Material Information in UK Property Listings: What to Show

Short answer: UK estate agents must not omit, or present unclearly, any information an average buyer needs to decide whether to pursue a property. Since 6 April 2025 that duty sits in the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 (DMCCA), which replaced the old Consumer Protection Regulations. The Trading Standards "Parts A, B and C" checklist was withdrawn in May 2025, and as of November 2026 the government's replacement guidance is still being prepared, so the safest listing template still covers everything Parts A to C did.

That's an awkward position for agents and for anyone building listing software: a legal duty with no official list. This piece sets out what's settled, what changed, and a part-by-part checklist your listing template can carry. It's an operational guide, not legal advice.

What changed, in order

30 November 2023: National Trading Standards' estate agency team (NTSELAT) completed its material information guidance. Part A (price, council tax, tenure) had come first; Parts B and C followed. Rightmove, Zoopla, OnTheMarket and PropertyPal added matching data fields.
6 April 2025: the DMCCA's consumer protection provisions came into force, superseding the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 and giving the CMA direct enforcement powers, as Propertymark reported.
May 2025: NTSELAT's guidance was withdrawn from official channels. The duty didn't change; the list disappeared.
6 October to 29 December 2025: the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) consulted on new guidance.
2026: MHCLG's home buying and selling reform roadmap lists publishing non-statutory guidance on property listing information as a "now (in 2026)" step, with legislation for upfront "sales packs" planned later. At the time of writing we couldn't confirm that the new guidance has been published; check GOV.UK before relying on this article's list.

What the law actually requires

MHCLG's consultation summarises the DMCCA position clearly. Material information is everything an average consumer needs to make an informed transactional decision, and the onus is on the trader to work out what that is. There is no prescribed property-specific list.

The Act does treat some information as always material in an "invitation to purchase" (any communication showing the product's characteristics and price that lets the consumer decide). That includes the main characteristics of the product, the trader's identity and address, the total price, and complaint-handling arrangements. Other material information must reach the buyer before the decision in question, which for a listing includes the decision to book a viewing.

MHCLG puts the practical consequence plainly: a listing "should not omit information, for example, that could lead the purchaser to rule out the property if it is revealed at a later stage." Leaving it out, or burying it, can be a misleading omission.

The checklist, part by part

The old three-part structure is still the most useful way to organise a listing template, and MHCLG's consultation list of likely categories closely mirrors it.

Part A: on every listing, up front

[ ] Price, and for sales, the asking basis (offers over, guide, fixed)
[ ] Council tax band (or domestic rates in Northern Ireland)
[ ] Tenure: freehold, leasehold, share of freehold, commonhold
[ ] For leasehold: years remaining on the lease, ground rent and service charge, with review terms where known

Part B: for every property, established at instruction

[ ] Property type (detached, terraced, flat, and so on)
[ ] Construction if non-standard (timber frame, thatch, prefabricated)
[ ] Number and type of rooms
[ ] Electricity supply (mains or otherwise)
[ ] Water supply and sewerage (mains or private)
[ ] Heating type
[ ] Broadband availability
[ ] Mobile signal and coverage
[ ] Parking

Part C: only if it applies, but then it must be shown

[ ] Building safety issues, including fire and structural risk works
[ ] Restrictions: listed building, conservation area, covenants affecting use
[ ] Rights and easements, such as rights of way across the property
[ ] Flood risk, including any history of flooding
[ ] Coastal erosion risk
[ ] Planning permission issues or nearby approved developments
[ ] Accessibility features and adaptations
[ ] Coalfield or mining area
[ ] Known issues: damp, subsidence, asbestos, Japanese knotweed

"Not applicable" is a legitimate answer for Part C, but a blank is not: it leaves the buyer guessing whether you checked.

Building it into your listing template

If you run your own website or listing software, structure beats free text.

Make Part A and B fields mandatory in the back office. A listing shouldn't publish with tenure or council tax empty.
Give Part C fields three states: "Yes, details," "No," and "Not yet confirmed." The last one should be visible to buyers and trigger a follow-up task.
Collect at instruction, not after an offer. A seller questionnaire attached to the instruction workflow, ideally with the seller's conveyancer involved early (which NTSELAT and MHCLG both encouraged), saves fall-throughs later.
Keep a source and date for each answer: seller statement, title register, searches, surveyor. When something turns out wrong, the record shows what you relied on.
Match your portal feed. Map each field to the corresponding portal field so your own site and the portals say the same thing.
Show it near the top. Information buried in a PDF three clicks down is at risk of being "unclear or untimely," the other half of the omission test.

FAQ

Is the Parts A–C guidance still the law?

It never was law; it was Trading Standards' interpretation of the duty. It's been withdrawn, but the duty not to omit material information remains under the DMCCA. Many agents keep working to Parts A–C because it's the best available list until new guidance arrives.

Who enforces this now?

Trading Standards still has a role, and the CMA gained direct powers under the DMCCA from April 2025, including the ability to fine businesses without going to court first.

Does this apply to lettings too?

The duty not to omit material information applies to letting agents as well. MHCLG's new guidance will initially cover sales only, because the rental framework is changing under the renters' rights reforms.

Do we have to commission searches before listing?

Not currently. The roadmap plans legislation for upfront sales packs (including searches and a condition report) "when parliamentary time allows." Until then, gather what you reasonably can and flag what isn't confirmed.

If you'd like a listing template or back office that won't let a property go live without the basics, we'd be happy to scope it with you.