Know your rights

There are several safeguards in place to protect buyers and sellers. Home Inspectors and Domestic Energy Assessors must be accredited before they are allowed to inspect a property.

Should you have an issue with the Pack, an Inspector or Assessor, the following information will be helpful:

Protecting yourself
On 29 September 2006, the Search Code and HIP Code were introduced, delivering quality standards across both the property search industry and in Home Information Packs (HIPs).

If you are commissioning a HIP, you may wish to consider a company that is a member of the HIP Code. Alternatively, if you are commissioning searches or are compiling the Pack yourself, you may wish to consider a company that has signed up to the Search Code.

Here you can find a full list of organisations that have signed up to both or one or both of the codes at the Property Codes Compliance Board (PCCB). The PCCB has been established to maintain a register of firms committed to operating within these standards of practice and to independently monitor compliance with the Codes. The PCCB will also encourage organisations to sign-up to the Codes to promote increased consumer protection.