TA6 6th Edition and Material Information Requirements

If you are selling a property in England or Wales, you face two overlapping disclosure regimes. The first is the TA6 Property Information Form, which your solicitor will ask you to complete as part of the conveyancing process. The second is the material information that must be included in your property listing under National Trading Standards guidance and the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 (CPRs).

With the release of the TA6 6th edition, the form has moved closer to the topics covered by NTS material information guidance. But the two are not identical, and understanding where they align and where they diverge is essential for meeting your obligations as a seller. This guide maps the overlap, identifies the gaps, and provides practical guidance on meeting both requirements simultaneously.

Two disclosure regimes, one goal

Both the TA6 and material information requirements exist to ensure buyers receive accurate, complete information about a property before committing to a purchase. However, they operate at different stages and through different mechanisms.

Material information: the marketing stage

Material information requirements apply from the moment your property is listed for sale. Under the CPRs, estate agents must not omit information that the average consumer needs to make an informed purchasing decision. National Trading Standards has published detailed guidance dividing material information into three parts:

• Part A — Mandatory listing details: asking price, property address, tenure, council tax band, property type, number of bedrooms and bathrooms, and EPC rating.
• Part B — Property features: utilities, heating, broadband and mobile signal, parking, building safety, construction materials, accessibility features, and lease details (for leasehold properties).
• Part C — Situation-specific matters: flooding history, subsidence, Japanese knotweed, planning and building work, conservation area or listed building status, rights of way, restrictive covenants, and mining or mineral rights.

The legal obligation to include this information in listings falls on the estate agent as a trader under the CPRs. However, agents depend on sellers to supply the underlying details. Our separate guide on material information in property listings covers the marketing-stage requirements in full.

The TA6: the pre-contract stage

The TA6 Property Information Form is completed by the seller after an offer has been accepted, as part of the conveyancing process. It is sent to the buyer's solicitor alongside the draft contract and forms the basis of pre-contract enquiries. The TA6 6th edition updates and expands the form to reflect changes in legislation, case law, and industry practice since the previous edition.

While material information requirements are about what appears in the listing, the TA6 is about what the seller formally represents to the buyer as part of the legal transaction. Inaccurate answers on the TA6 can give rise to misrepresentation claims under the Misrepresentation Act 1967.

How the TA6 6th edition maps to NTS material information

The table below shows how the three parts of NTS material information correspond to specific sections of the TA6 6th edition. Where there is strong alignment, both requirements can be met from the same information. Where there are gaps, sellers need to provide additional details outside the TA6.

Where the TA6 exceeds material information requirements

In several areas, the TA6 6th edition goes significantly further than NTS material information guidance requires. This is because the TA6 serves a different purpose — it is a legal disclosure document that forms part of the contract, whereas material information is about ensuring listings are not misleading.

Disputes and complaints (TA6 Section 10)

The TA6 asks detailed questions about past and present disputes with neighbours, including noise complaints, boundary disagreements, and formal complaints to authorities. NTS Part C requires disclosure of disputes that are material to a buyer's decision, but the TA6 demands specifics: who was involved, what the dispute was about, how it was resolved, and whether it is ongoing. This level of detail is not required at the listing stage but becomes legally significant during conveyancing.

Alterations and building work (TA6 Section 4)

The TA6 requires sellers to list all alterations made to the property and confirm whether planning permission, building regulations approval, and listed building consent were obtained for each one. NTS Part C asks about planning and building work, but the TA6 demands documentary evidence such as completion certificates, FENSA certificates, and guarantees. The seller's duty of disclosure extends to providing this supporting documentation.

Insurance claims (TA6 Section 6)

The TA6 asks whether insurance claims have been made on the property and, if so, the nature of the claim and whether the work was completed satisfactorily. This information is relevant to Part C material information if it relates to flooding or subsidence, but the TA6 captures all claims regardless of type, including fire, theft, escape of water, and storm damage.

Occupiers and services (TA6 Sections 9 and 6)

The TA6 asks about who occupies the property, the nature of their occupation (owner, tenant, lodger), and whether they will vacate before completion. It also asks about the condition and ownership of utilities infrastructure. These topics are not addressed by NTS material information guidance but are critical to the conveyancing process.

Where material information requirements exceed the TA6

The reverse is also true. Several items required under NTS material information guidance are not covered by the TA6 at all, even in the 6th edition.

Part A gaps

The TA6 does not cover most Part A mandatory listing details. Asking price, property address, property type, number of bedrooms and bathrooms, and EPC rating are all set by the estate agent and are not questions on the TA6 form. Council tax band is the main exception, covered in TA6 Section 13.

Part B gaps

Several Part B items have no TA6 equivalent. Broadband speed and mobile signal coverage are increasingly important to buyers but have only limited coverage in the 6th edition. Parking arrangements are now addressed, but accessibility features (ramps, stairlifts, wet rooms, widened doorways) are not covered. Construction materials (standard versus non-standard build) are not a specific TA6 question, though this may emerge during enquiries.

Part C gaps

While the TA6 covers most Part C topics in detail, mining and mineral rights are not directly addressed. These are typically revealed by property searches (such as a coal mining search or ground stability report) rather than through seller disclosure. Coastal and cliff erosion risk is also not a specific TA6 question, though it may fall under the environmental matters section if relevant.

The legal framework connecting both regimes

Understanding the law that sits behind both the TA6 and material information requirements helps explain why they overlap but remain distinct.

Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008

The CPRs underpin material information requirements. They apply to traders (including estate agents) and prohibit misleading actions and misleading omissions. A misleading omission occurs when a trader fails to provide material information that the average consumer needs to make an informed transactional decision. The CPRs are enforced by local trading standards authorities and carry criminal sanctions.

As a private seller, you are not directly subject to the CPRs. However, your estate agent is, and they depend on you to supply accurate information. If you provide false details that your agent includes in the listing, the agent faces enforcement action and may seek to recover losses from you.

Misrepresentation Act 1967

The Misrepresentation Act governs the TA6. When you complete the form, your answers become legal representations to the buyer. If those representations are false and the buyer relies on them when deciding to purchase, the buyer can bring a claim for misrepresentation after completion. Remedies range from financial damages to rescission (reversal) of the sale. For a detailed analysis, see our guide on TA6 misrepresentation risks.

How the two interact

The practical effect is that sellers face scrutiny at two stages. At the marketing stage, your agent must ensure the listing includes all material information required by the CPRs and NTS guidance. At the pre-contract stage, you must ensure the TA6 is accurate and complete. If your TA6 answers contradict what appeared in the listing, this creates problems for both you and your agent: it raises questions about which version is correct and may suggest that one or both contain inaccurate information.

Practical guidance: meeting both obligations simultaneously

Rather than treating the TA6 and material information as separate exercises, sellers can take a unified approach that satisfies both requirements more efficiently.

1. Complete the TA6 before you list

This is the single most effective step. By completing the TA6 before your property goes on the market, you create a thorough record of your property's details that your estate agent can draw on when compiling the listing. It also means your draft contract pack is ready to issue as soon as you accept an offer, avoiding the weeks of delay that occur when sellers complete the TA6 after an offer is already on the table.

2. Share relevant TA6 answers with your agent

Once you have completed the TA6, share the relevant sections with your estate agent. The information in Sections 4 (alterations), 6 (utilities), 7 (environmental matters), and 10 (disputes) maps directly to NTS Part B and Part C material information. Your agent can use this to populate the listing accurately and defend against any later complaint that material information was omitted.

3. Fill the TA6 gaps for material information

Identify the Part A and Part B items that the TA6 does not cover and provide them separately to your agent. This includes:

• Confirming the EPC rating (and arranging a new one if the existing certificate has expired)
• Providing broadband speed data from the Ofcom checker
• Confirming parking arrangements
• Describing construction materials, especially if the property is non-standard build
• Noting any accessibility features such as ramps, stairlifts, or wet rooms

4. Ensure consistency between listing and TA6

Review your property listing before it goes live and cross-check it against your TA6 answers. If you disclosed flooding history on the TA6, the listing should mention flood risk. If you listed unauthorised building work on the TA6, the listing should not describe the extension as if it were fully compliant. Contradictions between the two documents create legal risk for you and your agent and undermine buyer confidence if discovered during conveyancing.

5. Update both documents together

If circumstances change during the marketing period — a new dispute arises, you discover a defect, or you receive a planning notice — update both the TA6 and the listing. Tell your solicitor and your agent at the same time. Keeping both documents current and consistent protects you from disclosure failures at either stage.

Common mistakes sellers make

Several recurring errors arise when sellers try to navigate the overlap between the TA6 and material information requirements.

• Treating them as one and the same. Completing the TA6 does not automatically satisfy material information requirements, because the TA6 does not cover Part A basics or several Part B items. Sellers who assume the TA6 is sufficient leave their agent exposed to CPR complaints.
• Disclosing more in one than the other. Some sellers are thorough on the TA6 but vague with their agent, or vice versa. Inconsistencies between the listing and the TA6 are red flags for the buyer's solicitor and can prompt additional enquiries, delays, or withdrawal from the sale.
• Completing the TA6 too late. If you wait until after an offer is accepted to start the TA6, you miss the opportunity to use it as a source of material information for your listing. You also delay the conveyancing process by weeks while gathering documents and completing the form.
• Ignoring Part B material information. Many sellers focus on the "big" disclosure items like flooding and disputes but overlook Part B details such as broadband speed, construction type, and off-mains drainage. These are material to buyers and must appear in the listing.
• Not reviewing the listing for accuracy. Your agent drafts the listing based on the information you provide. If the listing contains errors or omissions, ask for corrections before it goes live. Under the CPRs, the agent bears the legal risk, but if the error originated from information you supplied, you share the responsibility.

How Pine helps you meet both requirements

Pine is designed to help sellers complete their TA6 and other pre-contract forms before they go to market. By guiding you through the TA6 early, Pine helps you build a solicitor-ready legal pack that also provides the detailed property information your estate agent needs to compile a compliant listing. This unified approach reduces the risk of contradictions, prevents delays during conveyancing, and ensures you meet your disclosure obligations at both the marketing and pre-contract stages.

Sources

• Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 (SI 2008/1277) — legislation.gov.uk
• National Trading Standards Estate and Letting Agency Team — Material Information in Property Listings: Part A, Part B, and Part C guidance — ntselat.gov.uk
• Law Society of England and Wales — Property Information Form (TA6), 6th edition — lawsociety.org.uk
• Misrepresentation Act 1967 — legislation.gov.uk
• The Property Ombudsman — Code of Practice for Residential Estate Agents — tpos.co.uk
• Propertymark — Material Information Guidance for Estate Agents — propertymark.co.uk
• Consumer Protection (Amendment) Regulations 2014 (SI 2014/870) — legislation.gov.uk
• GOV.UK — Energy Performance Certificates: gov.uk/buy-sell-your-home/energy-performance-certificates

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