TA6 Neighbour Disputes: What to Declare When Selling

Neighbour disputes are one of the most sensitive areas of the TA6 Property Information Form. Sellers often worry that disclosing a past problem with a neighbour will torpedo their sale. In reality, the opposite is true: buyers and their solicitors expect transparency, and it is concealment \u2014 not disclosure \u2014 that causes sales to collapse.

This guide focuses specifically on neighbour disputes and how to handle them on the TA6 form. It covers which section of the form applies, what counts as a dispute, how to word your answers, and what the legal consequences are if you get it wrong.

Which TA6 section covers neighbour disputes?

Section 10 of the TA6 form, titled "Disputes and Complaints" in the 4th edition published by the Law Society in 2020, is where you disclose neighbour disputes. The section asks whether you are aware of any disputes, complaints, or disagreements affecting the property.

Section 10 covers several categories relevant to neighbour issues:

• Disputes with neighbours — Disagreements with adjoining or nearby property owners about boundaries, noise, access, hedges, trees, parking, or any other matter.
• Complaints to or by a local authority — Formal complaints made to the council about noise, anti-social behaviour, or planning breaches, as well as complaints received from the council about your property.
• Any other disputes or complaints — A catch-all covering anything that does not fit neatly into the categories above but could affect the buyer's enjoyment or use of the property.

For a full walkthrough of Section 10 across all dispute types, see our dedicated TA6 Section 10 guide. This article narrows the focus to neighbour-specific disputes.

What counts as a "dispute" versus a "complaint"?

The TA6 form uses both terms, and sellers sometimes confuse them. The distinction matters because both must be disclosed, but they arise in different ways.

A dispute is a direct disagreement between you and a neighbour. It does not need to involve any authority or organisation. A boundary disagreement, an argument about a shared driveway, or a falling out over noise are all disputes if they go beyond a single passing conversation.

A complaint is a formal or informal report made to an authority or third-party body. This includes noise complaints to the council's environmental health team, anti-social behaviour reports to the police, reports to a housing association, or complaints made under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 about statutory nuisances.

Many neighbour situations involve both. For example, a noise issue might start as a dispute (you ask your neighbour to keep the noise down) and escalate into a complaint (you report it to the council). Both stages need to be disclosed on the TA6.

Common neighbour disputes you must declare

The following table sets out the most common types of neighbour disputes and whether they need to be disclosed on the TA6 form.

If you are selling specifically because of neighbour problems, our guide on selling due to neighbour disputes covers how to manage the process from start to finish, including how to handle buyer concerns and estate agent questions.

Resolved versus ongoing disputes

A common misconception is that resolved disputes do not need to be declared. This is wrong. The TA6 form explicitly asks about disputes that have existed at any time, not just those that are current. The reasoning is straightforward: a resolved boundary dispute might flare up again with a new owner, and the buyer needs to know the history.

Disclosing a resolved dispute

When disclosing a resolved dispute, include:

• When the dispute arose and what it concerned
• The parties involved (refer to the neighbouring property address rather than naming individuals)
• How it was resolved — by agreement, mediation, court order, or the council declining to take action
• Whether any formal documentation exists, such as a boundary agreement, party wall award, or council decision letter
• The current state of the relationship with the neighbour

A well-documented resolution actually works in your favour. Buyers and their solicitors are far more comfortable with a dispute that has a clear ending than with a vague reference to "some issues with the neighbours."

Disclosing an ongoing dispute

If a dispute is genuinely ongoing, do not pretend it is resolved. State the current position clearly: what the issue is, what steps have been taken, whether solicitors or authorities are involved, and what the next steps are. Ongoing disputes will concern buyers more than resolved ones, but dishonesty is always worse. If the buyer discovers after completion that you misrepresented the status of a dispute, you face a claim under the Misrepresentation Act 1967.

Noise complaints to the council

Noise complaints are one of the most common neighbour issues that sellers need to disclose. Under the Environmental Protection Act 1990, local authorities have a duty to investigate statutory nuisances, including excessive noise from neighbouring properties.

