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Mandatory property information questionnaire – Latest
30th June 2009
On 6 April this year, the Property Information Questionnaire (PIQ) became a mandatory requirement of the Home Information Pack (HIP) relating to the sale of residential properties in England and Wales.
The PIQ must now be completed by the seller and included in the HIP before a property is put on the market. The PIQ must be filed as the first item in the pack after the index. Failing to provide an HIP could land house sellers with a £200 fine.
The intention of the Property Information Questionnaire is to provide any potential buyer with a helpful checklist of information as they view a property.
It is not intended to replace enquiries made during the conveyancing process but should help reduce the risk of nasty surprises arising further down the line of the buying process. Anyone who incurs expenses through relying on inaccurate information could claim for damages against the seller.
As previously reported in Switched On, Question 12 in the PIQ asks the seller to provide details about if and when the electrical wiring in property was last checked.
This new question should draw attention to the need for the safety of the electrical installation in a property to be checked, and encourage prospective buyers to ask to see a periodic inspection report to identify any potential electrical safety issues before committing to a purchase.
For full details on the Property Information Questionnaire, visit: www.communities.gov.uk/publications/housing/propertyinformationquestionnaire
