How to read this guide
We checked every source on 17 October 2026. Each rule says how we read it:
- Read from the source. We read the document's own text.
- Read in part. We opened the page, but saw only short exact fragments.
- Reported by others. A search extract or a news item. We never call these a requirement.
Rules from a portal are contract terms between you and the portal. They are not law, and we say "Rightmove's terms", not "the law".
The short answer
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) wrote in May 2025: "There is no blanket legal requirement in the UK to disclose the use of AI in ads." Source: ASA, 29 May 2025. Read in part. The ASA applies its existing rules on misleading advertising to AI content in the same way as to any other content. That page is a news article, not formal guidance, and the ASA notes how little precedent there is.
So two questions matter for a property photo:
- Does the advert mislead a buyer or tenant?
- Does the portal or scheme you use ask for more than the law does?
The test is whether it misleads
The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 (DMCC Act) prohibits unfair commercial practices. It states that "Unfair commercial practices are prohibited." Section 225 came into force on 6 April 2025 ("in force at 6.4.2025 by S.I. 2025/272"). Source: legislation.gov.uk, section 225. Read in part.
Section 226 defines a misleading action. It includes:
- "(a) the provision of false or misleading information relating to a product, a trader or any other matter relevant to a transactional decision";
- "(b) an overall presentation which is likely to deceive the average consumer".
Subsection (3) adds that "an overall presentation may be deceiving even if the information it contains is true." Source: legislation.gov.uk, section 226. Read in part.
Put plainly, a label does not rescue an image that misleads. The ASA says the same: "disclosure alone is very unlikely to mitigate the harm caused by a fundamentally misleading message." A room edited to look larger, with a small note beneath, is still a room the buyer will not find on a viewing.
Enforcement is real. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) can now fine directly, reported as up to 10% of global turnover. See GOV.UK, April 2025. We saw this only as a search extract of that page, so it is reported by others.
One more subsection matters. Under section 226(1)(d), a misleading action includes "a failure to comply with a requirement in a code of conduct ... in circumstances where the trader asserts that the trader acts in compliance with that code". Do not tell buyers that you follow a portal's or a scheme's rules on the strength of a tool. If you assert it and do not follow it, that assertion can itself mislead. Read in part.
Rightmove's terms
Rightmove's Technical Guidelines (January 2026) are the clearest written rules for AI-edited photos in the UK. They are contract terms. Source: Rightmove Technical Guidelines. Read from the source.
Paragraph 10 splits edits into two classes:
- "Light Touch Edits" means "minimal editing such as cropping, brightness/contrast adjustments, colour balance, shadow lifting and warming tones."
- "Enhanced Edits" means content that is "(i) generated and/or manipulated by AI; (ii) CGI; or (iii) manipulated or modified manually, such as adding or removing objects, or making enhancements e.g. changing architectural features."
Both are "permitted, provided that these adjustments/enhancements do not misrepresent the property." Enhanced Edits "must be - accompanied by current, accurate images of the room and/or property; and clearly labelled as being AI or otherwise enhanced."
Rightmove also says: "We reserve the right to remove any content that We reasonably believe does not comply with this paragraph 10 or other Relevant Legislation or Codes."
Three open points to take to Rightmove if you are unsure:
- The rule asks for a label but does not say where it goes. In practice that means the listing text or a caption, but Rightmove does not say so.
- Section 29, "Misuse of Media", says "Images must not contain text." It adds that you "may use CGI / AI augmented images, subject to paragraph 10 above."
- A burned-in label is text on an image. Rightmove does not say whether the bar on text covers a label. Ask before you rely on one.
Do not tell buyers or colleagues that a tool has cleared a listing with Rightmove. Rightmove decides that, not the tool.
Videos on Rightmove
The heading of paragraph 10 is "Use of Property Image Carousel and Videos", and the warranty covers "images and videos". Rightmove does not say separately that the Enhanced Edits label wording applies to video. Treat that as an open reading, not as a settled rule.
Videos have more terms:
- Section 29 also says: "You must not use text in images or videos (including but not limited to incentives)."
- Paragraph 11 sets conditions for property videos. They must be "only of the property and land offered", must not contain "anything by which any living person can be identified", and "the quality of the video is reasonable".
A video with an on-screen agent card, a headshot or an address title may run into those terms. Ask Rightmove, or check with your account manager, before you publish.
Agent codes and Material Information
The Property Ombudsman (TPO). The Code of Practice for Residential Estate Agents we read is the 2019 edition. Source: TPO Code, effective 1 June 2019. Read from the source. It says to "take all reasonable steps to ensure that all statements that you make about a property, whether oral, pictorial or written, are accurate and are not misleading." It also says advertising should follow the ASA's Codes. We found no clause specific to photos or AI. A newer edition may exist, so check the current one.
Material Information. The government consulted on rules for what a listing must say, between 6 October and 29 December 2025. The outcome was published as part of the "Home buying and selling reform" response, last updated 19 June 2026. Source: GOV.UK consultation page. Read in part. The position is in transition, so read the response itself and do not rely on older guidance. TPO notes that earlier guidance rested on regulations that the DMCC Act replaced (TPO, 7 October 2025).
What to do on your own listings
- Use edits that fix the light, not the home. Brightness, contrast and colour balance are Light Touch Edits.
- Keep the room or property as it is. Walls, windows, floors, views and defects stay as photographed.
- For any AI edit, add current, accurate images of the room next to it, as Rightmove asks for Enhanced Edits.
- Label it clearly in the listing text, as Rightmove asks. If you want a label on the image or video itself, check with Rightmove first.
- Do not rely on a label to excuse an edit that changes what a buyer would see on a viewing.
What Scenella does and what stays with you
What Scenella does, stated as facts:
- Every asset it makes carries a label. "AI-enhanced" goes on AI-altered scenes, stills and slides. A virtually staged photo or scene carries "Virtually staged" instead. Never both on one asset.
- Originals stay archived and downloadable, and the Photos tab shows the before and after.
- Structure is never altered. Walls, windows and square footage stay as photographed, defects stay visible, the view from a window is not changed and no landscaping is added to exterior photos.
- The AI disclosure page lists which enhancements Scenella may use.
What stays with you:
- The Scenella label is Scenella's label. We make no claim that it fits Rightmove's terms, the ASA's rules or any other rule.
- Rightmove's text rule and its identifiable-person rule are open points for videos. Ask before you upload a video with on-screen text.
- Put your own label in the listing text and keep the companion images beside the AI-edited ones.