Written question asked by Lord Bates (Conservative), in the House of Lords. It was answered by Lord McKenzie of Luton (Labour) on Friday, 6 November 2009.

Housing: Sale Information

Question: To ask Her Majesty's Government what obligations a home owner has, when marketing their residential property for sale, to highlight in (a) a home information pack, (b) a voluntary home condition report, and (c) a property information questionnaire within a pack, that the property suffers from (1) planning blight, (2) vermin infestation, (3) a negative reputation for being haunted, and (4) noise disturbance from nearby licensed premises.

Answer: The local enquiries search within the home information pack (HIP) should reveal whether the property is on land required for public purposes and could therefore be affected by planning blight. The HIP also includes the result of a search of the local land charges register. This will reveal whether the local authority has incurred recoverable expenses under the Public Health Act 1936 in respect of action taken with the object of taking steps for the destruction of rats and mice on specified premises. If the seller chooses to include a home condition report in the HIP, it will report on any damage caused by wood boring insects that is obvious from a visual inspection of the property. None of the documents that are required to be included in the HIP will reveal whether the property is reputedly haunted or suffers noise disturbance from nearby licensed premises.

Secondary information

Type: Written question
Reference: 6035; 714 c95-6WA
Session: 2008-09
Subjects: Disclosure of information Housing Licensed premises Home information packs Noise Planning blight Sales Pests
Link: View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk