Filling in Seller’s Property Information Forms

What is a property information form?

When you are selling your house, you can expect to have to sign and complete various legal documents and other papers. One of those is the Property Information Form, commonly referred to simply as the TA6. This is a comprehensive document that you are obligated to complete that will provide many details about the property that you’re selling.

The forms are designed to give the buyer additional details on your home that they might not be able to obtain through regular public records searches, including information on any fights that you’re having with your neighbours and a host of other issues.

The Law Society, which is the professional association representing and overseeing solicitors in England and Wales, has a sample TA6 form on its website that will give you an idea of the questions that you’ll be asked, along with some helpful explanatory notes to help you better understand the legal reasoning behind some of the questions.

What details am I required to disclose on a property information form?

Most people will receive a TA6 from their solicitor who’s handling the sale of the home, with instructions for how to fill out the questionnaire about their property.

The questions are for the most part fairly straightforward but some of the answers that you give might have to be very detailed. You should be honest and upfront with everything that you put on the TA6 because false or missing information can cause problems in the sale process.

Among the many questions you’ll be asked on your TA6 is one that might seem relatively trivial but is actually incredibly important. The form will ask whether there is any Japanese knotweed on your land that is affecting the building in any way. You must answer truthfully, because this weed is an invasive species that damage concrete and tarmac. Left untreated it can become a major problem for your home that requires a lot of time and money to fix. In addition to disclosing whether the weed is present on your property, you’ll also have to specify on the TA6 whether you have a management plan in place if you have Japanese knotweed present.

Another key question that will be asked of you on the TA6 is whether you are aware of any planned property development in the area. This can be significant because a buyer might not want to move into your home if there will soon be large construction in the area.

Other questions on the TA6 that you must answer include information on your property boundaries, including whether you are aware of any disputes that have happened about access to your property, and whether those matters are resolved or continuing.

If your property is leasehold, you will also be required to complete a TA7 form. These are specific enquiries relating to leasehold properties including ground rent information, management company details, shared responsibilities and if you are selling a short lease property you will also need to provide details of any leasehold extension matters and eligibility.