A second pair of RICS eyes.
One click, and your whole report is read against the RICS Home Survey Standard — every populated section, every condition rating, every photo caption. Back comes a calm, graded list: what breaches, what wobbles, what's already right. You fix, you re-check, you sign. The judgement stays yours.
How a pass works
From one click to a graded verdict.
The Standards Check is not a spell-checker with a RICS badge. It reads your report the way a reviewing surveyor would — whole, in context, against the published standard.
Open the panel from the report toolbar
The check lives inside the Level 2 and Level 3 report editor — one button in the toolbar opens the Standards Check sidebar over your report. No separate tool, no exporting, no pasting. It reads whatever is in the report at that moment, so you can run it mid-draft or as the final step.
It gathers every populated section
Element by element — D1 Chimney Stacks through to the grounds — the check collects the section name and code, your commentary, the condition rating you assigned and the captions of the photos attached to that element. Empty sections are skipped, so a partial draft gets a fair partial audit rather than a wall of "missing" noise.
Our AI engine audits it against the standard
The whole gathered report goes to our AI engine with an audit brief built from the RICS Home Survey Standard, 1st edition — six areas: content quality, rating consistency, the level-specific requirements for your chosen survey level, further-investigation justification, safety risks and language. Because it reads meaning rather than matching keywords, it catches "it would be advisable to arrange" just as surely as "I recommend" — and it can tell when a rating 2's commentary quietly describes a rating 3 problem.
Findings come back graded and referenced
In about 30 seconds the sidebar fills: a 0–100 score with an overall grade — Compliant, Minor issues or Issues found — then the findings, grouped by audit area with the most serious first. Every finding names its section, explains the gap in plain English, says how to fix it, and carries a reference to the relevant part of the standard. Passes are listed too: the check tells you what is already right, not only what is wrong.
Go to section, fix, re-check
Each finding's Go to section button scrolls the editor straight to the element and pulses a highlight around it — you land exactly where the fix is needed. Reword it yourself or hand the sentence to AI rewrite, then hit Re-check. Every run is saved to the report's history, so the trail from first pass to clean pass is on the record. When you're satisfied, sign off and export the branded PDF as usual — the check never stands between you and delivery.
The scan pass
Watch it read one section.
D2 Roof Coverings, condition rating 2, five sentences of commentary. Here is how the check reads it — line by line, verdict by verdict. Illustrative content; the mechanics are the real thing.
Illustrative section and verdicts, shown for demonstration. On a real pass the same reading covers every populated section of your report at once.
The six audit areas
Every pass reads your report six ways.
Each area maps to a part of the RICS Home Survey Standard, 1st edition — and every finding tells you which part it came from.
Content quality
HSS 4.1Is the commentary property-specific rather than boilerplate? Factual and unambiguous, with fact clearly separated from opinion? In plain terms a layperson can follow, balanced in its view of condition, and written in professional third-person British English?
Rating consistency
HSS 4.3The number must match the words. A rating 1 should not sit above urgent repair advice; a rating 2 should include repair guidance; a rating 3 must describe the defect and its remedy; an NI entry must explain why the element was not inspected.
Level requirements
HSS 4.3.2Level 2 and Level 3 are graded differently. A Level 3 must detail construction, state probable causes, outline remedial options with the cost of inaction, propose timescales and prioritise. A Level 2 must stay clear, brief and jargon-free while still covering defects, remedies and implications.
Further investigations
HSS 4.9A referral must earn its place. The check flags investigations recommended only because an element was inaccessible, or seemingly to cover liability — and where a referral is justified, it checks you have said what should be investigated, when, and by whom.
Safety risks
HSS 4.5Matters presenting a safety risk to occupants must be described. The audit watches for the common hazards — asbestos, fire safety, falls, electrics, gas, lead, radon — and flags sections that describe a hazard without addressing the risk.
Language & professionalism
No first-person pronouns, no in-text references to photographs, a professional surveyor tone throughout. It reads meaning, not keywords — so softened advisory phrasing gets caught along with the obvious "I recommend".
