Skip to content
Knotweed Removal UKSpecialist introductions
Menu

RICS Japanese knotweed category checker

Answer up to three questions to see which management category a RICS surveyor is likely to assign, and what it means for a sale, purchase or remortgage.
Where have you seen the knotweed?

Question 1

Where have you seen the knotweed?

Knotweed along a boundary, in a boundary hedge, or affecting a boundary wall counts as on the property.

How surveyors categorise knotweed

RICS surveyors in the UK follow the professional standard Japanese knotweed and residential property, which took effect on 23 March 2022. It replaced the old “7 metre rule” with a decision tree based on what the knotweed is actually doing.

The first question is whether the knotweed is on the property or next door. Knotweed along a boundary or in a boundary hedge counts as on the property. After that, the category depends on visible damage, the effect on outdoor space, and, for neighbouring land, whether it's within 3 m of the boundary.

The categories mainly guide advice to mortgage lenders, and the standard is clear that surveyors must use professional judgement. Treat this checker as a guide to the likely outcome, not a substitute for a survey.

Frequently asked questions

What are the RICS Japanese knotweed categories?

Since 23 March 2022, RICS surveyors use four management categories. A: knotweed on the property causing visible damage to a structure. B: on the property, not causing damage but likely to restrict use of outdoor space. C: on the property with neither effect. D: not on the property but visible on neighbouring land within 3 m of the boundary.

What happened to the 7 metre rule?

The 2012 RICS information paper used distances of 7 m from buildings and boundaries. The current standard dropped that test. It focuses on actual damage and impact on amenity, and only uses a distance (3 m beyond the boundary) for knotweed on neighbouring land.

Will my mortgage lender accept a property with knotweed?

Each lender sets its own policy for each category. RICS expects most lenders to want a specialist inspection and a management plan with an insurance-backed guarantee for categories A and B, and says no retention should normally be needed for C or D. Check with your lender or broker.

What if the surveyor couldn't see the whole garden?

There's no separate category for areas that couldn't be inspected. Surveyors are expected to look from within the site, from upper floors and from public areas where reasonably possible, and to note when their view was restricted.

Sources

  1. Japanese knotweed and residential property, 1st edition (effective 23 March 2022), RICS
  2. Japanese knotweed and residential property (PDF, October 2022 reissue), RICS
  3. Japanese Knotweed: Guidance for Professional Valuers and Surveyors (December 2022), Property Care Association

Other tools

Photo check

Upload a photograph for an indicative assessment of whether the plant could be Japanese knotweed.

Check a photo

Cost guide

Indicative prices for treatment, excavation and root barriers, based on Property Care Association figures.

View guideline costs

Arrange a specialist survey

Tell us about the property and up to three Property Care Association members in your area will be in touch.

Find a specialist