Building trust in property: A practical guide to DBS Basic checks

Introduction

Women in Property exists to create opportunities, expand knowledge and inspire change for women working across property and construction, championing an industry where success is built on merit and expertise rather than gender.

One of the ways we can all help build a fair, trusted profession is by getting recruitment and vetting right. For many roles, a DBS Basic check can be a sensible, proportionate tool.

A Basic Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check is a straightforward criminal record check that can support better recruitment decisions in a wide range of roles.

This blog from The Disclosure and Barring Service explains what a Basic DBS check is, why they matter in the property sector, who can apply, how the process works, what it costs, and what is disclosed on the certificate.

What is a Basic DBS check and when might you use it?

A Basic DBS check provides information about an individual’s unspent convictions and conditional cautions, as defined by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974.

A DBS check is a record of a person’s criminal convictions and cautions, DBS provides checks for people living or working in England, Wales, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man. Those in Scotland or Northern Ireland usually apply through Disclosure Scotland or AccessNI.

A Basic DBS check is the lowest level of DBS check. It shows details of any unspent convictions and conditional cautions held on the Police National Computer, under the terms of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974.

If a person has no unspent convictions or conditional cautions, the Basic DBS certificate will state that there is “no information held”.

Why Basic DBS checks matter in property

Property and construction are trust heavy environments. Many roles involve access to people’s homes, personal information, money, or lone working. Even when a job is not eligible for a higher-level DBS check, employers and clients still want reassurance that sensible steps have been taken.

A DBS Basic check can support that reassurance, especially for roles such as:

• Lettings and property management staff holding keys, arranging viewings, or entering occupied homes
• Facilities, concierge, caretaking and security roles in residential blocks and mixed use sites
• Maintenance and repairs teams attending call outs in lived-in properties
• Customer facing roles handling sensitive data (tenant details, ID documents, financial information)
• Supplier and contractor onboarding, where you want a consistent baseline check across a supply chain

For women working in property, Basic checks can also support the wider culture we are building: clear standards, safer workplaces, and professionalism that is consistent and fair. Used properly, they help organisations manage risk without creating unnecessary barriers for applicants.

Who can get a Basic DBS check?

DBS checks are very flexible.

• anyone aged 16 or over can apply for a Basic DBS check for themselves
• a Basic check can be used for any role or purpose - there is no legislative eligibility test for this level of check, unlike Standard and Enhanced checks
• a Basic DBS check can be obtained by people living or looking to live and work in England and Wales – including the Isle of Man and Channel Islands

This means employers can build Basic DBS checks into their recruitment process wherever they feel it is appropriate and proportionate. For example, roles that involve handling sensitive information, access to money or stock, visiting customers in their homes or working in positions of trust.

How do you apply for a Basic DBS check?

There are 2 main routes.

1. Individuals applying for themselves
   Individuals can apply directly to DBS using the online Basic DBS application route on GOV.UK. To use this service, applicants will typically need:

• a GOV.UK One Login account (or they can create one as part of the process).
• address history for the last 5 years, including the dates they lived at each address.
• identity documents, such as a passport or driving licence, and a National Insurance number if they have one.

Once the application is submitted and paid for, DBS processes the check and issues an online certificate. Paper certificates can be sent to any address specified by the applicant, including to a 3rd party.

2. Employers requesting checks for staff
   Employers can:

• ask applicants to apply for their own Basic DBS check and then share the result.
• use a Responsible Organisation – an organisation registered with DBS to submit large numbers of Basic checks on behalf of employers – to apply with the applicant’s consent.

Responsible Organisations may charge an additional administration fee for managing the process.

How much does a Basic DBS check cost?

A Basic DBS check currently costs £21.50 for all applicants, including volunteers. Payment can be made online using a debit or credit card, or digital wallets such as Apple Pay or Google Pay. Applicants can pay during the application or choose to pay later, for example if an employer is covering the cost via the payment link sent by email. Where employers use a Responsible Organisation, that organisation may charge an extra administration fee on top of the DBS fee.

How long does a Basic DBS check take?

Basic DBS checks are designed to be quick.

• on average, it takes around 3 days to process a Basic DBS application, although it can sometimes take longer
• recent DBS data shows that 88% of Basic DBS checks are completed within 48 hours
• employers are advised to allow up to around 14 days in case additional checks are needed

Once the check is complete, applicants who applied online and do not have conviction information can also view their result online and share it using a secure share code.

What information appears on a Basic DBS certificate?

A Basic DBS certificate will show:

• details of any unspent convictions
• details of any unspent conditional cautions

These are defined by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. The Act sets out how long different sentences take to become “spent”, which is known as the rehabilitation period. Once a conviction is spent, it is not disclosed on a Basic DBS check.

Some more serious offences never become spent. For example, certain serious violent, sexual or terrorism offences listed in Schedule 18 of the Sentencing Act 2020, and sentences given specifically for the protection of the public, will always be disclosed on a Basic DBS certificate.

If there are no unspent convictions or conditional cautions, the certificate will clearly state that there is no information held.

For full guidance on Basic DBS checks, including the online application route and detailed employer information, visit the DBS pages on GOV.UK. For more information on Basic DBS Checks, please see our detailed guide here.