Update for Domestic Energy Assessors and Estate Agents on Home Information Pack (HIP) matters
CRB Checks
There has been much controversy surrounding the requirement for CRB (Criminal Records Bureau) checks for Domestic Energy Assessors.
RICS has taken legal advice on the issue and issued the following policy statement:
"Our policy is that we will carry out a CRB check ourselves for Home Inspectors as required by law and that we will require Domestic Energy Assessors to obtain a basic check from Disclosure Scotland, which is as much as we can do in law.
"Our legal advice states that it is appropriate for RICS to require its members wishing to be Domestic Energy Assessors to obtain the basic check as part of the assessment of their fit and proper status.
"However, we recognise that the information is limited by the basic nature of the check.
In summary, it is RICS’ policy to require this check and we are likely to refuse an application without this information.
"Members of RICS are under a general obligation to inform RICS if they or a fellow member receive a conviction which could lead to a custodial sentence."
Surveyors Ombudsman Service
The Surveyors Ombudsman Service has been approved by DBERR (formerly DTI) for HIPs redress for estate agents.
It is also open to all firms regulated by RICS at no cost in its first year of operation.
There is no joining process; firms need only let their clients know that they are using the scheme.
Therefore those estate agency firms wishing to use the scheme as their redress mechanism for HIPs and/or any other complaints need do nothing more than insert the scheme name into their complaints handling procedure which should be referred to in their terms and conditions of engagement.
Fees for subsequent years of the scheme will be based on experience in the scheme’s first year and are expected to be highly competitive.
Firms will be able to choose from several schemes when RICS publishes its fees.
A Helpsheet on Redress is available from the PDF Downloads panel on this page.
For further information on these issues, email RICS Regulation e regulation@rics.org or call +44 (0)20 7695 1670.
