UKI sold my property but the buyer says there are undisclosed defects.
In the UK, buyers generally buy property 'as is' unless defects were deliberately concealed or misrepresented — sellers have no general duty to disclose defects under the Law of Property Act 1925.
What the Law Says
The Law of Property Act 1925 does not impose a general obligation on sellers to disclose latent (hidden) defects in residential property. The legal framework rests on the principle of caveat emptor — 'let the buyer beware'.
Under English law, the seller is not required to volunteer information about defects unless asked directly and truthfully — and even then, only if the answer is not misleading. There is no statutory duty of disclosure built into the Law of Property Act 1925.
Section 44 of the Law of Property Act 1925 deals with conveyancing formalities and the execution of deeds — it does not address disclosure of defects. The Act focuses on how property transfers are legally completed, not on pre-contract transparency obligations.
Because s. 44 contains no provision about disclosure, courts have consistently held that the common law rule of caveat emptor applies: buyers must carry out their own inspections and due diligence.
Statutory Text— Law of Property Act 1925, s. 44 — c. 20
Sources
Not legal advice. This article is general information based on publicly available sources, written for educational purposes. Laws change and individual situations vary. Consult a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction before acting on anything you read here. Last reviewed: 2026-06-08.