RICS Conflicts of Interest, 1st Ed (2017) - Prof Standard
Effective 1 Jan 2018
Avoid if there is conflict or significant risk of conflict
Seek informed consent if in best interest of all parties
Be transparent and get informed consent in writing
Manage conflict by using information/ethical barriers
RICS Service Charges in Commercial Property, 1st Ed (2018) (Prof Standards)
Effective 1 April 2019
Aims to promote best practice, uniformity, fairness and transparency
Ensures the timely issue of budgets and YE certificates
Reduces cause of disputes
Introduced 9 mandatory principles (as per lease, no more than 100%, issue budget annually, issue actual accounts annually, issue apportionment annually, keep sc funds in discrete bank account, interest to be credit to sc account, T to only withhold disputed sums, any errors to be corrected)
Updates to new SC (Prof standard)
Service charges in commercial property 2nd edition, June 2025
Effective from 31 December 2025
Bribery Act 2010
Aims to reduce bribes
A bribe is money, gifts, or favors given to someone to influence their actions or decisions unfairly.
Bribe = giving/receiving advantage EG payment or gift
6 Principles (proportionality, top-level commitment, communication, risk assessment, due diligence, monitoring and review)
4 Offences (bribing, receiving bribe, bribing foreign public official, failing to prevent bribe)
Penalty = 10 years imprisonment and unlimited fine (individual) or unlimited fine (company)
RICS Guidance Note on Complaints Handling, 1st Ed (2016)
Firms CHP must be RICS approved
Firms CHP must include RICS approved ADR (EG Property Redress Scheme, CEDR, or RICS Dispute Resolution Service)
Complaints Log must be maintained (details/outcome)
Notify PII insurers if complaint could lead to claim for negligence
RICS Guidance Note Surveying Safely: Health and Safety Principles for Property Professionals, 2nd Ed (2018) - Professional Standard
Effective 1 Feb 2019
Basic, good practice principles
Personal responsibilities for members/firms
Hazard/Risk Assessments
Health and Safety in Workplace
Visiting Sites
Fire Safety
Contractor Procurement and Management
Residential
Advices RICS firms to have: safe working environment, safe working equipment, safe systems of work, competent staff
Health and Safety at Work Act 1974
Key UK legislation
Responsibility on employer to ensure reasonable health and wellbeing of employees
Breach of Act is criminal offence - unlimited fine and imprisonment for 2 years
Guilty until proven innocent in this instance
Data Protection Act 2018
Effective 25 May 2018
Implemented UK GDPR
Covers everything previously covered by Data Protection Act 1998
Gives people stronger rights to be informed about how their personal information is used
Breaches to be reported to ICO within 72 hours
Penalty is greater of 20 million euros or 4% global turnover
General Data Protection Regulations 2021
Replaced EU version
Consent must be clearly given, and as easy to withdraw as it is to give
8 individual rights which are Right to: 1) be informed, 2) access, 3) rectification, 4) erasure, 5) restrict processing, 6) data portability, 7) object and 8) automated decision making
Equality Act 2010
Firms must embrace the 9 protected characteristics:
1) Sex
2) Sexual Orientation
3) Gender Reassignment
4) Disability
5) Race
6) Religion
7) Age
8) Marriage/Partnership
9) Pregnancy/Maternity
RICS Code of Measuring Practice, 6th Ed (2015)
Best practice for measurement of properties (other than office and residential)
Defines GEA, GIA and NIA
Aims for common and consistent approach
RICS Property Measurement, 2nd Ed (2018) (GN)
Effective 1st May 2018
Encourages members to use IPMS for global consistency and transparency
Encourages members to dual report until IPMS All Buildings released (mandatory)
Encourages members to advise clients of benefits of IPMS
States members must keep detailed files (purpose, date, measurement standard, methodology, plans used, floor area)
Note: IPMS All Buildings now released as of 15 Jan 2023
RICS Guidance Note on Commercial Property Management in England and Wales, 2nd Ed (2011
Notes PMs core duties: rent collection, service charges, managing building, H&S, procurement of 3rd party suppliers, day-to-day liaison
Principles state that PM acts for LL, has duty of care to LL, and must manage 3rd party suppliers
RICS Valuation - Global Standards (2025) (PROF STANDARD)
Intro
Glossary
Part 3 - Professional Standards
(PS 1) Compliance with standards where a written valuation is provided
(PS 2) Ethics, competency, objectivity and disclosers
Part 4 - Valuation technical and performance standards
Part 5 - Valuation practice guidance applications
Part 6 - International valuation standards
RICS Valuation - UK National Supplement (2019)
Effective 14 Jan 2019
Provides specific requirements for members on application of Red Book for UK jurisdiction
User-friendly advice on what is and is not mandatory
Provides mandatory statements and advice for UK valuations
Countering financial crime: bribery, corruption, money
laundering, terrorist financing and sanctions violations (17 Dec 2025) - Professional Standard
