On 2 February 2022 new RICS Rules of Conduct came into effect for members and regulated firms. They replaced separate rules with one set built around five professional obligations. They are written for surveyors, but they are just as useful to the people who instruct us, because they say what a client is entitled to expect.
The five standards
- Honesty and integrity. Acting honestly, declaring conflicts, and not misleading anyone.
- Competence. Only taking on work the surveyor is competent to do, and keeping skills current.
- Service. Providing good quality, appropriate service, with clear terms agreed at the outset.
- Respect. Treating everyone fairly and with respect.
- Responsibility. Acting in the public interest, cooperating with RICS, and taking responsibility for the work.
What that means when you instruct us
Clear terms first. You should receive written terms setting out the scope, the fee and how complaints are handled before work starts. We confirm the RICS appointment the work falls under, so you can see exactly what is and is not included.
The right person for the job. If an instruction needs specialist input, such as a structural engineer for a movement problem, we say so rather than stretching beyond our competence.
Independence. In roles where impartiality is required, such as a party wall surveyor acting under the Act, that obligation comes before the wishes of whoever appointed us.
Somewhere to go if things go wrong. Every firm regulated by RICS must have a complaints procedure and access to redress. Ours is set out in our complaints handling procedure.
Regulated by RICS
Avalon Surveyors Ltd is regulated by RICS, firm number 030895. Read more about us, or see how each of our services maps to its RICS standard.