Selling & Market Info
What is material information in property listings?
Material information is the set of facts about a property that an estate agent must disclose on a sales or letting listing because the absence of them would influence a typical buyer or tenant's decision. The framework is set by National Trading Standards Estate and Letting Agency Team (NTSELAT) and enforced under the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008.
NTSELAT's three-part rollout (A: tenure, council tax band, price; B: utilities and parking; C: building safety, restrictions, rights, flood and erosion risk, planning permissions, accessibility) means every Rightmove, Zoopla and OnTheMarket listing should now show the same minimum facts. Omitting them is a banned practice and the agent — not the seller — carries primary liability.
Buyers should still verify independently. Council tax bands, EPC ratings and flood risk are all available free from official sources for cross-checking.
What this means in practice
A two-bedroom flat marketed in M14 for £210,000 in February 2026 must disclose on the listing: leasehold tenure with 87 years remaining, ground rent £250/year, service charge £1,840/year, council tax band B (£1,720 in Manchester 2025/26), EPC band D, off-road allocated parking, mains gas and electricity, BT/Openreach broadband, and a Section 20 major-works consultation in progress for £18,000 of facade repairs. If the agent omits the Section 20 notice and the buyer commits, the agent is liable under CPRs 2008 — a misleading omission of material information. The fine on conviction can reach £5,000 per listing or unlimited on indictment.
Related questions
What information must be on every UK property listing now?
Under NTSELAT Parts A, B and C: asking price, tenure (freehold, leasehold with years remaining, share of freehold, commonhold), council tax band, ground rent and service charge if leasehold, utilities (mains gas, electricity, water, sewerage or off-mains alternatives), broadband type and speed where known, mobile signal, parking, building safety information for flats, restrictive covenants and easements, rights of way, flood and coastal erosion risk, planning applications and proposals affecting the property, and accessibility features. Property Developers and new-build sellers are subject to the same rules.
What can I do if a listing has wrong material information?
Raise it with the agent first in writing — most are responsive because the liability sits with them, not the seller. If the agent does not correct it, escalate to the redress scheme they belong to (The Property Ombudsman or Property Redress Scheme) and to the local Trading Standards office. If the listing is on a portal, also report it via the portal's "Report a listing" function. Material errors discovered after exchange can ground a claim against the agent under CPRs 2008 for losses suffered, though most cases settle pre-litigation through the redress scheme.
Sources
Related reading
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