You must disclose noise complaints whether:

• You made the complaint about a neighbour
• A neighbour made a complaint about your property
• The council investigated and took no formal action
• The council served a noise abatement notice
• The issue has since been resolved

For each noise complaint, state the date, the nature of the noise issue, whether the council investigated, and the outcome. If the council closed the investigation without taking enforcement action, say so clearly — that is a useful piece of information that demonstrates the issue was not severe enough to warrant formal intervention.

For sellers dealing with ongoing noise problems, our guide on selling a house with noisy neighbours covers how noise issues affect the sale process and what steps you can take.

Anti-social behaviour reports

Reports made to the police or council about a neighbour's anti-social behaviour must be disclosed. This includes:

• Reports to the police about harassment, intimidation, or threatening behaviour
• Anti-social behaviour reports to the local authority
• Community protection notices issued under the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014
• Civil injunctions obtained against a neighbour
• Any formal warnings or cautions issued

Include any reference numbers and the current status. If the matter was investigated and closed, explain the outcome. If enforcement action was taken against a neighbour, the buyer needs to know whether the issue has been resolved or remains a concern.

Boundary disagreements

Boundary disputes are among the most significant neighbour issues for property sales because they directly affect the land the buyer is purchasing. Any disagreement about the position of a fence, wall, hedge, or boundary line must be disclosed, regardless of whether it was resolved informally or required Land Registry involvement.

If the boundary was formally determined by the Land Registry under the Land Registration Act 2002, attach the determined boundary plan and any supporting correspondence. If the dispute was settled by private agreement, attach a copy of the written agreement and confirm whether it was recorded on the title.

Boundary disclosures in Section 10 should be consistent with the information you provide in Section 2 of the TA6 (Boundaries). If the buyer's solicitor spots a discrepancy between the two sections, they will raise additional enquiries, adding time and friction to your transaction.

Parking disputes and planning objections

Parking disputes are common in urban areas and properties with shared driveways or unadopted roads. If there has been an ongoing disagreement about parking spaces, blocked access, or vehicles on shared areas, this should be disclosed. Explain whether the dispute was verbal, put in writing, or escalated to the council or police.

Planning objections are a matter of public record, which means the buyer's solicitor can discover them through local authority searches. If you objected to a neighbour's planning application, or a neighbour objected to yours, disclose it in Section 10. Include the planning application reference number and the outcome (whether the application was approved, refused, or withdrawn). This should also be cross-referenced with your answers in Section 6 of the TA6, which covers planning and building control.

How to word your answers

The way you phrase your Section 10 disclosure can make the difference between a smooth transaction and a series of alarmed enquiries from the buyer's solicitor. Follow these principles:

1. Be factual, not emotional. State what happened, when, and what the outcome was. Avoid characterising the other party, expressing frustration, or using language that implies the dispute was worse than it was.
2. Include dates. "A noise complaint was lodged with [council name] in March 2023" is far more helpful than "there was a noise issue a while ago." Dates show the buyer when the problem occurred and how long ago it was resolved.
3. Identify parties by property address. Refer to "the owner of [neighbouring address]" rather than naming individuals. This is more professional and protects privacy.
4. State the resolution clearly. If the dispute was resolved, explain how: by agreement, by mediation, by a court order, by the council declining to act, or by the Land Registry determining the boundary. If it is ongoing, state what the current position is.
5. Attach supporting documents. A boundary agreement, party wall award, council decision letter, or solicitor's correspondence confirming resolution reduces follow-up enquiries significantly.

Here is an example of well-worded disclosure:

"A noise complaint was submitted to [council name] Environmental Health team in June 2022 regarding music from the adjoining property at [address]. The council investigated and closed the complaint in August 2022 without serving an abatement notice. There have been no further issues and the relationship with the neighbour is cordial."

What you do not need to declare

Not every interaction with a neighbour needs to go on the TA6. You generally do not need to disclose:

• A single, casual conversation about a minor annoyance that was resolved immediately and has not recurred
• A polite request that was agreed to without any tension (for example, asking a neighbour to trim a hedge and them doing so cheerfully)
• General neighbourhood issues that do not involve your property specifically, such as road works or local planning developments you have no personal involvement in
• Personal feelings about a neighbour that have never been expressed or acted upon

The practical test is: would a reasonable buyer want to know about this before committing to the purchase? If the answer is clearly no, you do not need to mention it. If you are unsure, err on the side of disclosure. A brief, factual note is always safer than an omission.

