RICS and CIH Housing Academy pair up on social housing qualification route for surveyors

The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) and the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) Housing Academy are collaborating to help RICS members working in English social housing meet the government's Competence and Conduct Standard.

RICS said on 20 October that UK members will be able to access selected Level 4 and Level 5 top-up modules through the Housing Academy, alongside the full Level 4 Certificate in Housing and Level 5 Diploma in Housing. Separate continuing professional development (CPD) learning is due to be available by December 2026.

Subjects covered include customer focus, housing law and regulation, ethical practice, and leadership and management, according to RICS. Members can find further details by logging into their RICS member accounts.

Mairead Carroll, RICS Specialist (Property), said: "This collaboration gives members practical options as they work with their employers to assess what the Standard means for their role."

Why membership is not enough

The arrangement matters for chartered surveyors because RICS has told its members that professional memberships, including its own, cannot count as specified qualifications under the Standard. In guidance published for members, the institution said some roles may need a level 4 Ofqual-regulated qualification and others a level 5.

RICS said it worked with government and industry stakeholders to secure support for a top-up CPD route to compliance. CIH's top-up units allow holders of partially compliant qualifications to complete additional training modules to cover gaps.

RICS also told members that government expects employers, which it listed as registered social landlords, housing associations and local authorities, to assess whether their workforce will comply. The Regulator of Social Housing's own guidance says it regulates landlords rather than services providers, and that landlords are responsible for meeting the Standard.

The timetable

RICS said in its release that from October 2026 senior housing managers and executives in English social housing must hold, or be working towards, a relevant housing management qualification.

The government's published guidance sets out the position differently. It says the Standard was published on 9 July 2026 and came into effect on 1 October 2026, but that the qualification requirements do not apply until 1 October 2029 for landlords with 1,000 or more social homes, and until 1 October 2030 for landlords with fewer than 1,000 social homes.

RICS and CIH both describe this as a transition period of three years for large providers with 1,000 homes or more and four years for smaller providers. RICS has additionally told its members that new staff in scope will have 12 months to enrol on qualifications; the government guidance read for this article applies a 12-month timeframe to those working towards a partially compliant qualification.

Under the government guidance, a relevant qualification for senior housing managers must be a level 4 qualification regulated by Ofqual, while senior housing executives need a foundation degree or a level 5 qualification regulated by Ofqual.

Kirsty Cooper, Head of the CIH Housing Academy, said: "The transition period following the introduction of the Competence and Conduct Standard provides organisations with a valuable opportunity to prepare."

The qualifications on offer

The CIH Housing Academy is CIH's direct study centre and, according to RICS's release, one of the largest providers of housing qualifications and training in the UK. It offers courses from level two to level five, online or "online plus".

The Academy lists its Level 5 Diploma in Housing as meeting the requirements of the Competence and Conduct Standard. It says the diploma takes about 13 months online or online plus, or as little as eight months on a fast-track route, and is aimed at aspiring professionals, supervisors and managers seeking CIH chartered membership.

Sarah Dunkerley, CIH director of membership and professional development, said the collaboration would support RICS members with the specialist housing knowledge, qualifications and skills needed to meet the Standard.

Background

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government's consultation on the Standard received 366 responses, according to the government's published response.

CIH welcomed the government's confirmation in July 2025 that the Standard would be implemented from October 2026 with a three-year transition period for most providers. Gavin Smart, CIH chief executive, said at the time that the confirmation was an important moment for the housing profession.

The CPD learning offered under the RICS and CIH collaboration is due to be available by December 2026.