You can use virtually staged and AI-edited images in a UK property advert, but each one must leave the buyer with an accurate impression of the property. Label every staged or materially altered image, place the label next to the image and make it as easy to see as the price. Never use editing to remove or hide something a buyer would need to know.
We found no rule from NTSELAT, the ASA or the major portals written specifically for AI images or virtual staging as of 30 October 2026. The general advertising rules apply instead, and this guide sets out what they imply in practice.
Is virtual staging allowed in the UK
There is no specific UK rule yet. Three published sources shape what you should do:
- The ASA's article A picture says a thousand words. Avoiding misleading imagery in ads (11 September 2025) says images that give an inaccurate impression, for example by showing extras or by exaggerating quality or size, are likely to mislead.
- The ASA's advice on new build and off-plan homes records the Taylor Wimpey ruling and how CAP says upgrades in images should be labelled.
- The withdrawn NTSELAT material information guidance (version 1.0, November 2023) said photography "should not be used to avoid disclosing" material detail.
The unfair commercial practices rules in the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 (DMCCA) have applied since 6 April 2025. The CMA's guidance, Unfair commercial practices (CMA207), explains them, including the test for misleading omissions.
What the Taylor Wimpey ruling tells you
On 14 November 2012 the ASA upheld a complaint against Taylor Wimpey over a show-home image that included upgrades.
CAP's advice on this is specific. Put the words "image includes optional upgrades at additional cost" next to the image, and make that statement as prominent as the price.
The ruling concerned a show home, and the same reasoning can be applied to virtual staging. A staged image shows furniture, décor and sometimes finishes that do not come with the property. Our reading is that a staged image falls into the same category as the upgraded show home: it shows extras, so it needs a label next to it, as easy to see as the price.
How to label virtual staging and AI virtual staging
There is no prescribed wording for virtual staging. Borrowing CAP's approach for show homes, a label should be:
- on the image or directly beside it
- as prominent as the price in the same advert
- specific about what has changed
Examples you can adapt:
- "Virtually staged. Furniture and décor are not included."
- "Image digitally edited. Sky and lawn enhanced."
- "Computer-generated image of the proposed extension. Not yet built."
Show the unstaged photograph of the same room alongside the staged version. A buyer who sees both can judge the room for themselves, and you have a clear record of what you changed.
On portals, the lead image can appear in search results away from the description. If the lead image is staged, put the label on the image itself so it travels with it. In video, keep an on-screen label visible for as long as staged or AI-generated footage is on screen.
What not to edit out
The withdrawn NTSELAT guidance said photography "should not be used to avoid disclosing" material detail. Its lists covered physical characteristics, construction, parking, building safety, flood and erosion risk, and other matters a buyer needs. MHCLG's consultation on material information in property listings (6 October to 29 December 2025) went further and proposed defects such as damp, subsidence, asbestos and knotweed as material information.
Do not remove or disguise:
- damp patches, staining or mould
- cracks in walls or ceilings
- knotweed or other visible problems in the garden
- fixed features of the building or plot, such as its construction or a lack of parking
- anything outside the property that affects it and that a buyer would notice on a viewing
Do not make rooms look larger than they are. The ASA names exaggerated size as one way an image can mislead, so avoid AI tools that extend a room or widen a view.
How to handle common edits
| Edit | How to handle it |
|---|---|
| Brightness, colour correction, straightening vertical lines | Keep it true to what a buyer will see on a viewing |
| Removing the vendor's clutter or personal items | Keep fixtures and fittings and any defects visible |
| Adding virtual furniture or décor | Label next to the image, as prominent as the price |
| Replacing the sky or greening a lawn | Label it, since the ASA says exaggerated quality is likely to mislead |
| Removing defects, fixed features or neighbouring structures | Do not do it |
| Generating rooms, extensions or views that do not exist | Do not use as a photo of the property; if it shows a proposal, label it as a computer-generated image of something not yet built |
| Stretching or extending rooms | Do not do it |
Video and AI walk-throughs
The same principles apply to video. A virtually furnished walk-through, an AI-generated fly-through or a re-lit evening scene needs an on-screen label for the full time it is shown. Framing and editing should not be used to keep a defect out of shot. If the video shows an asking price, it may also count as an invitation to purchase under the DMCCA, which brings stricter rules on leaving out material information.
Agents who also market property in the EU
Article 50(4) of the EU Artificial Intelligence Act requires deployers who use AI to generate or manipulate image or video content that is a "deep fake" to disclose it, from 2 August 2026. The definition in article 3 covers content resembling existing "places". Whether AI virtual staging counts as a deep fake has not been tested (see the article 50 text), so if you market EU property, labelling AI-staged images there is the cautious course.
Before you publish
- Keep the original, unedited files for every image you alter.
- Label every staged or materially altered image on or beside the image.
- Make the label as prominent as the price.
- Show the unstaged photograph alongside where you can.
- Check that no defect, fixed feature or neighbouring structure has been removed or hidden.
- Check that no room looks bigger than it is.
- Compare the final image with the room as a buyer will see it on a viewing.
- Check the ASA and MHCLG for new guidance before a large campaign, as specific rules may follow.
This guide explains the published rules as of 30 October 2026 and is not legal advice.