Document downloads - Block management
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Service charge residential management code
Published 17 March 2026
Effective from 7 April 2026
The RICS Service Charge Residential Management Code 4th edition was approved by the Secretary of State under section 87(7) of the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993. 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.
This code is written to promote desirable practices in respect of the management of residential leasehold property, with the latest edition of the code reflecting recent developments in legislation, such as the Building Safety Act (2022) and the Fire Safety Act (2021), and good practice. Effective property management requires cooperation and a shared understanding of procedures and potential problems.
The code is intended for RICS members and regulated firms acting as landlords, social housing landlords, leaseholders, managing agents, managers and occupiers of leasehold property. Additionally, parts are specifically intended for other parties such as property owners and professional advisers.
The code aims to:
- improve general standards and promote best practice, consistency, reasonableness and transparency in the management and administration of long leasehold residential property
- ensure the timely issue of all documentation including budgets and year end accounts
- reduce the causes of disputes and to give guidance to resolving disputes where these do occur. -
Data protection checklist
Estate agencies should audit (and revise where appropriate) their data processing activities on a regular basis. In particular the items in this checklist should be reviewed.
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Rent only residential management code (ARCHIVED)
Published January 2004
Effective from January 2004
Archived 9 December 2016
This document has been archived and is available on isurv for information purposes only.
This RICS guidance note provides good-practice advice on the management of residential property.
It is written for all professionals working in this field, such as managing agents and landlords. It is also intended to be used by residents, owners of property and providers of services to such properties.
The Code provides a basis for determining and understanding how management should be undertaken. The new edition has been fully revised and now includes a glossary of key terms. -
Managing a block of flats: terms of appointment template
Use this template to appoint a block management agent. The standard terms of appointment cover the:
- service to be provided by the agent
- authority of the agent
- client's obligations
- bases of remuneration
- termination and
- liability of the agent.
Basic terms of appointment must be completed by the parties and provision is given to vary the standard terms.
This document template is maintained by Paul Walshe of Awdry Bailey & Douglas.
Disclaimer: Users of this document are responsible for forming their own view as to whether this document and its contents are suitable for use in any particular circumstances. The supply of this document does not constitute legal or other professional advice, nor does it constitute any opinion or recommendation as to how any person should conduct its business or whether any person should or should not enter into any form of contract. Users should, if appropriate, consult their professional advisers as to any such matter. No warranty, express or implied, is given in respect of this document and neither RICS nor the authors shall be liable for any loss or damage of any kind arising directly or indirectly from the use or misuse of this document or from any reliance on it by any person, except to the extent that exclusion of such liability is prohibited by law. -
Real estate agency and brokerage (ARCHIVED)
Published September 2016
Effective from September 2016
Archived 30 January 2025
This document has been archived and is available on isurv for information purposes only.
This professional statement applies to all RICS members involved with the sale, letting, leasing and management of real estate, whatever the form of tenure by which it is held or occupied.
It outlines the principles that shape the culture of fairness and transparency that underpin all activities undertaken by real estate agents within whichever country they practice. Topics covered include:
- Ethics
- Securing instructions
- Acting for the seller: marketing the property
- Acting for the seller: agreeing the sale or lease
- Acting for the buyer
- Ending the instruction
- Safety and security
- Agency management -
UK residential real estate agency
Published September 2017
Effective from 11 September 2017
With the increased focus on the need for ethical practice and transparency in the residential property market this RICS professional statement sets out clearly the responsibilities of residential property agents to ensure they are working to the highest ethical and professional standards.
The 5th edition of the Blue Book, UK Residential Property Standards, has been archived as it has been superseded by the 6th edition. -
Blockchain: an emerging opportunity for surveyors?
Published February 2020
Effective from September 2024
Reissued September 2024
Every so often a revolutionary digital break-through emerges. The most recent being a technology allowing a decentralised, reliable and verifiable record of transactions, which is maintained across multiple computers using peer-to-peer networking and cryptography – blockchain.
This practice information provides a balanced view of the outlook for blockchain, its application to the real estate, built and natural environment and construction industries, and what it could mean for RICS members and RICS-regulated firms looking to stay at the forefront of innovation.
This document was reissued in September 2024 as practice information. It had previously been published in February 2020 as an insight paper. No material changes have been made to the document.