Work on a ‘material information’ form to speed up the home buying and selling process has been paused, the Law Society confirmed - after the National Trading Standards Estate and Letting Agency Team (NTSELAT) unexpectedly withdrew guidance that the form was designed to support.

A ‘material information’ form was due to be published alongside the sixth edition of the TA6 form in October. However, conveyancers attending the Law Society’s property conveyancing convention this week were told work on the material information form has been paused. 

Last month, NTSELAT unexpectedly withdrew guidance on material information for estate and letting agents. NTSELAT said the guidance was based on supporting estate and letting agents to meet their legal obligations under Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008. However, those regulations have been superseded and replaced by the new Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024. 

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Society policy adviser Nick Denys told the convention that NTSELAT ‘is not minded to produce new guidance… it will be up to the government and the Competition and Markets Authority’. The Society is speaking to the government and CMA on their next steps.

The sixth edition of the TA6 form, designed for use when an offer is accepted, will still be published in October. The form is currently being tested by buyers, sellers and conveyancers. 'We want to make sure the form is as good and as useful as possible. It should lead to less enquiries for conveyancers,' Denys said.