What happens if I’ve neglected to pay my membership fees?
If you have neglected to pay your RICS subscription fees then your membership has now lapsed. A letter has been issued to all members who have outstanding payments explaining how to reinstate their membership.

Members must within three months of receiving the letter pay any outstanding membership fee, plus the reinstatement fee. Members must also return a signed RICS undertaking, and if resident in the UK, a completed Direct Debit mandate.

Reinstatement payments cannot be processed without all the correct documentation.

What happens now as my firm has forgotten to pay my membership fees?
It is agreed within the member regulations that, it is you as the member, who has responsibility to make sure your subscription is paid each year. We do not chase individual member's employers for the subscription payment. Your membership will be cancelled if RICS does not receive payment, even if it is part of your employment contract that the subscription fee is paid.

Some larger firms do pay their employees subscriptions as a group. However if they have not included your name on the list of members they wish to pay for, again the normal rules will apply.

If you received a subscription notice or a reminder you must assume the payment has not been made and is not going to be made, and you should have contacted us regarding your payment as soon as possible.

What happens if I am late in paying my renewal fees?
The membership renewal notices are sent out at the end of November to allow time to arrange for payment on 1 January. You must have paid in full by 25 April or your membership will be cancelled.

See regulation 35.6 below

35.6. Late payment of subscriptions and payment on behalf of members:

35.6.1 Notwithstanding that another person or organisation may have undertaken to pay the member's subscription and, subject to Regulation 35.6.2 below, where any subscription (whether or not the subject of a concession) for any year remains unpaid at 6 April, after written notice has been sent to the member's last known address, a recommendation is to be made to the Strategy and Resources Board that his membership be expunged, and the Board is hereby authorised to approve such a recommendation, to be implemented if payment is not made by 25 April. The Chief Executive may exercise discretion to defer making a recommendation where the Member is, by virtue of Bye-Law 22(4), not entitled to resign.

My membership has lapsed why do I have to pay a re-instatement charge?
Your membership has been lapsed and you will need to pay a re-instatement fee in accordance with the regulations. All members in this position must pay before the membership may again become active. Please note, the fee is payable in full.

If your membership lapses, for a period of three months or more, you are required to go through a reinstatement process. This involves the completion of application forms and a series of checks by our compliance and conduct teams, this may take 4-6 weeks to process.

What happens as you did not have my correct address details?
Payment is due on 1st January each year and as such we send your renewal notice at least 4 weeks before to the latest address you have provided us with. The onus is on you, as the member, to ensure your details are always up to date. If you believe we do not have your correct details please check online at www.rics.org, where you can view and amend the data that we hold on you or call RICS Contact Centre on +44 (0)870 333 1600.

35.4: Liability for subscriptions

Members' liability for the whole of their annual subscriptions (whether or not subject to concession under the Regulation 35.3) for each subscription year arises at 1 January, whether demanded or not. Subject to any right granted pursuant to Regulation 35.2.1, the obligation is to pay in sterling.

I did not receive my renewal notice or reminders?
We make every effort to make sure you receive all necessary communications. However we need you to keep us up to date with your correspondence address. We have also sent reminders to email addresses as well as to postal addresses. This will help us to reach the majority of members on important issues.

Don't forget that you can update your details online. Go to www.rics.org and visit the 'my details' section on the member homepage.