Common mistakes sellers make

Based on typical conveyancing practice, these are the most frequent mistakes sellers make when completing Section 10 in relation to neighbour disputes:

1. Omitting resolved disputes. Many sellers believe that once a dispute is settled, it does not need to be mentioned. The TA6 asks about disputes that have existed at any time, not just current ones.
2. Using vague language. Answers like "there were some issues with the neighbours" raise more questions than they answer. The buyer's solicitor will immediately raise detailed enquiries, slowing the transaction down.
3. Being overly emotional. Describing a neighbour as "nightmare" or "impossible" creates alarm disproportionate to the actual issue. Stick to facts.
4. Failing to cross-reference. If you disclose a boundary dispute in Section 10 but your Section 2 answers do not mention any boundary issues, the inconsistency will prompt additional enquiries.
5. Answering "Not known" dishonestly. "Not known" is appropriate when you genuinely have no knowledge of any disputes. Using it to avoid disclosing something you know about is misrepresentation.
6. Not attaching supporting documents. If you have documentation that shows a dispute was resolved — a boundary agreement, a council decision, a solicitor's letter — failing to attach it means the buyer has to take your word for it, which generates more enquiries.

For a broader overview of what you must disclose across the entire sale process, see our guide on what to disclose when selling a property.

Protecting yourself legally

The legal framework behind Section 10 is the Misrepresentation Act 1967. When you complete the TA6, you are making representations of fact to the buyer. If any of those representations are false or misleading — whether by commission or omission — the buyer may have grounds for a claim after completion.

There are three types of misrepresentation:

• Fraudulent misrepresentation — You deliberately lied or concealed a dispute you knew about. This is the most serious and can result in damages, rescission (the sale being reversed), and potentially criminal liability.
• Negligent misrepresentation — You made a false statement carelessly, without taking reasonable steps to check its accuracy. The burden of proof shifts to the seller to show they had reasonable grounds for believing the statement was true.
• Innocent misrepresentation — You made a false statement honestly and with reasonable grounds. The buyer may still be entitled to rescission, though damages are more limited.

The Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 (CPRs) also apply. These regulations make it an offence to engage in misleading commercial practices, including the deliberate omission of material information. While the CPRs primarily target businesses and estate agents, a private seller who deliberately conceals a neighbour dispute could also face scrutiny.

To protect yourself:

• Answer every question honestly and fully
• Keep copies of all correspondence, council decisions, and agreements related to any dispute
• Ask your solicitor to review your Section 10 answers before the form is submitted
• If in doubt about whether something needs to be disclosed, disclose it — a brief factual note is always safer than an omission

Relationship with selling due to neighbour disputes

If you are selling your property specifically because of a neighbour dispute, the disclosure obligations are the same, but the practical challenges are greater. You will need to be especially careful about how you word your TA6 answers, how you instruct your estate agent, and how you respond to buyer enquiries.

Our companion guide on selling due to neighbour disputes covers this scenario in full, including how to manage estate agent conversations, what to tell viewers, and how to handle mortgage lender concerns. If your sale is motivated by noise problems specifically, our guide on selling a house with noisy neighbours provides additional practical advice.

Sources

• Law Society of England and Wales — Property Information Form (TA6), 4th edition, 2020
• Misrepresentation Act 1967 — legislation.gov.uk
• Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 — legislation.gov.uk
• Environmental Protection Act 1990, Part III (Statutory Nuisances) — legislation.gov.uk
• Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 — legislation.gov.uk
• Anti-social Behaviour Act 2003, Part 8 (High Hedges) — legislation.gov.uk
• Party Wall etc. Act 1996 — legislation.gov.uk
• Land Registration Act 2002 — legislation.gov.uk
• HM Land Registry — Practice Guide 40: Land Registry plans (determining boundaries)

Related guides

• TA6 Noise Complaints: How to Answer

Frequently asked questions