CRE owners are the data stewards – whether you know it or not
Welcome to Week 14 of our 52-week series exploring how data and digital infrastructure can unlock value in commercial real estate.
Iโm Bill Douglas, CEO of OpticWise and co-author of Peak Property Performance. Each week, we share insights for CRE owners who want to regain control of their properties, modernize intelligently, and uncover hidden value.
For years, data governance has been treated as an IT problem. Something handled by vendors, platforms, or integrators.
But hereโs the reality: if youโre the owner, you are the data stewardโwhether you know it or not.
CRE portfolios are becoming increasingly digital. That means every device, system, and sensor installed on your property is generating data. And that data is either:
- Owned and controlled by you, feeding your business intelligence and bottom line,
- Or leaking into third-party systems, serving someone elseโs business model.
The difference between those two outcomes comes down to governance.
Governance Isnโt About Restriction. Itโs About Strategy.
When we talk about data governance in the context of real estate, weโre not talking about compliance checklists or legalese. Weโre talking about strategic control of a valuable asset. Hereโs why this matters:
- Property data is monetizable โ when structured, owned, and integrated properly.
- Most owners donโt know what data they even have โ or where it goes.
- Vendors default to their own data terms โ unless owners assert control.
- Tenants care about privacy and transparency โ and will favor landlords who demonstrate it.
Weโve seen owners inadvertently give away long-term value simply by not negotiating data terms in their contracts. Or worse, discover after the fact that they canโt access insights from systems they paid to install.
Andrew Stanton CEO Proptech-PR
Symple helps speed mandatory Electrical Installation Condition Reports for 5.9M tenancies
As of August 2025 there are over 5,986,000 privately rented properties in the UK and a large number of these will in the very near future need a โnewโ mandatory electrical installation condition report.
The reason for this potential bottleneck is that three-months ago was the starting pistol of the need to update these electrical reports, due to a change in legislation half a decade ago.
โNICEIC, the UKโs leading certification and training body for the electrical industry, is urging landlords across England to review the status of their Electrical Installation Condition Reports (EICRs), as June 2025 marks five years since the introduction of mandatory EICRs for private rented properties.
The legislation, introduced in June 2020, requires landlords to have electrical installations inspected and tested at least every five years by a qualified and competent person. With the fifth anniversary now here, many EICRs will now be due for renewal.
Paul Collins, Technical Director, NICEIC, said: โIn 2020, landlords adapted to the new Electrical Safety Standards. Now, five years on, itโs essential they revisit their records and arrange for updated EICRs where needed. This isnโt just about legal compliance โ itโs about protecting tenants and property from electrical risks.
Paul added: โLandlords have a duty to maintain safe homes. A valid EICR offers peace of mind that your property meets safety standards and complies with the law.โ
Once the EICR has been completed, landlords should obtain a report from the contractor who carried it out. The report shows you the results and sets a date for the next inspection. Supply a copy of this report to the existing tenant within 28 daysโ.
Source https://niceic.com/news/niceic-calls-on-landlords-to-check-status-of-eicrs/
Luckily Symple โ who makes property compliance effortless, with instant booking, automatic reminders, and UK-wide coverage, is helping landlords, letting agents, and property managers who want to navigate this new EICR challenge in the easiest way possible. By guiding them through this logistical problem; avoiding delays, cost hikes, and compliance risks in the remainder of 2025 and 2026.
Andrew Stanton CEO Proptech-PR
tlyfe App surpasses 200,000 downloads milestone
August 2025 โ The proptech platform tlyfe has officially crossed the 200,000 downloads milestone in the UK, with an impressive uptake of approximately 20,000 new tenant users each month. The app offers digital tools designed to simplify tenancy processesโfrom managing agreements and deposit protections to securely storing documentation and facilitating communication between tenants and landlords.
Notably, while Tlyfeโs partnership with the Tenancy Deposit Scheme (TDS) is longstanding rather than new, it remains a cornerstone of the platformโs trust-building features. Through the integration, tenants can effortlessly confirm their deposits are protected, and landlords can ensure compliance with UK deposit protection laws via the app.
CEO Adam Pigott comments, โwe are hugely humbled by the take up response to the tlyfe app, and for all the help and support of TDS and of course our team and the TDS team, in a lettings landscape undergoing seismic changes, tlyfe is proving to be a trusted tenant companion โ and a tech-enabler for compliance, convenience and transparency for other stakeholders.โ
Market Context: A rental landscape under pressure
- Rent Inflation and Cost-of-Living Struggles
Despite a gradual easing in inflation, private rents continue to climb. In the 12 months to July 2025, UK-wide average monthly private rents rose by 5.9% to ยฃ1,343, down from 6.7% in June. However, regional disparities remain stark, rents surged 8.9% in the North East, while London experienced a 6.3% rise. Separately, inflation in private rent for low-income households hit 4.5%, outpacing the national average and highlighting growing affordability challenges. (ONS).
- Shrinking Rental Supply and Market Strain
The rental market faces supply pressures: the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) recently reported the steepest drop in new rental listings since the start of the COVIDโ19 lockdownโa concerning sign of dwindling landlord engagement. This contraction is expected to sustain upward pressure on rents, further stretching tenant affordability.
- Ongoing Legal Shake-Up: The Rentersโ Rights Bill
The Rentersโ Rights Bill, currently progressing through Parliament, is poised to enact sweeping reforms, including the ending โno-faultโ (Section 21) evictions, replacing fixed-term contracts with periodic tenancies. Capping rent increases to once per year, linked to market rates.
Abolishing rental bidding wars and banning discrimination against tenants with children or on benefits. Establishing a private rented sector database, a new ombudsman, and a decent homes standard. Introducing enforcement mechanisms and tougher penalties for non-compliant landlords
While tenants and advocacy groups broadly welcome these protections, landlords and legal analysts warn the reforms may spur more legal disputes, risk overwhelming courts, and potentially discourage new landlords from entering the marketโfurther tightening supply
Why tlyfeโs growth matters now
Market Responsiveness โ Tlyfeโs weekly adoption rate of 5,000 users underscores a growing demand for streamlined, transparent rental processesโincreasingly essential when tenants face rising costs and legal changes.
Andrew Stanton CEO Proptech-PR
