The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) has published the second edition of its service charges in commercial property professional standard. This updated standard, which is mandatory for all RICS-accredited professionals, is aimed at property managers and occupiers in the UK. It seeks to improve overall standards and promote greater transparency, fairness, and consistency in the management and administration of service charges across commercial properties. It also aims to ensure that budgets and year-end certificates are delivered in a timely manner and encourages effective dispute resolution. In addition, the standard provides guidance to solicitors, their clients (whether owners or occupiers) and service charge managers on the negotiation, drafting, interpretation and operation of leases, in line with best practice. The revised edition replaces the 2018 version and will come into effect on 31 December 2025.

The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) has published the third edition of the Rights of Light (RoL) professional standard, effective from 1 June 2024.

The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) has published an update on current developments in home buying and selling reform, noting that long transaction times and high fall‑through rates have increased scrutiny of how property information is provided to buyers. The update refers to a UK government consultation launched in October 2025, which set out proposals for a faster and more transparent system supported by digital tools, higher professional standards and better-informed consumers. The proposals included mandatory qualifications and a code of practice, digital property packs and logbooks, binding conditional contracts, greater digitalisation and changes affecting leasehold sales. RICS states that, subject to the consultation outcome, the government intends to publish a reform roadmap during the current parliament, while noting that there is currently no planned legislation to support significant changes. The update also refers to a separate consultation on material information in property listings, launched following the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumer Act 2024 (DMCCA 2024). RICS says its response addressed the role of professional advice and expertise in the provision of material information. The update includes frequently asked questions (FAQs) covering the timing of reforms, industry capacity, impacts on small firms, insurance, valuations and the interaction with the RICS Home Survey Standard.

The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) has published the second edition of its valuation standard for secured lending on multi-storey, multi-occupancy residential buildings with cladding. The updated standard revises guidance for valuers assessing residential properties affected by fire safety concerns and reflects developments in legislation, regulation and industry practice since publication of the first edition in 2022. RICS stated that the revised standard incorporates changes arising from the Building Safety Act 2022, developments relating to the External Wall System (EWS) process and updated approaches to fire risk appraisal and remediation. The standard also provides further guidance on the information valuers should obtain when assessing properties with cladding and sets out expectations for reporting and valuation assumptions in cases involving unresolved fire safety risks.

The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) has published a webinar examining the operation of dispute boards across different jurisdictions and project environments. The session explores the practical considerations involved in establishing dispute boards at the outset of a project, as well as navigating challenges that may arise during implementation. It also considers the use of dispute boards in facilitating early issue resolution and identifies circumstances in which they have been less effective. The webinar draws on global project examples and further examines alternative approaches where project dynamics, constraints or culture complicate dispute board implementation.

The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) has released its UK Commercial Property Monitor for Q2 2025, reflecting a broadly stagnant market, with stronger momentum observed in Central London. The monitor shows net occupier demand at +2% for offices and +4% for industrial property, while retail demand declined to -13%. Investment enquiries remained flat at 0%. The findings reveal a divided market outlook, with 35% of respondents anticipating an upturn and an equal proportion expecting a decline. Prime and industrial properties are projected to see rental and capital value growth, highlighting the widening gap between prime and secondary markets. Vacant space increased across sectors, prompting landlords to increase the value of incentive packages offered to tenants.

The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) has published its UK Construction Monitor for Q4 2025, reporting that construction activity remained broadly flat with overall workloads showing a headline net balance of -6%. Infrastructure emerged as the strongest performing sector with a net balance of +12%, driven by energy-related projects, while private housing activity weakened and commercial workloads remained in negative territory. The survey of 1,048 chartered surveyors identified financial constraints and planning delays as the dominant barriers to activity, with around six in ten respondents citing each factor. Forward-looking indicators showed modest improvement, with twelve-month workload expectations rising to +17% and employment expectations increasing to +14%. RICS Chief Economist Simon Rubinsohn noted ongoing challenges around planning and building safety regimes, while observing that the Planning and Infrastructure Bill is viewed as helpful for housebuilders but insufficient alone to significantly increase housing development toward the 1.5 million home target.

The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) has reported in its UK Commercial Property Monitor for Q3 2026 that higher borrowing costs and tighter credit conditions are weighing on investment. The credit conditions indicator fell to a net balance of -37% from -23% in Q2, the Investment Sentiment Index declined to -13 from -8 and three-month capital value expectations fell to a net balance of -15%, while prime office and industrial rental expectations remained positive.

The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) has welcomed the Built Environment Committee (BEC)’s report on the future of high streets. The report, which examines challenges and opportunities for town centres, aligns with several RICS recommendations. It emphasises the need for diversification beyond retail, advocating for more restaurants, leisure activities, and public services in town centres. The report also highlights the newly implemented High Street Rental Auction (HSRA) powers, which came into effect on 2 December 2024.  Additionally, it directly references evidence submitted by RICS earlier this year, focusing on improving high street competitiveness through better accessibility, the advantages of green spaces, and the challenges of business rates reform.

The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) has published details of its response to the European Commission's call for evidence on Housing Supply and Affordability (Regulatory Simplification), recommending measures to reduce barriers to housing delivery while maintaining environmental, quality, community, consumer and financial safeguards. Drawing on evidence from members in Greece, Hungary, Portugal and Spain, RICS identifies planning and permitting delays, fragmented procedures, regulatory uncertainty and unstable policy frameworks as key obstacles, noting that many arise from national and local implementation rather than EU legislation itself. RICS recommends proportionate and consistent regulatory implementation, clearer guidance, reduced administrative duplication, digitalised and better co-ordinated planning and permitting procedures, shorter approval times and fast-track permitting for qualifying affordable-housing projects. It also supports stable long-term regulatory frameworks, renovation and adaptive reuse of existing buildings and measures to increase housing supply alongside demand-side support. RICS highlights the International Cost Management Standard and its New Rules of Measurement as tools for improving construction cost transparency, project comparability and confidence in financing decisions.

The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) confirmed that the House of Lords Industry and Regulators Committee had published its report on the Regulation of Property Agents (RoPA), calling on the government to take forward the recommendations of Lord Best’s report from 2019. RICS confirmed it had given evidence to the Committee, highlighting the need to avoid duplication of regulation and standards and to work with professional bodies to utilise well-established regulatory frameworks.

The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) has submitted its response to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG)’s March 2026 consultation on the New Towns Draft Programme, broadly supporting the programme’s ambition to address housing shortages and support economic growth, while raising concerns about delivery risks. In its response, RICS highlights the estimated two-to-three-year timescale for establishing Urban Development Corporations and urges the government to consider faster options for establishing delivery vehicles to unlock development. It also calls for greater clarity on government funding, noting that the current position may not provide the strong market signals needed to support delivery. RICS identifies the multiple layers of government involved in delivering new towns as a potential risk and notes a geographic imbalance in the programme, with Leeds identified as its most northerly location, leaving most of northern England without comparable government investment. It also urges the government to address wider housing market challenges, including the need for residential retrofit to improve housing quality in northern England’s older industrial communities.