What comes back
Verdicts you can act on.
No red squiggles, no vague scores. Each finding is a small, complete brief: what, where, why, and the part of the standard it rests on.
Rating 2 with no repair guidance D3 RICS 4.3
The commentary describes weathered rainwater goods clearly, but a rating 2 is expected to say what repair is needed. Add brief repair advice — what, who, and when.
Checked against current RICS Home Survey Standard guidance on condition ratings — each finding carries the part of the standard it relates to.
One finding, fully briefed
Severity, plain-English explanation, the section it belongs to and the part of the standard it relates to — then a Go-to-section button that scrolls the editor to the exact element and pulses it, and a copy button for peer-review notes. Fixing a finding takes seconds, not a hunt through the document.
Minor issues
RICS Home Survey Standard compliance score
The whole report, on one card
A 0–100 score with an overall grade, count pills for issues, warnings and passes, and the six audit areas each reporting clear or flagged. Every run lands in the report's history, so the next pass has something honest to beat.
Rating consistency
The number must match the words.
Rating-commentary mismatches are among the easiest compliance gaps to miss in your own writing — and among the first things a complaints panel reads. The check holds each rating against its own commentary.
Condition rating 1 — no repair needed
Normal maintenance only. The check flags a rating 1 whose commentary quietly describes defects or urgent repair recommendations — the classic copy-paste inconsistency that undermines the whole rating scheme.
Condition rating 2 — defects needing repair
Not serious, not urgent — but the reader still needs to know what to do. A rating 2 is expected to include repair guidance; commentary that names the defect but stops there is flagged, as is a "2" whose language actually describes something serious.
Condition rating 3 — serious or urgent
The strictest bar: a rating 3 must describe the defect and include remedial guidance. A bare "requires attention" against a serious defect is exactly the kind of thin commentary the audit surfaces before a reader does.
Not inspected — say why
An NI without an explanation reads as an omission. The check confirms every not-inspected element states the reason — no access, fitted coverings, height — so the limits of the inspection are on the record.
Firms using a custom rating scale: the check reads the ratings as recorded in your report — the consistency rules apply to whatever scale the report carries.
The red-pen ritual, kept
Draft. Read. Sign.
Good surveyors have always read their own reports back with a red pen before signing. The Standards Check doesn't replace that ritual — it makes the read-through systematic, referenced and thirty seconds long.
1 · The pass
The red pen, systematised
One click runs the same six-way read over every populated section — the read-through you'd do on your best day, on every report.
2 · The fixes
You decide what changes
Go to section, reword, dismiss what doesn't apply. The check briefs; it never edits a word without you.
3 · The signature
Sign with the record behind you
Export the branded PDF knowing a documented pass sits in the report's history — first run to clean run, timestamped.
The boundaries
Three things it will never do.
A compliance tool is only trustworthy if its limits are as clear as its powers.
It never rewrites without you
The check changes nothing in your report — not a word, not a rating. It produces findings; you produce the fixes, by hand or by pointing AI rewrite at a sentence you've chosen. Every character in the signed report is one you put there or approved.
It never gates your sign-off
There is no minimum score to export, no blocked delivery, no forced resolution of findings. The check is advisory by design — you can deliver at any score, and the decision on every finding is recorded as yours.
It never replaces your judgement
The Standards Check is a Home.co.uk product — not endorsed or approved by RICS — applying rules derived from the published Home Survey Standard. It is a second pair of eyes on your report, not the professional who signs it. That's you.
A real-shaped pass
First pass to clean pass in eight minutes.
Priya has just finished the draft of a Level 3 Building Survey on a 1905 end-terrace — Otto drafted it, she's spent half an hour in the editor. Before sign-off, she runs the check.
Score 81 · Minor issues — 1 issue, 2 warnings, 11 passes
Thirty seconds after clicking Run, the sidebar fills. The passes are reassuring — content quality clear across the external and internal elements, safety clear. Three findings want her attention, most serious first.
