensitive information proportionately and to release non sensitive information.
2.3.0004	Reason for archiving a Record	Reason for changing the property in the records to Historic, i.e. no future recording.	Annual	For record management

9.5 Data Fields: Contractual and Financial – Facilities Management

These fields are referred to as non-strategic assets in Government Functional Standard

GovS 004: Property and differentiate them from strategic property assets (land and buildings). Facilities Management Standard FMS 002: Asset Data should be consulted regarding mandatory requirements and recommendations relating to facilities management assets.

Field Ref	Data Field	Definition	Update Frequency	Rationale
FMS002- 1	FM Asset Name	A name which identifies the FM Asset	Annual or On Change	To provide a descriptive name of what the FM Asset is. Note: FM Asset Classification Description to contain consistent naming
FMS002- 2	FM Asset ID	A unique FM Asset ID number (unique with in building and organisation)	Annual or On Change	To provide a unique identifier for a specific FM Asset. To enable linking data to other related FM Asset data based on FM Asset ID
FMS002- 3	System/ Element Group	The system or element group the FM Asset relates to. Definitions are held in Uniclass Systems code[footnote 9] / RICS NRM Group Element classifications.	Annual or On Change	To provide consistent system group level grouping.
FMS002- 4	System Subgroup	The system subgroup the FM Asset relates to. Definitions are held in Uniclass Systems code / RICS NRM Group Element classifications.	Annual or On Change	To provide consistent subsystem or sub-element level grouping
FMS002- 5	System Description	The description of the system within the subgroup the FM Asset relates to. Definitions are held in Uniclass Systems code / RICS NRM Group Element classifications.	Annual or On Change	To provide consistent system level grouping.
FMS002- 6	FM Asset Classification Code	The FM Asset classification code. SFG20 code (or equivalent e.g. SFG20[footnote 10] Health Technical Memoranda Schedules)	Annual or On Change	To provide consistent FM Asset level codes aligned to the level at which maintenance is being carried out.
FMS002- 7	FM Asset Classification Description	The FM Asset classification description Based on SFG20 Task Schedule Description	Annual or On Change	To provide consistent FM Asset level descriptions aligned to the level at which maintenance is being carried out.
FMS002- 8	FM Asset Criticality	The level of criticality of this FM Asset to the building / organisation (based on location or specific FM Assets). Based on SFG20 criticality Codes.	Annual or On Change	To provide consistent criticality rating to inform prioritisation of maintenance activities and support investment decisions.
FMS002- 9	FM Asset Maintainer	Identification of who has responsibility for maintenance of this FM Asset	Annual or On Change	To provide details on parties responsible for maintaining FM Assets to avoid either FM Assets not being maintained or FM Assets being maintained by multiple parties.
FMS002- 16	Floor	The floor of the building the FM Asset is located in.	Annual or On Change	To provide the floor on which the FM Asset is located.
FMS002- 17	Room / Zone	The room/zone on the floor the FM Asset is located in.	Annual or On Change	To provide the room/ zone in which the FM Asset is located.
FMS002- 18	FM Asset Condition	The current condition of the FM Asset.	Annual or On Change	To consistently capture FM Asset conditions to inform maintenance and investment decisions.
FMS002- 19	FM Asset Beyond Economic Repair	Whether or not the FM Asset is beyond economic repair.	Annual or On Change	To support investment decision making and contracting FM services.
FMS002- 20	FM Asset Operational Status	Whether or not the FM Asset is currently in operational use.	Annual or On Change	To inform required maintenance levels.
FMS002- 21	Date of last FM condition survey	The date the FM Asset’s Annual or condition was last assessed.	On Change	To inform how up to date the condition and life expectancy related data is.
FMS002- 22	Remain Life Expectancy (Years)	The length of the FM Asset’s life expectancy in years.	Annual or On Change	To inform maintenance and investment decisions around replacement costs.
FMS002- 23	Last FM Inspection Date	The date the FM Asset was last inspected.	Annual or On Change	To inform statutory and mandatory compliance, as well as the timing of the next maintenance activity.
FMS002- 24	Next FM Inspection Date	The date when the FM Asset is planned to be next inspected.	Annual or On Change	To indicate the next required inspection date.
FMS002- 25	FM Inspection Report ID	An ID relating to the report for the latest inspection / activity completed on the FM Asset.	Annual or On Change	To provide a link between the FM Asset register and data in held in
FMS002- 26	Quantity of FM Assets	The count of FM Assets at the specified location.	Annual or On Change	To provide the number of FM Asset units.
FMS002- 27	Unit of Measure	The unit of measure against which the quantity was measured.	Annual or On Change	To consistently capture the units of measure for FM Assets.

10. Appendix

Glossary

The table below lists the terms found in this standard.

Term	Description
ALB	Arm’s-length bodies
API	Application Programming Interface
BI	Business Intelligence
BIM	Building Information Model
CAFM	Computer-Aided Facilities Management
CCS	Crown Commercial Services
CIBSE	Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers
COBie	Construction Operations Building Information Exchange
FM	Facilities Management
FMR	Forward Maintenance Register
GovS	Government Functional Standard
ISO	International Organisation for Standardisation
MOD	Ministry of Defence
NHS	National Health Service
NRM	New Rules of Measurement
PPM	Planned Preventative Maintenance
RICS	Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors
SFG20	Standard maintenance specification for building engineering services
UPRN	Unique Property Reference Number

Disposal Method

Master list of options to identify disposal methods for 4.2.0005.

