Are HIPs regulated by anyone?

Are HIPs regulated by anyone?

Mike Ockenden (Director General) gives expert video advice on: What do I need to do to obtain a HIP for my new home?; Will I have to pay for a pack?; What will a pack tell me? and more...

Home Information Packs are not regulated as such by government, for example. The government does regulate part of the pack, which is the Home Condition Report or the Energy Performance Certificate, and they can do them and address arrangements and so forth. But the HIP industry has got together and put in place a voluntary set of regulations, a voluntary code of practice: the HIP Code. We would heartily endorse this code to consumers. The reason is that it protects you and not only you; it protects estate agents and anybody else who relies on the information in the pack, such as the conveyancers and the lenders. What it means is if something happens down the line in the HIP and you've been damaged by that, you can go back to the pack provider, claim those damages and the professional indemnity insurance will kick in. For consumer protection to know that you have a quality product right up front, only use packs that have got the HIP Code logo on them.