Document downloads - Land/rural/agricultural
Available downloads
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Agricultural Tenancies Act 1995, RICS guidance (ARCHIVED)
The guidance note was published in June 1995. It offers an interpretation of the Act and prompts consideration of other important, related matters. It also provides commentary on the practical application of the Act in relation to RICS Farm Business Tenancy Agreements.
The supplementary guidance note, which published in 1998, complements and updates the Guidance note on the 1995 Agricultural Tenancies Act and should be read in conjunction with it. It deals with subsequent developments following the introduction of the Act and responds to the wealth of useful information and practical advice received by RICS in response to the original guidance.
RICS Farm Business Tenancy Agreements have continued to evolve. The latest editions can be accessed on isurv at http://isurv.com/site/scripts/documents.aspx?categoryID=104
This document is no longer current and is available on isurv for information only. -
Code of measuring practice
Published: September 2007
Reinstated: 23 January 2018
Effective from: 23 January 2018
Code of measuring practice, 6th edition was reinstated on 23 January 2018 after publication of RICS property measurement, 2nd edition.
The 6th edition of the code became effective globally from 18 May 2015 when it was incorporated into the first professional statement, that for offices. -
Valuation of rural property
Published July 2019
Effective from 1 July 2019
Reissued October 2022
This professional standard applies to rural property in the UK only. For the purposes of this guidance, rural property means commercial farms and farmland, all forms of rural landed estates and residential property in the countryside with land attached.
This professional standard is primarily intended to remind registered valuers of matters that should be considered when completing a valuation of rural property. It is not intended as a substitute for training and experience or a short cut to meeting the requirements of the various applicable RICS professional standards. It may also be of use to clients in understanding the work and role of the rural property valuer and assist in arriving at properly agreed instructions.
The client base for rural property valuations can include:
• farmers
• landowners (private and public)
• estates
• lenders and other institutional clients
• developers
• investors
Some will have intimate knowledge of the industry and others less so. While the requirements of RICS Valuation – Global Standards (RICS Red Book Global Standards) will need to be met in every case, valuers will need to consider the individual requirements of each client carefully, both in terms of settling instructions and the level of detail and advice they include in their reports.
This document was reissued in October 2022 as a professional standard. It had previously been published in July 2019 as a guidance note. The regulatory requirements remain the same and no material changes have been made to the document. -
Rural valuation checklist
The same valuation principles apply to agricultural land and buildings as to any other property asset. Valuation requires an analysis of the subject and in particular the qualities of the subject property. Agricultural and rural properties have a wide divergence, of type, character and overlap into other markets such as residential housing, commercial business, etc.
This checklist provides a list of things to consider when valuing such assets.
This checklist is provided as a sample only. It is the user’s responsibility to check and adapt this as necessary to suit the particular instruction and prevailing circumstances. -
Sustainability and ESG in commercial property valuation and strategic advice
Published December 2021
Effective from 31 January 2022
This global professional standard provides a practical framework for delivering on sustainability and ESG investigation, and reporting requirements in professional valuation advice.
Please note, this was reissued in October 2022 as a professional standard. It was previously published as a guidance note. The regulatory requirements remain the same.
Practical and globally relevant principles for the delivery of the sustainability and ESG requirements in the Red Book Global Standards.
- Good practice advice supporting everyday commercial valuation practice and its interface with ESG and sustainability.
- Alignment of ESG and sustainability considerations with the core mechanics of valuation (purpose, basis, approach).
- A glossary of globally relevant sustainability and ESG terms and an appendix referencing world-leading rating, benchmarking and performance frameworks and tools.
The updated guidance is part of a suite of professional standards for sustainable practices across the built and natural environment. For example, ICMS 3, for the comparison of cost and carbon in construction. And the Responsible Business Framework, which enables clients to build and communicate a responsible business strategy mitigating negative environmental and social impact.
It is an update to the guidance issued in 2013 and is intended for valuing commercial property. It will be reviewed and updated periodically – reflecting pending developments in International Valuation Standards and the wider investment and regulatory framework globally. -
Valuation of trees for amenity and related non-timber uses (ARCHIVED)
This document has been archived and is available on isurv for information purposes only.
This guidance note is designed to assist the valuer in dealing with some of the issues that arise when dealing with the presence of trees as part of a property or as separate entities. -
Valuation of woodlands and forests
Published March 2023
Effective from 1 June 2023
Valuation of woodlands and forests (2nd edition) empowers professionals undertaking valuations of these assets to consider the evolving array of complex factors that can impact their value. This professional standard outlines the bases of value that can be utilised depending on the purpose of the valuation. It also allows our professionals to maintain and enhance their specialist knowledge and ensure they are best placed to deliver on client demand to understand the value of woodland and forestry assets.
An updated version of this standard was published in May 2023. The updated version applies to Ireland with full endorsement from the Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland (SCSI).
This professional standard is applicable to the UK and Ireland and is effective from 1 June 2023. -
Valuation of land for affordable housing Scotland
Published January 2013
In Scotland, a valuation of land for affordable housing can be required for several reasons, including: advice for loan security, acquisition, sale, evaluation of options, planning purposes, compulsory purchase, taxation and development appraisal for grant purposes.
This guidance note aims to inform the valuer’s approach to the valuation of land for sites in Scotland where there is a requirement to provide affordable housing or where the provider of affordable housing is seeking grant finance from the Scottish government. -
Conacre Licence Agreement
Conacre is a system of letting agricultural land that is unique to Ireland. The current use of 'conacre' originated with the Land Acts of the mid-nineteenth century.
Today the term is used to reflect the system where landowners who wish to retain their land but not farm it can licence the land to another farmer, usually for a period of eleven months.
Under the latest reform to the EU Common Agriculture Policy (CAP) entitlements to be issued under the new support regime must be allocated to the person ‘enjoying the decision making power, the benefits and the financial risks in relation to agricultural activity being carried out on the land for which an allocation is requested’. This will have a significant impact on land let in conacre.
This fifth edition of the RICS Model Conacre Licence Agreement has been updated in conjunction with the Department of Agriculture & Rural Development (DARD) to reflect changes to entitlements and eligible land in 2015 under CAP reform. The agreement can be used to support the introduction of the Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) and Areas of Natural Constraint payments. It is intended that it can be used freely as a framework for a practitioner’s own agreement or used as it is. -
RICS Valuation – Global Standards 2017 (ARCHIVED)
This document has been archived and is available on isurv for information purposes only.
The RICS Valuation – Global Standards 2017 took effect from 1 July 2017, the same date as the IVS 2017.
The accompanying Basis for Conclusions explains the rationale behind the more significant changes made in the final version of the Red Book 2017. Specifically, it addresses the main refinements made in consequence of the responses received to the public consultation. It has been produced purely to assist the reader and does not form part of the standards.
Following the publication of the new edition of IVS, an updated Red Book takes effect from 31 January 2020 in line with the IVS. -
Client money handling for livestock auctioneers
Published February 2021
Effective from 8 February 2021
Reissued October 2022
This professional standard provides mandatory requirements and guidance for RICS firms acting as livestock auctioneers. RICS firms selling any property at auction for a third party must do so as agent, ensuring that purchase money is handled as client money. There is one exception – where the asset sold is exclusively livestock. In this instance, subject to some other conditions being met, the firm may contract to act as principle in the financial transaction.
This professional standard outlines the mandatory requirements and best practice guidance for livestock auctioneers in terms of how to deal with client money in both of the above circumstances.
This document was reissued in October 2022 as a professional standard. It had previously been published in February 2021 as a professional statement. The regulatory requirements remain the same and no material changes have been made to the document.