Q. What is Charity Property Help ?
A. It is a new scheme designed to give assistance to UK based charities providing them with one hour’s free advice from one of our qualified and regulated member firms. Any further consultancy after the initial free assistance is to be negotiated between the charity and the RICS firm.
This scheme will provide a source of business opportunities in the charity sector and will position RICS as a socially responsible organisation.
The name "Charity Property Help" is based on the successful model that the Law Society established in 1997 called LawWorks. We have used this as it is likely to be understood by many of the charities and voluntary organisation that this scheme is targeting.
Charity
Q. I am from a charity how can Charity Property Help assist me?
A. All charities are able to access this scheme free of charge. To register to use the service please email propertyhelp@rics.org or telephone 0870 333 1600 Monday – Friday between the hours of 8:30 and 17:30
RICS will need to capture your charity details onto our database if this is the first time that you have contacted us. This is so that we are able to ensure an audit trail is in place and that we are able to undertake surveys with the charities that have used the service in order to monitor the effectiveness of the scheme.
If you have contacted us previously regarding assistance from one of our registered companies your details will have already been recorded on our database and RICS will not need to undertake this registration process again.
Once we have captured your details onto our database we will be able to find a suitably qualified firm in the vicinity which is able to assist you further. The advisor will then provide you with the name of the key contact at the company and a method for contacting them, either via telephone or via email.
Once you contact the company they will provide your charity with an initial consultation of one hour. This consultation will be free of charge.
After this consultation has taken place you may negotiate with the firm for any additional advice on a chargeable basis.
Q. What are the benefits to the charity?
A. During the difficult economic climate that we are currently operating in all companies are experiencing increased costs and focus on their operational spending. It is therefore important that as a socially responsible organisation we are offering as much support as possible to charities who are struggling due to decreases in funding created by the recession and its effects on the populations disposable income.
The charity will be able to secure the services of a fully qualified firm of Chartered Surveyors, who will operate with professionalism and integrity, for free. The surveyor will be able to advise the charity on one of the following areas of specialism.
- Repair Disputes
- Disputes with Builders
- Insurance - Advice on dispute Insurance claims
- Grants - help with preparation of information for home improvement grants
- Service Charges
- Landlord and Tenant Disputes
- Planning Issues
- Boundary Disputes
- Rates
- Council Tax
- Environmental Issues
- Leasehold Acquisition
- Rent Reviews
- Dilapidations
- Freehold and Leasehold disposals - Charity Act Requirements
- Property Strategy
- Lease and renewals and tenancies
- Risk and disaster management
- Health & Safety
- DDA
- Project Management
- Service Charges
- Capital Additions
- Office Relocation
- Property Maintenance
Q. What happens after my charity has had an hour's free consultation?
A. All firms that are registered to Charity Property Help have agreed to provide one hour’s free consultation to selected charities in certain geographical locations.
After this consultation has been provided any additional services that are required in regard to the matter must be negotiated with the company and any charges will be agreed at this stage if applicable.
Member
Q. I am a senior member of an RICS regulated firm of surveyors, how can my firm sign up to Charity Property Help?
A. All registrations for Charity Property Help are being undertaken via an on-line registration form which we need to have completed in order to ensure compliance purposes.
On the form is a declaration from a senior member at the firm stating that the information is accurate and that they are happy for the firm to take part in Charity Property Help?
The form is available for you to complete here
Once your details are registered online the form will be sent to RICS for processing. RICS will process through the registration request and contact you by return email within 3 working days, we may contact you sooner if there are any gaps in information that need addressing prior to registering your firm onto the Charity Property Help scheme.
Q. I am a retired member, I would like to sign up to Charity Property Help, can you help me?
A. Unfortunately RICS is not able to allow you to take part in Charity Property Help – the scheme is designed for RICS regulated firms to be able to offer support to charities in the UK and it does not currently extend to un-regulated firms, individual members, retired or otherwise.
This may be something that RICS and its partners look at in the future.
Thank you for your interest in the scheme.
Q. I am a student member and I would like to sign up to Charity Property Help , can you help me?
A. Unfortunately RICS is not able to allow you to take part in Charity Property Help – the scheme is designed for RICS regulated firms to be able to offer support to charities in the UK and it does not currently extend to un-regulated firms, individual members, students or otherwise.
This may be something that RICS and its partners look at in the future.
Thank you for your interest in the scheme.
Q. What are the benefits to my firm?
A. Many charities will require advice on a series of issues relating to the property portfolios that they manage.
As they are receiving one hours free advice from your firm this may lead to an enhanced working relationship with the charity and this could lead to securing additional revenue for your organisation in the future.
Any additional activity outside of the initial consultation must be negotiated between your organisation and the charity concerned.
Q. My company is not regulated by RICS but would like to take part in the scheme, can I join?
As your company is not Regulated by RICS we are not able to allow your company to take part in the scheme.
If you still wish to join the scheme then you will need to become regulated. For more information on this you can visit the Regulations site at: www.rics.org/regulation for further information on becoming RICS regulated.