Virginia Consumer Disclosure Information Form Explained for Buyers and Sellers

The Short Answer

The Consumer Disclosure Information Form is a long informational document, about 28 numbered items, that buyers and sellers in Hampton Roads receive and sign. The buyer and seller versions carry the same disclosure text and differ only in who signs. Most of it is informational: it flags topics that commonly come up in a home sale so you know to ask questions, research or get professional advice before they become surprises. It isn't purely informational, though. It also includes disclaimers limiting the brokerage's liability on topics agents aren't experts in, and a wire-transfer release that buyers and sellers both sign.

This guide is part of my series on the documents you'll sign buying or selling a home in Virginia, which walks through the main forms in the order they show up.

Where It Fits

You'll usually see it early, often around the time you sign a buyer brokerage agreement or listing agreement, or with the offer paperwork. It complements the state Residential Property Disclosure Statement, which focuses on the property, while this form focuses on the transaction and the topics around it.

What It Covers, Grouped in Plain English

Agency and conduct. Your agent's interest in the transaction, steering (an agent can't steer you toward or away from a home based on the compensation offered to a buyer's agent), referral compensation, and audio and video recording during showings and open houses. Buyers should assume they could be recorded and avoid discussing price or motivation in the house.

Associations. Condo and HOA rules, resale packets and your right to review them. More on the timing in my purchase agreement guide.

Environmental and materials. Radon, asbestos, underground storage tanks, lead-based paint, mold, wood preservatives, EIFS synthetic stucco and polybutylene pipes.

Money and protection. Financing, hazard and flood insurance, home warranties, lender's and owner's title insurance, and wire fraud. Never wire money based on emailed instructions without calling a verified number.

Land and the neighborhood. Aircraft noise, zoning, restrictive covenants, regional transportation plans, parking permits, water frontage rights, additional structures and school redistricting. School zones can change, so don't rely only on a listing.

Permits and taxes. Occupancy and building permits, and roll-back taxes when land leaves a reduced-tax use program.

Property and paperwork. Existing tenant leases, mechanics' liens, powers of attorney, septic systems, smoke detection, solar panels, square footage, surveys, third-party contract approvals (such as short sales), flood and repetitive-loss disclosures, and wood-destroying insect inspections.

Why This Matters in Hampton Roads

Several items are especially local: flood insurance and repetitive-loss history near the water, aircraft noise around Oceana and Chambers Field, school redistricting as cities rebalance enrollment, septic and wells in parts of Chesapeake and southern Virginia Beach, and roll-back taxes on rural land. My guide to where to live near NAS Oceana covers the noise side in more depth.

The Liability Disclaimers and Wire-Transfer Release

Alongside the informational items, the form includes disclaimers: the brokerage and its agents aren't inspectors, surveyors, attorneys, lenders or insurance experts, and you're advised to rely on those professionals. It also includes a wire-transfer release, signed by both buyer and seller, acknowledging wire fraud risk and the steps to verify instructions. Read those parts as carefully as the rest.

What People Commonly Misunderstand

"Signing it only means I received it." Mostly, but you're also signing the liability disclaimers and the wire-transfer release, so read those sections.

"If it's on the form, my agent checked it." The form tells you what to look into. Agents aren't inspectors, surveyors or attorneys.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this the same as the seller disclosure statement? No. That's a separate state form about the property.

Is there a different form for buyers and sellers? The disclosure text is the same. The versions differ only in who signs.

Should I read every item? Yes. It takes 15 minutes and points to most of the common surprises.

Next Steps

I go over this form with every client and help you decide which items deserve a closer look on your specific property. Reach out to me.

This article is general information about how these documents commonly work in Virginia, not legal advice. Forms are updated from time to time and every transaction is different, so read the version you're actually given and talk with a Virginia real estate attorney about legal questions.