Guidance

Registered building inspectors: professional misconduct and criminal offences

What happens when the Building Safety Regulator investigates a registered building inspector.

Applies to England and Wales

Investigations

If you鈥檙e a registered building inspector (RBI), the Building Safety Regulator (BSR) can investigate you when there are concerns you have:

  • not met the standards of conduct and practice expected of an聽RBI
  • done something which is likely to bring the profession into disrepute
  • contravened the RBI code of conduct for England or Wales
  • committed a聽criminal offence聽under the Building Act 1984 or the Building Safety Act 2022

Investigations can be started following concerns raised by:

  • BSR
  • local authorities
  • 辞迟丑别谤听RBIs
  • registered building control approvers
  • industry
  • members of the public
  • other regulators or bodies

Starting an investigation聽聽

滨蹿听BSR聽decides to start an investigation, they:鈥�

  • will tell you that you are under investigation and what it is about
  • may tell you to supply information relevant to the investigation

You can read guidance about the聽investigation of building control professionals, it tells you how聽BSR聽plans, conducts and concludes investigations.

During an investigation: interim suspension聽聽

During an investigation, BSR can suspend you for up to 3 months if they decide the concerns raised about your professional conduct:

  • may be true
  • could lead to the cancellation of your registration if they were proven to be true

You must not carry out restricted activities while you are suspended.

You can appeal against an interim suspension. Information about how to appeal will be provided with the decision letter or email.

After an investigation聽聽

BSR聽will tell you the outcome of the investigation, which can be that:

  • no further action is needed
  • you are given advice
  • you are given actions to fix the issues identified
  • the case is referred for a sanction decision
  • the case is referred to decide if you should be prosecuted

Sanctions for professional misconduct

When the case is referred for a sanction decision,聽BSR聽will send you the disciplinary and sanctions procedure they follow to decide:

  • if you have committed professional misconduct
  • which sanctions to apply

滨蹿听BSR聽decides that you have committed professional misconduct, they can:

  • decide not to apply any sanctions
  • issue you with a financial penalty
  • vary your registration
  • suspend your registration
  • cancel your registration

BSR聽can apply one or more sanctions at once. If you do not comply with any sanction, further enforcement action may be taken.

You can appeal against any sanctions applied by聽BSR. Information about how to appeal will be provided with the decision letter or email.

Financial penalties聽

BSR聽can decide to issue you with a financial penalty of up to 拢10,000. In some serious cases, the financial penalty may be more than 拢10,000.

Failure to pay a financial penalty may result in:

  • further enforcement action
  • court proceedings to recover any outstanding debt

Variation of registration

BSR聽can put limits or conditions on the work you are allowed to do as an聽RBI. The variation will be recorded on the聽RBI听谤别驳颈蝉迟别谤.

Suspension of registration

BSR聽can suspend you from the register for up to 2 years. The suspension will be recorded on the聽RBI听谤别驳颈蝉迟别谤.

You must not carry out restricted activities while you are suspended.

Cancellation of registration聽聽

BSR聽can cancel your registration and remove you from the聽RBI听谤别驳颈蝉迟别谤. You must not carry out restricted activities when your registration is cancelled.

Criminal offences

Criminal offences include:

  • giving advice or acting outside the scope of your registration
  • deliberately doing anything that implies work is within scope of your registration, when it is not
  • acting as or implying that you are an聽RBI, without being registered
  • obstructing, deceiving or impersonating an authorised聽BSR听辞蹿蹿颈肠别谤
  • giving false or misleading information to聽BSR
  • failing to provide information as requested by an authorised聽BSR听辞蹿蹿颈肠别谤

If your registration is suspended it is a criminal offence to:

  • carry out restricted activities
  • give advice relating to restricted activities
  • deliberately do anything to imply your registration is not suspended

If there is evidence you have committed a criminal offence, you may be prosecuted.

Updates to this page

Published 21 October 2024
Last updated 19 March 2025 show all updates
  1. Welsh translation added.

  2. First published.

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