We require all members of the SAVA Certification Scheme to operate an appropriate customer complaints policy or to adopt their employer's customer complaint policy. This policy must meet the requirements detailed in the Duties and Responsibilities of Home Inspectors and the Inspection and Reporting Requirements, and when a Home Inspector applies to join the Certification Scheme they must provide a signed declaration that they have this in place. The process must also include a suitable escalation process to the IDRS (Independent Dispute Resolution Service) that can be implemented at the customer's request. There should be no cost to the customer; all costs must be met by the Home Inspector. This process must correspond to the process to be confirmed by Communities and Local Government.

Home Inspectors are required to notify us of the details of all consumer queries or complaints that are received in relation to Home Condition Reports or Energy Performance Certificates that have been produced.

A record of all documentation and correspondence relating to customer queries or complaints (whether resolved or not) must be kept, and these records must be stored in an appropriate manner and be made available to us upon request.

If consumer complaints are received directly by us then the consumer will always be referred on to the Home Inspector except when a potential criminal offence is involved, in which case we will notify the Police.

Should the IDRS require a revisit or re-inspection as part of its review, we will appoint an independent, suitably experienced Home Inspector to undertake this work and submit a report. The costs of this activity will be met by the customer or the Home Inspector as directed by the IDRS.

We will receive monthly reports from the IDRS detailing all the customer complaints that have been referred to it during the month and the final outcome of each one. The Internal Registrar will review these reports and consider whether any disciplinary action is required.

Our Complaints Policy regarding complaints about a Home Inspector can be found here.

Complaints about the SAVA Certification Scheme
We also have our own, publicly accessible, complaints policy for handling complaints from customers or Home Inspectors about our own activities.

Our Complaints Policy can be found here.

SAVA & NHER Registered Members

Home Inspectors: 489
DEAs: 1814

Last updated:
13 March, 2008