Free Property Disclosure Statement Template

A property disclosure statement is a document in which a seller sets out what they know about the condition of a property they are selling.

It typically covers structural issues, the roof, water and damp, heating and electrical systems, boundaries, past repairs, pests, and anything else the seller is aware of that a buyer would want to know.

A property disclosure statement moves information from the person who has it to the person who needs it. A seller who has lived with a property knows things no survey will reliably find, and disclosure is how that knowledge reaches the buyer.

It also protects the seller. A defect disclosed in writing before completion is far less likely to become a claim afterwards than one the buyer discovers on their own.

This is the most important thing on this page, and it is why a general template can only take you so far.

Many jurisdictions require sellers to complete a specific disclosure form, prescribe exactly what must be disclosed, and set out what happens if a seller fails to do so. Others impose far lighter obligations. Some exempt certain sellers or certain kinds of sale entirely.

The consequences of getting it wrong are real. Failure to disclose something you were required to disclose can lead to a claim, to a sale falling through, or in some places to more serious consequences.

Because those requirements differ so much and change over time, this page states no disclosure requirement, no prescribed form, no exemption, and no deadline for any jurisdiction.

Confirm what your state or country requires before you complete anything. A real estate attorney or a licensed agent where the property sits can tell you which form applies and what must go on it. Where a mandatory form exists, use that form rather than a general template.

Subject to the form your jurisdiction requires, a property disclosure statement generally asks about the same areas.

Structure and Foundations

Movement, cracking, subsidence, and any structural work carried out.

Roof and Exterior

Age, leaks, repairs, and the condition of guttering and cladding.

Water and Damp

Flooding, rising damp, condensation, and any history of water ingress.

Systems

Heating, plumbing, electrical, and their age and servicing history.

Pests and Infestation

Termites, rodents, or other infestations, past or present.

Boundaries and Disputes

Boundary positions, shared access, rights of way, and any dispute with a neighbour.

Alterations and Permissions

Extensions, conversions, and whether the necessary permissions and approvals were obtained.

Environmental and Hazardous Materials

Anything known about contamination or hazardous materials.

Signature and Date

Signed by every seller, with the date.

The rules of thumb here are simple, and following them prevents most problems.

Answer honestly and completely. Concealing a known defect is the single worst thing a seller can do, and it is the behaviour that turns a property issue into a legal one.

Do not speculate. If you do not know something, say you do not know rather than guessing. An inaccurate answer given in good faith can still cause difficulty.

Disclose past problems even if fixed. A repaired leak is still relevant, and buyers generally react far better to a disclosed and remedied issue than to a hidden one.

Attach the paperwork. Guarantees, building approvals, service records, and invoices for remedial work support what you have written and answer the buyer’s next question in advance.

Tip: If you are unsure whether something needs disclosing, ask your agent or attorney rather than deciding yourself. The instinct to leave out something awkward is exactly the instinct that creates liability.

Take your time over it. Document Genius walks you through each section with simple questions.

1. Confirm Which Form Applies

With an attorney or licensed agent where the property is located.

2. Gather Your Records

Approvals, guarantees, service histories, and repair invoices.

3. Work Through Room by Room

Rather than from memory in one sitting.

4. Answer Unknowns as Unknown

Never guess to fill a box.

5. Have It Reviewed

By your agent or attorney before it goes to the buyer.

6. Sign, Date, and Keep a Copy

Every seller signs, and you keep what you provided. Start yours now and confirm the form with your attorney.

A property disclosure statement is useful information, not a guarantee.

Read it alongside a survey, not instead of one. The seller tells you what they know; an inspection tells you what they may not.

Follow up on anything vague. An answer of unknown or not applicable on something significant is worth a direct question.

Ask for the supporting documents. Approvals for an extension, guarantees for damp work, and service records for a boiler all tell you more than a tick box.

Keep the statement. If a problem emerges later, what the seller said before completion may matter.

Take advice on what the disclosure does and does not affect. In some places a buyer’s own inspection obligations interact with what a seller disclosed, and that is a question for your own conveyancer or attorney.

A few limits are worth stating.

It is not a survey or an inspection. The seller is reporting knowledge, not certifying condition.

It is not a warranty. Disclosure describes what is known; it does not promise the property is free of problems.

It does not remove a buyer’s own responsibility to investigate, which varies by jurisdiction and by the terms of the sale.

It does not cover what the seller genuinely did not know, though what a seller ought to have known can be a separate question.

Nothing on this page is legal advice, and no disclosure requirement, prescribed form, exemption, deadline, or consequence of non-disclosure is stated anywhere on it. Take advice from a real estate attorney or licensed agent in the jurisdiction where the property is located.