Tracking people down in the modern era, with things like social media, has become much easier than it used to be. However, the chances of finding the right person relies heavily on having a name. So, if you’ve only got an address, you probably will have your work cut out for you.
But that isn’t to say that you can’t figure out who lives at an address and it is possible to find a name when you only have an address.
In this post, I’ll be sharing some of the ways you can find out who lives in a property and it might surprise you how simple some of them are.
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Why Would You Want To Find Out Who Lives At An Address?
There are many reasons that you might wish to uncover who lives at a particular address. A lot of people are looking for lost loved ones and may have been given a last known address.
However, one of the most common reasons is to do with property maintenance, property sales and other related things. For example, if you find a seemingly abandoned house, it may be possible to claim it as your own if you can prove that it’s empty (there are other rules to follow here but this is a starting point.)
Other people may want to contact someone living in a neighbouring property regarding maintenance or some work that needs to take place. However, not all neighbours make themselves known so it can sometimes be difficult.
Ways To Find Out Who Lives In A UK Property
Regardless of why you want to find out who lives in a property, it’s good to know that there are several methods you can use. Not all of the methods I’m about to talk about will work in all situations but it’s worth trying. If all else fails, you may need to enlist professional help.
Look At Property Records
Each town or city has a dedicated website for tax assessment and anyone can access this website. This is a brilliant way to try and find someone living at a particular address and in many cases, access to this information won’t cost you a penny.
You’ll need to enter the address when prompted and perform a search. The website should then provide you with details of who owns the property. However, that isn’t to say that the owner is the current occupant. It may be that they rent the property out, in which case, you won’t be able to find the exact information you are looking for.
That said, it might be possible to contact the landlord and ask them to get in touch with the tenant on your behalf. Of course, they’re under no obligation to do so but if you’re really in need, it doesn’t hurt to ask.
Check The Phonebook
Years ago, copies of the phonebook would be delivered to all UK residences and it made looking up names, addresses and phone numbers a cinch. But when was the last time you saw a phonebook? For me, it’s been many years so I was under the impression that there was no longer such a thing.
However, in the effort to save paper and adapt to the modern world, the BT Phonebook can now only be found online. So, if you have an address, you can simply search this and find the name and contact number of the person that lives there.
You do need to keep in mind that there are some people that have opted out of appearing in the phonebook. These are known as ex-directory. So, while there are a lot of people listed here, it might not be the most reliable option.
Online Reverse Lookup
The phonebook is just one online resource you can use to find out the name of a person with only an address. There are lots of reverse look up websites; some you need to pay for and others are free.
I find that the paid websites do come up with goods more easily but with a little effort, it is possible to get what you’re looking for without having to part with any cash.
Moreover, this is another method that won’t work if the person has opted to be ex-directory.
Speak To The Neighbours
Let’s say you are trying to reach the person that lives in a house that is surrounded by other properties. There’s a good chance that one of the neighbours will be friendly with the resident. Even if the person is something of a hermit, there may be a neighbour that at least knows their name. Once you have a name, getting in touch with someone is much easier.
So, it’s worth speaking to neighbours to find out as much information as you can. You may need to open up as to why you’re looking to locate the person as people are typically more willing to help if they don’t think you are suspicious.
Find Out For Yourself
If you live close enough to the property then it is possible to visit yourself and see if there is a name anywhere on the outside. Some people will put their names on the doorbell or on a post box but there is another option.
You might decide to write a letter and post it through the door asking the person to contact you regarding the issue. You may not have success if the person doesn’t want to be contacted but again, it doesn’t hurt to try.
Hire Someone To Do The Work For You
Sometimes, no matter what you try, tracking down the name of a person when you only have their address can yield no results. This is very frustrating but don’t give up hope just yet.
There are professional private investigators that have access to tools you and I could only dream of. They are also trained and experienced in these matters and will find it much easier to uncover the information you want.
The chances of getting what you want through a private investigator are very high. However, in rare cases, it could be that the investigator comes up with nothing. Some people just don’t want to be found so don’t get your hopes up on the off chance that this happens.
Another thing to think about when hiring a private investigator is that this is the most expensive option on this list. The average cost per hour for these services in the UK is around £50 although some of the most experienced professionals may charge up to £85 per hour. Whether you go ahead and invest in this service depends on how desperate you are to find out the information.
Final Thoughts
When you’re faced with the daunting task of tracking a person down with nothing but a postal address, it can seem bleak. But there are plenty of ways you can find out who lives at an address without knowing any other information. Also check out our article on Can You Find Out Who Lives At A UK Address? as a useful tool.
In most cases, you will be able to find the information online using a reverse look up tool but this only applies if the person isn’t ex-directory.
Where you have exhausted every other method, a private investigator might be your only hope. In the majority of cases, they have great success.