From 30 March 2026, the Law Society of England and Wales has introduced the TA6 Property Information Form (6th Edition) as the standard form for residential property transactions in England and Wales, with mandatory use required for Conveyancing Quality Scheme (CQS) members on new instructions from that date.
The new version follows the withdrawal of the earlier expanded version of the form, which had been due to take effect in 2024 but was delayed after sustained opposition from conveyancers and property professionals.
Where a conveyancer was instructed before 30 March 2026 and an earlier version of the TA6 has already been used, that version can continue to be used for that transaction.
The revised approach reflects a clear recalibration. Rather than expanding disclosure obligations at the outset of the transaction, the 6th Edition returns to a more familiar and workable format while retaining the core function of the TA6 within the conveyancing process.
What is form TA6?
The TA6 is completed by the seller at the start of the conveyancing process and provides pre-contract information about the property to the buyer. It covers matters such as disputes, notices affecting the property, alterations and building works, guarantees, warranties, and insurance history.
The form forms part of the pre-contract enquiries and is relied on by buyers when deciding whether to proceed with the transaction. Incorrect or misleading information may give rise to a claim for misrepresentation.
The form is designed for standard residential transactions involving owner-occupiers. It is not intended for use in new build purchases and may require adaptation for auctions or part exchange arrangements.
Why the previous TA6 reform was withdrawn
The proposed 5th Edition expanded the TA6 to more than 30 pages and materially increased the disclosure burden placed on sellers. It required a broader and more detailed range of information to be provided at an early stage, including matters that many sellers would not readily know without further investigation.
The expansion also shifted expectations onto conveyancers, who were likely to be asked to advise on a wider set of factual and quasi-technical issues. That in turn increased both cost and professional exposure, particularly where the boundaries between legal advice and factual verification became less clear.
The level of detail required also heightened concern about misrepresentation risk. Sellers could face claims where information was incomplete or inaccurate, even where this arose from a lack of knowledge about historic issues rather than any deliberate omission.
The expanded content in the 5th Edition was largely driven by material information guidance from the National Trading Standards Estate and Letting Agency Team, which was later withdrawn, removing much of the policy basis for those additional requirements. The intention behind the reform was to front-load material information to reduce failed transactions and improve transparency. In practice, the approach created operational friction and legal uncertainty, which led to its postponement and eventual abandonment.
Key changes in the TA6 (6th Edition)
The 6th Edition adopts a more pragmatic structure aligned with the previously familiar format of the 4th Edition. It removes several of the expanded disclosure categories introduced under the abandoned reforms and avoids duplication with information provided elsewhere in the transaction process.
The revised form contains 15 sections, representing a reduction of 10 sections compared with the 5th Edition. Categories removed include council tax, tenure and charges, physical characteristics, building safety and restrictive covenants, reflecting a deliberate move to avoid duplication with information provided at the marketing stage. Sellers are no longer required to provide Energy Performance Certificate details within the TA6, as this information is dealt with separately by estate agents.
Questions are now more frequently framed using “Are you aware” wording, which reflects how sellers realistically provide information about their property. The form also permits “not known” responses in a broader range of scenarios, acknowledging the limits of a seller’s knowledge, particularly in relation to historic issues.
The guidance notes have also been revised to improve clarity and accessibility, reducing reliance on professional interpretation at the initial completion stage.
Misrepresentation risk and seller liability
Sellers remain legally responsible for the accuracy of the information provided in the TA6. The form forms part of the pre-contract enquiries and buyers are entitled to rely on the responses given when deciding whether to proceed with the transaction.
A “yes” or “no” response is treated as a positive statement on which a buyer may rely. Where a seller answers “not known”, they are expected to have reasonable grounds for giving that response.
Incorrect or incomplete disclosures can give rise to claims for misrepresentation, with remedies that may include damages or, in some cases, rescission of the contract. In practice, disputes frequently arise where issues affecting the property were not disclosed, including flooding history, neighbour disputes, unauthorised alterations, or environmental factors such as Japanese knotweed.
The revised format may reduce the risk of inadvertent error by allowing more realistic responses, but it does not change the underlying legal position. Sellers are expected to answer honestly based on their knowledge and to update their responses if circumstances change before exchange of contracts.
The broader legal framework continues to be governed by the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024, which prohibits misleading actions and omissions in consumer transactions, although the Law Society has indicated that the underlying legal position remains materially unchanged.
How to acces the new TA6 form
The TA6 (6th Edition) is accessed through approved third-party digital form providers rather than directly from the Law Society of England and Wales. Conveyancers typically obtain the form via their existing case management or transaction platform, with access rolled out across suppliers between October 2025 and January 2026.
Most firms will already have access through their preferred provider, although account setup or system configuration may be required where a platform is being used for the first time.
Practical implications
For sellers, the new form should be easier to complete and less technical in tone. However, it remains a legally significant document and requires careful consideration of each response.
For conveyancers, the 6th Edition reduces the advisory burden created by the earlier proposed reforms while maintaining the same underlying professional obligations. The Law Society has clarified that the introduction of the 6th Edition does not create additional liability for conveyancers. A seller’s solicitor is not responsible for verifying the accuracy of the seller’s answers, although they are expected to advise the client on completing the form properly and to raise queries where responses appear inconsistent or obviously incorrect.
The move to the 6th Edition signals a return to a more workable balance between transparency and risk allocation. Further changes to transaction forms remain under consideration, with the Law Society indicating that future updates will be subject to earlier consultation and user testing following the response to the 5th Edition.
Author
Gill Laing is a qualified Legal Researcher & Analyst with niche specialisms in Law, Tax, Human Resources, Immigration & Employment Law.
Gill is a Multiple Business Owner and the Managing Director of Prof Services - a Marketing Agency for the Professional Services Sector.
