The TA6 form and your survey: what the property information form covers

When you sell a home, your conveyancer will ask you to complete a set of standard transaction forms early in the conveyancing process. These include the TA10 fittings and contents form, the TA7 leasehold information form if the property is leasehold and, most importantly, the TA6 property information form.

Your answers feed into the information buyers rely on when deciding to go ahead. Inaccurate answers can lead to the buyer pulling out or, after completion, a claim for misrepresentation against the seller.

The TA6 form is the Property Information Form published by the Law Society of England and Wales. The seller completes it once an offer has been accepted. Their conveyancer then sends it to the buyer's conveyancer with the draft contract and other documents in the contract pack. It records what the seller knows about the property, from boundaries and alterations to disputes, guarantees and services. Much of it overlaps with the material information estate agents must include when a property is marketed for sale.

The current version is the 6th edition, which replaced the 4th and 5th editions on 30 March 2026. It is shorter than the 5th edition, cutting the form from 25 sections to 15. Firms accredited under the Law Society's Conveyancing Quality Scheme must use it. If you started selling before the changes came in, your conveyancer may have sent you an earlier edition of the TA6 form.

The TA6 form asks sellers about the main legal and practical points buyers need to know. Topics include:

• boundaries and who is responsible for fences, walls and hedges
• disputes or complaints with neighbours or others
• notices and proposals that could affect the property, such as planning applications nearby
• alterations, extensions and whether planning permission and building regulations approval were obtained
• guarantees and warranties for work such as windows, damp treatment, electrical work or new build cover
• environmental matters, including flooding, radon and Japanese knotweed
• rights of way, shared access and informal arrangements
• parking, services and connections to utilities such as water, drainage, electricity, gas and broadband
• transaction details, such as whether the seller is buying another property and whether the home will be sold with vacant possession

If you are selling, answer each question as accurately and completely as you can and read the explanatory notes that come with the form. Attach any documents asked for, such as planning approvals, building control completion certificates and guarantees. Where you genuinely don't know the answer, say so rather than guessing. If a question is unclear, ask your conveyancing solicitor before you answer.

This matters even more in a probate sale. The executors completing the form may never have lived in the property and can only answer from what they know.

Getting the form right at the start helps avoid delays later, as the buyer's conveyancer is likely to raise further questions on any gaps or vague answers. Some sellers also commission a survey before selling a house so they know about any defects before the buyer's surveyor finds them.

As a buyer, you will receive the TA6 form through your conveyancing solicitor. It gives you an insight into the history of the property and raises points to follow up. Your conveyancer will check the answers against the title documents and search results. They will then send additional enquiries to the seller's solicitor or conveyancer on anything that needs clarifying, such as a missing certificate for an extension or a past boundary dispute.

A common misconception among buyers is that the seller's answers on the TA6 give a reasonable picture of the property's condition, so a survey isn't needed. It doesn't work like that.

The TA6 form only records what the seller knows, or says they know. Sellers may be unaware of damp behind a kitchen unit, a failing roof covering or movement in a wall, and the form does not ask them to inspect the property or assess its condition. Its purpose is to support the legal side of the property sale. It also flags where further enquiries or specialist investigations may be needed, for example into flood risk.

The same goes for the mortgage valuation your lender arranges. It confirms the property is worth the loan but says little about its condition.

A RICS Level 2 survey or Level 3 survey is an independent inspection of the property by a chartered surveyor acting for you. It reports on the condition of the building, highlights defects and explains what needs repairing. That gives you the evidence to renegotiate the price or walk away if the seller won't compromise.

Your surveyor will also look for signs of significant changes to the home, such as replacement windows and doors, loft conversions or extensions. Where there may be questions over planning permission, building regulations, conservation area rules or listed building consent, they will list them as issues for your solicitor to check against the TA6 answers and the legal paperwork.

Yes. The TA6 form is an important starting point, but it tells you what the seller believes about the property, not what an independent professional has found. A survey before exchange of contracts gives you a clear view of the property's condition. It also gives you the chance to act on it while you can still negotiate or withdraw.

Surveyor Local connects you with chartered surveyors through our nationwide panel, all of whom are members of RICS. Your surveyor will inspect the property independently and report on its condition, so you can compare their findings with the TA6 answers before you commit.

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