F4 Heating — rating 3 with no remedial guidance
Her commentary describes a failed boiler heat exchanger — clearly rating 3 — but stops at the defect. On a Level 3, a rating 3 must carry remedial guidance and a timescale. Go to section drops her on F4; she adds the remedy, who should do it and "before occupation".
D1 Chimney stacks — investigation without a why
She'd recommended a further investigation of the flaunching "as access was not possible". The standard is strict here: inaccessibility alone doesn't justify a referral. She rewrites it around what she did observe — displaced flaunching visible from ground level — and what the investigation should establish, when, and by whom.
E2 Ceilings — "I would suggest" slipped through
A first-person construction survived her own read-through — they always do. She swaps it for observational wording, the kind the rest of the report already uses. Copy on the finding drops the suggested fix into her clipboard.
Compliant — she signs and exports
Re-check comes back clean. Both runs now sit in the report's history — first pass, findings, fixes, clean pass, timestamped — and the branded PDF goes to the client. Illustrative walk-through; the workflow is exactly this.
How it compares
Standards Check vs the read-through.
Self-review misses your own habits. A checklist checks presence, not meaning. The check reads the report the way a fresh reviewer would — every time, in seconds.
| Capability | Standards Check | Self read-through |
|---|---|---|
| Time per report | ~30 seconds | 15–30 minutes |
| Reads meaning, not keywords | Yes | Yes — when fresh |
| Catches rating-commentary mismatches | Every element, every run | Sometimes |
| Blind to your writing habits | Yes — it isn't you | No |
| Level-aware (L2 vs L3 rules) | Automatic | If you remember |
| References the standard per finding | Yes | No |
| Jumps you to the fix | Go to section | No |
| Kept current with the standard | Maintained for you | Your CPD |
| Documented, timestamped record | Every run, automatically | None |
Best of both worlds: practices that peer-review keep peer-reviewing — the check clears the mechanical findings first, so the second surveyor spends their time on judgement.
Run history
Every pass, on the record.
Each run is saved against the report the moment it completes: the timestamp, who ran it, the grade, the score, the summary and the full findings list. The most recent twenty runs are kept per report, newest first.
If a question is raised about a delivered report months later, you can show a documented QA step was completed before signature — what the first pass found, what changed, and the clean pass you signed against. For sole traders without a peer-review colleague, it's a documented first line of QA; for practices, it slots straight into the quality-management evidence professional indemnity insurers ask about. A record of diligence — not a shield, and never a substitute for the judgement it documents.
- ●Timestamp and the name of who ran the check
- ●Grade, score, summary and every finding — passes included
- ●Last 20 runs kept per report, newest first
- ●Private to your firm's account
Who runs it
A different kind of colleague, for every kind of firm.
Practice principals
The principal signs the firm's name to reports they didn't write. A consistent, documented pass on each one — same rules for every surveyor on the team — is quality management that runs itself, with a run history to show for it.
Sole traders
No colleague to hand the draft to? This is the second pair of eyes — a systematic read of every section against the standard, plus a documented record that the read happened. First-line QA without a payroll.
Level 3 specialists
Building Surveys carry the standard's fullest requirements — causes, options, timescales, prioritisation, uninspected-area risks. The check grades against the Level 3 rule set automatically, where thin commentary costs most.
High-volume panel surveyors
When the diary is full, the read-through is the first thing squeezed. A thirty-second pass keeps QA constant at volume — the tenth report of the week gets the same scrutiny as the first.
APC candidates
Running the check on every training report builds the habit of writing to the standard — and a timestamped record of systematic QA across the case-study period that supervisors and assessors can actually see.
Where it lives
Built into the editor. Last in the chain.
The Standards Check is the final quality step of a workflow that starts at the front gate: dictate on site, let Otto route and draft, edit, then check — all in one account.
Otto — AI report writer
Drafts the report from your dictation and photos, with a confidence score per field. The Standards Check is the natural next click: Otto drafts, you edit, the check reads it back.
Level 2 Report Writer
The editor the check lives in for HomeBuyer reports — in-place editing, AI rewrite, image gallery, branded PDF export. The Standards Check button sits in its toolbar.
