A new Residential Retrofit Standard has been launched by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), following an extensive eight-week-long consultation period.

Developed by a team of experts as a response to a demand for high quality, residential retrofit advice, spurred on by increasingly high energy prices and UK government net-zero targets, this new standard will provide a framework within
which RICS members can advise their customers on retrofit options in homes across the UK, in turn supporting the nationwide effort to decarbonise the residential property sector.

The standard also ensures that consumers receive advice from skilled, regulated professionals and ultimately protects the public interest by upholding high standards in a growing market. It is intended to be applied and understood across the UK residential sector and is the only one designed to support surveyors and provide assurance to consumers and lenders.

Paul Bagust, RICS Head of Property Practice, commented: “As homeowners increasingly look to explore ways to retrofit their homes to improve energy performance, advice must be given by a highly qualified professional.

​“It is clear, that there is a market need for a standard that facilitates quality, reliability and consistency, and the RICS Retrofit Standard does just that.

“This fully comprehensive standard will be rigorously upheld by RICS and has been designed to be used and understood by a broad range of professionals in the industry. We are asking for the recommendations in the standard to be implemented by the 31st October 2024”.

The launch of the standard contributes to RICS's goal to continue to lead and influence sustainability. RICS is also advocating for policy reform to accelerate the decarbonisation of the built environment and is spearheading a whole-life approach to measuring and monitoring carbon emissions in the sector.