As part of our commitment to promoting and enforcing the highest standards in the residential sector, the RICS Home Survey Standard will become the best practice benchmark – enabling adoptees to demonstrate consistency, deliver the highest quality of service, meet evolving consumer needs and also contribute to delivering trust in the home survey market across the UK. It brings together the views of RICS professionals, cross-industry stakeholders and consumers.

In April 2019, RICS launched an industry and consumer consultation following an extensive review of existing guidance, which identified the need for a professional statement with a set of mandatory requirements for RICS members and regulated firms.

The resulting RICS Home Survey Standard is a fit for purpose standard for RICS members and regulated firms and delivers to current market needs. It is designed to significantly increase consistency, transparency and competency across all residential surveying in the UK and will be the single standard for condition-based home surveys. The concise mandatory requirements establish 'benchmarks' around which firms can design and deliver services that not only meet their clients' needs but that the public can recognise and trust.

The purpose of this professional statement is to:

• establish a clear framework that sets minimum expectations – this to protect and maintain consistent and high-quality standards in residential property survey services that RICS members and regulated firms provide

• provide mandatory requirements for RICS members and regulated firms in the UK who deliver any level of residential property survey

• replace and harmonise previous RICS publications relating to residential surveys.

In addition to the document, RICS will be developing supporting tools and materials over the coming months for members and firms delivering condition-based survey services to clients.

This professional statement is effective from 1st June 2020.