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Dramatic turnaround for HIPs - 22 May 2007

Just eight working days before they were due to come into effect, the government has announced a dramatic change of plan on the controversial Home Information Pack (HIP).

HIPs were to be become compulsory for anyone selling a property on June 1st – but in a dramatic government turnaround this date has been postponed by two months.

In addition to the change of implementation date, only properties that have four bedrooms or more will be liable for a HIP, and homeowners only need to have commissioned a pack before they put their home on the market, as opposed to having it fully completed.

Communities Secretary Ruth Kelly told MPs today that the packs would now be phased in due to a shortage of trained energy assessors. Nothing has been said about those 2,000 people who have already completed their training ahead of the original June 1st start date.

The delay comes after a court ruled that Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) should be left out of the packs “for the time being” on the back of official opposition from The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS).

HIPs will now come into effect on August 1st – but there is no guarantee that they won’t be postponed a second time.

 


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