Packs will be 'totally unenforcable' with some easy legal sidestepping

Loopholes in the controversial laws on Home Information Packs (Hips) will make them 鈥榯otally unenforceable鈥� according to critics.

By simply removing the bed from a fourth bedroom and renaming it the spare room will exempt home owners from needing a pack. This will save them 拢600.

Because the government has defined a four bedroom house as being marketed as a property with four bedrooms, simply changing the description of the final bedroom is enough to no longer need a Hip.

The regulations also state that any home put on the market before August 1 does not require a pack. A home is defined as being put on the market when it is 鈥榤ade public鈥�, Therefore a mention on a personal website such as MySpace or Facebook before August 1 would reach enough members of the public to make the property public, thus exempting the seller from having to order a pack.

Trading standards officers overseeing the scheme have admitted the packs may well remain unenforceable as they have insufficient legal powers.

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