Grant Shapps accused the Government of making it harder to buy and sell houses after complex new Home Information Pack rules were introduced.
In the middle of the recession, Labour are imposing extra regulations that will hinder sellers from putting their homes onto the market, mislead buyers, open sellers up to the prospect of being sued, and raise the prospect of £200 fines from aggressive town halls officials.
Grant, the Shadow Housing Minister, warned that Gordon Brown was kicking the housing market "when it has already taken a battering":
"HIPs have already harmed the market and discouraged sellers, and now Gordon Brown is making it even worse."
The new regulations will mean:
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New delays if you sell your home. The Government has cancelled the 'first day marketing' provision that allowed sellers to market their home if a HIP has been ordered but not yet been completed.
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New untrustworthy Property Information Questionnaires. All Packs must have a new questionnaire completed by the seller - but the buyer cannot be sure the answers are accurate on issues like past dry rot or damp, insurance claims and the history of flooding.
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Sellers sued for honest mistakes by the buyer: Disputes about the content of Property Information Questionnaires will end up in the courts, making buying and selling even more of a legal minefield.
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Heavy-handed town hall fines: Town halls have been instructed to "identify specific cases of non-compliance and enforce the requirements" - and start fining homeowners £200 a time if they do not follow the new rules.
Grant stressed, "These changes will make buying and selling your home even more of a legal minefield and even more stressful."
And he promised that a Conservative Government would scrap Home Information Packs outright, giving "a shot in the arm to the ailing market."