Codes of practice
Codes of practice provide advice to practitioners. Where procedures are recommended for specific professional tasks, these codes are intended to embody 'best practice'.
All practitioners must inform themselves of new and updated codes of practice within a reasonable time of their promulgation in order to remain professionally competent. When an allegation of professional negligence is made against a surveyor, the court is likely to take into account any relevant codes of practice published by RICS in deciding whether or not the surveyor acted with reasonable competence.
RICS members can freely download PDF versions of our codes of practice. Hard copies of all RICS professional guidance publications can be bought from the RICS Shop.
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Residential property
Code of practice 15 Jul 2015
This cross-industry code is intended to promote best practice in the letting and management of private rented sector housing in England.
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Valuation
Code of practice 08 Mar 2017
This code of practice has been jointly adopted by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), the Institute of Revenues, Rating and Valuation (IRRV) and the Rating Surveyors’ Association (RSA).
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Residential property
Code of practice 27 May 2016
This Code, now in its third edition, has been approved by the Secretary of State and is effective from 1 June 2016. It applies only to residential leasehold properties in England but practitioners operating in other parts of the UK are encouraged to follow the best practice guidelines contained in the Code.
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Commercial property
Code of practice 04 Feb 2014
The first two editions of this RICS Code of Practice set a marker for the standards of management required in commercial property. Endorsed by property bodies representing all sides of the property industry, and widely acknowledged as a significant step forward for the industry, the Code is now available in its 3rd edition.
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Valuation
Code of practice 02 May 2009
Published with cross-industry agreement and acceptance, this document provides a defined valuation process for all social housing matters, including right to buy and right to acquire valuations.