Level 3 Report Writer
Building Surveys get the stricter Level 3 rule set automatically — remedial options, timescales, prioritisation and uninspected-area risks all graded.
Standard Phrases
Pre-approved wording that has already been through the firm's own quality bar — fewer findings per pass, because the language starts compliant.
Style Profile
Your firm's voice, injected into every draft. Deliberately separate from the check: style shapes how it's written, the Standards Check grades whether it complies.
Performance Analytics
The speed signal beside the quality signal — turnaround tracked per report. Together: fast and to the standard, with the records to prove both.
From 1 August 2026, writing reports on our tech is lever ③ of the rate ladder — and the Standards Check is part of that same editor, so the workflow that improves your rate is the one that quality-checks your reports. See the full maths on the rate ladder on the Join page.
Getting started
Your first pass is four clicks away.
No installation, no setup, no checklist to configure. If you have a report in the editor, you have the Standards Check.
Most RICS-regulated firms are already listed on Home.co.uk — claim yours free. The report editor and the Standards Check come with it.
Level 2 or Level 3, mid-draft or finished — the check reads whatever is populated when you run it.
One button in the editor toolbar. About 30 seconds later: score, grade, and findings grouped by audit area — passes included.
Go to section, make your edits, re-check until you're satisfied. Every run lands in the history. Then sign and export as usual.
FAQ
Common questions about the Standards Check
What it checks
What does the RICS Standards Check actually check?
It reads every populated section of your report — the commentary, the condition ratings and the photo captions — and audits the whole document across six areas mapped to the RICS Home Survey Standard: content quality (property-specific, factual, balanced, plain English), rating consistency (does each rating match the language of its commentary?), level requirements (does each section carry the depth your survey level demands?), further investigations (justified and specific?), safety risks, and language and professionalism. Findings come back graded as issues, warnings and passes, each with its section code and a reference to the relevant part of the standard.
Which edition of the RICS standard does it check against?
The RICS Home Survey Standard, 1st edition — published November 2019 and effective from 1 March 2021. The audit rules are maintained by Home.co.uk against that published standard, so there is no checklist for you to keep up to date.
Does it work on Level 2 and Level 3 reports?
Yes, and the rules differ by level. A Level 3 Building Survey is graded on the standard's fuller requirements: construction form and materials described in detail, probable causes of defects stated, remedial options outlined with the consequences of not repairing, a proposed timescale for the work, future maintenance discussed, risks in uninspected areas identified, and issues prioritised. A Level 2 is graded on describing material defects and the risk of hidden defects, broadly outlining remedial work — what, who and when — explaining the implications of not acting, and staying short, clear and jargon-free.
How does it check condition ratings against my commentary?
Each rating is read alongside its own commentary. A condition rating 1 should not sit above text describing serious defects or urgent repairs. A rating 2 is expected to include repair guidance. A rating 3 must describe the defect and include remedial guidance. An NI (not inspected) entry must explain why. Any mismatch between the number and the words is flagged.
Does the check read my photo captions too?
Yes. When the check gathers each section it takes the commentary, the condition rating and the captions of the photographs attached to that element — so the audit sees the same evidence your reader will. Captions written by Image AI are included like any other.
Does it check for safety risks?
Yes. One of the six audit areas covers the standard's requirement to describe matters presenting a safety risk to occupants — with common hazards including asbestos, fire safety, falls, electrics, gas, lead and radon. Sections describing a hazard without addressing the risk are flagged.
Findings & the score
What do issues, warnings and passes mean?
Issues are potential breaches of the standard's mandatory requirements — the things to fix before sign-off. Warnings are best-practice gaps worth a look. Passes are sections the audit found well written: the check deliberately reports what is done well, not only what is wrong, so the review reads balanced. Findings are grouped by audit area with the most serious first.
What is the compliance score — and is there a minimum to export?
Every run returns a 0–100 score and an overall grade: Compliant, Minor issues or Issues found. There is no minimum score to export the PDF — the check is advisory and never gates delivery. The score helps you prioritise and gives successive runs a comparable measure; what matters is that you have reviewed each finding and made a professional judgement on it.
