151 Criminal liability under the Property Misdescriptions Act 1991

151 Criminal liability under the Property Misdescriptions Act 1991

The Property Misdescriptions Act 1991 was brought into force because the Trade Descriptions Act 1968¹ did not cover sales of interests in land and therefore it was felt necessary to provide separate protection for consumers in this area.

Under the terms of the Property Misdescriptions Act 1991, it is an offence to make false² or misleading statements³ about any of the prescribed property-related matters⁴ in the course of an estate agency or property development business⁵, otherwise than in providing conveyancing services⁶.

The Property Misdescriptions Act 1991 is enforced by local trading standards officers