• Auction
• Development Agreement
• Formal Tender
• Formal Owner
• Building Agreement
• Informal Tender
• Informal/Formal Tender
• Open Auction
• Other
• Private Treaty
• Not known

Usage

Master list of options available to identify the usage for 2.2.0002.

• Agricultural
• Agricultural research
• Airport
• Ambulance Station
• Amusement Arcades
• Animal Home
• Approved Premises
• Banks and Building Society
• Beautician
• Boreholes
• Café
• Call Centre
• Car Hire Location
• Car park
• Carpark
• Children & Family Court Support Services
• Children’s Centre
• Children’s Residential Centre
• Cinema
• Citizens Advice Bureau
• Civic Building
• Coastguard Station
• College - Non-Residential
• College - Residential
• Commercial Kitchen
• Community Buildings
• Community hospital (with inpatient beds)
• Conference and Training Centre
• Convalescence Home
• County Court
• County Court/ Magistrates’ Court
• County Court/ Magistrates’ Court/ Tribunal
• County Court/ Tribunal
• Court
• Crematorium/Cemetery
• Crown Court
• Crown Court/ County Court/ Magistrates’ Court/ Tribunal
• Custody Centre
• Day Centre
• Dental Service
• Depot
• Detention Centre
• Development land
• Distribution Centre
• Dwelling
• Easements
• Embassy
• Employment – commercial
• Employment – industrial
• Employment – leisure
• Employment – retail
• Employment – utilities
• Employment land
• Enquiry Centre
• Exhibition Hall
• Factory Outlet
• Family Centre
• Farm
• Ferry Port
• Fire Station
• Firearm Range
• Fishing
• Flood management
• Former New Town Land Forrest
• Front of House (FoH)
• Garage
• Gauging Station
• General acute hospital
• GP Practice, Branch Practice
• Grazing
• Group Home
• Guest House
• Gymnasium
• Habitat
• Halls of Residence
• Health Centre, Clinic, Walk in Centre
• Helicopter Unit
• Heritage Asset
• Hi tech and light industry
• Hospital (general)
• Hostel Hotel
• HQ Office
• Immigration Removal Centres
• Independant Healthcare provider
• Industrial
• Interim Estate
• IT/Data Centre
• Job Centre
• Laboratories
• Land
• Land Acquired
• Land Retained
• Landfill Site
• Learning Disabilities
• Leisure Centre
• Leisure/Sports Facility
• Lighthouse
• Maintenance
• Massage Parlour
• Mental Health (including Specialist services)
• Mental Health Facility
• Military Barracks
• Mixed service hospital
• Motor Sport Arena
• Multiple Occupation House
• Museum
• Nail Bar
• Nature reserve
• New Town Land
• NHS Onsite laundry
• NHS Property Services & LIFT
• NHS Trust
• NHS Trust Headquarters
• Non-clinical administration
• Not Known
• Offender Contact Centre Office
• Operational
• Optician
• Other inpatient
• Other Interest
• Other Land
• Park
• Pharmacy
• Place of Worship
• Plant
• Police Station
• Post office
• Postal Sorting Office
• Prison
• Prison Officer Quarters
• Probation Centre
• Probation PAT
• Probation Unpaid Work property
• Public Library
• Public open space
• Public Toilets
• Pump House
• Radio
• Radio Site
• Repositories
• Research & Development
• Residential
• Residential property
• Residential School
• Restaurant
• Retail
• Right of Access
• Right of way
• Rural estate
• School
• School Meals Centre
• Secure Local Authority Accommodation
• Secure Training Centre
• Security
• Service Supporting Office
• Sheltered Housing
• Specialised Court
• Specialised Waste Disposal
• Specialist hospital (acute only)
• Sports Hall
• Station
• Storage Sub-station
• Surplus Land
• Swimming Baths
• Tattoo Parlour
• Tenanted
• Test Centre
• Theatre
• Training
• Travellers Site
• Treatment/Intermediate Care Centre
• Tribunal
• University
• Various
• Visitor Centre
• Warehouse
• Waste disposal
• Waterway - navigation
• Wayleave
• Weighbridge
• Woodland
• Workshop
• Young Offenders Institution
• Youth Facilities

1. Government standard for property - govs 004 ↩

2. To propose changes, please write to [email protected] and include [email protected] in that communication ↩

3. Source : State of the Estate 2020-21 (pdf, 18.6mb) ↩

4. Source: Government electronic Property Information Mapping Service (ePims), August 2022 ↩

5. International Property Measurement Standards: RICS data standard (pdf, 1,247 kb), Uniclass 2015 ↩

6. Government Functional Standard GovS 005: Digital, Data and Technology ↩

7. Government Functional Standard GovS 007: Security ↩

8. https://www.thenbs.com/our-tools/uniclass ↩

9. https://www.thenbs.com/our-tools/uniclass ↩

10. https://www.sfg20.co.uk/what-is-sfg20-sfg20?hsLang=en ↩