What does the "Go to section" button do?
Every finding tied to a section carries one. Click it and the editor scrolls straight to that element and pulses a highlight around it, so you land exactly where the fix is needed — no scrolling through a forty-page report hunting for D3. There is also a copy button per finding for pasting into notes or a peer-review thread.
Does it tell me what I've done well?
Yes. Alongside issues and warnings, the check returns passes — sections where the audit found the standard's requirements clearly met. A strong report gets told it is strong, rather than receiving an empty list and no reassurance.
What if I disagree with a finding?
You are never forced to act on one. The check is advisory: if a finding does not apply to the property in front of you, leave it, and note your reasoning in the section if you wish. The run history records that the check was completed; whether and how you address each finding remains your professional judgement.
In the workflow
Where do I find the Standards Check?
It is built into the Home.co.uk editable report editor — the same editor used by the Level 2 and Level 3 report writers. Click the Standards Check button in the report toolbar and the panel opens as a sidebar over your report. No separate tool, no tab-switching, no copy-paste.
Can it block a report from being signed off?
No. The check never gates sign-off or export. You remain the surveyor of record and the final signature is yours. Many surveyors run it as the last step before exporting the branded PDF, but that is a workflow choice, not an enforced gate.
Can I run it on a partially completed report?
Yes. The check analyses whatever sections are populated at the moment you run it — empty sections are simply not sent, so a partial draft gets a fair partial audit rather than a wall of "missing" noise. A common pattern is a mid-draft pass to catch rating mismatches early, then a final pass before sign-off.
How is this different from AI rewrite inside the editor?
AI rewrite changes the wording of one block of text at your request. The Standards Check changes nothing — it reads the whole report and returns a graded findings list. Use rewrite to fix a sentence; use the check to find out which sentences need fixing. They sit in the same editor and work well in sequence.
Does the Standards Check use my style profile?
No, deliberately. Your firm's style profile shapes how Otto and AI rewrite draft text in your voice. The Standards Check applies a single, style-agnostic compliance bar — the same rules for every firm — so its verdicts measure the report against the standard, not against taste.
Can I check a report drafted outside Home.co.uk?
Not directly — the check reads the live content of a Home.co.uk report. If you have drafted in Word or another tool, paste the content into the matching sections of the report editor and run the check there.
History, privacy & pricing
Is there a run history?
Yes. Every run is saved against the report with a timestamp, who ran it, the overall grade, the score, the summary and the full findings list. The most recent twenty runs are kept per report, newest first — enough to show a report's journey from first pass to clean pass several times over.
Does the run history help with professional indemnity or complaints?
It gives you a timestamped record that a documented QA step was completed before sign-off — when it ran, what it found, and the score you signed against. For sole traders without a peer-review colleague, that is a practical, documented first line of QA; for practices, it slots into the quality-management evidence professional indemnity insurers and RICS firm processes ask about. It is a record of diligence, not a guarantee against claims.
Is the RICS Standards Check endorsed or approved by RICS?
No. It is a Home.co.uk product, not an official RICS product, and is not endorsed or approved by RICS. Its audit rules are derived from the published RICS Home Survey Standard, 1st edition, which is available to all practitioners. It helps you produce reports consistent with the standard — it does not substitute for your own professional judgement or for reading the standard itself.
Is my report content kept private?
Yes. The check runs server-side through Home.co.uk's surveyor AI infrastructure under the same terms as Otto auto-mode: your report content is processed to produce the findings and is not shared with other firms or used to train AI systems. Run history is private to your firm's account.
What does the Standards Check cost?
There is no separate subscription — the Standards Check is part of the report editor that comes with every verified Home.co.uk surveyor listing. Like Otto report runs, checks are metered pay-as-you-go, so you only pay when you actually run one. Claim your listing to get access.
How long does a pass take?
A whole-report pass typically completes in about 30 seconds, depending on how much of the report is populated. At that speed, running it twice — once mid-draft and once before sign-off — adds under a minute to the job.
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