Test mode: payments are simulated until Stripe is connected. No money moves.

Code of Conduct

CODE OF CONDUCT The Home Staging Association (the “Association” or “HSA”) has adopted this Code of Conduct as the standard of ethical behaviour expected of everyone who holds a subscribing membership (“Members”). It exists to protect professional standards, the Members of the Association, the businesses and clients they work with, and the wider home staging community. Members are required to run their business in a professional, lawful and ethical manner. Members are expected to act with integrity and respect towards everyone they deal with, including clients, suppliers, colleagues, business partners, fellow Members and the Association itself, and to set an example of the standard the Association stands for. By joining or renewing a membership, every Member confirms that they have read, understood and agreed to this Code of Conduct and to the Association’s Terms and Conditions, and agrees to comply with both for as long as they remain a Member. Members are responsible for making sure that their own directors, partners, employees and representatives also comply. WHAT WE EXPECT Being Professional • Honour all business contracts, agreements and commitments, in full and on time. • Only accept professional responsibilities that you are fully qualified to perform. • Be professional, honest and truthful in all business-related interactions. • Respect existing business relationships between a client and any other Member, and do not interfere with them. • Communicate courteously and respond within a reasonable time to clients, suppliers and fellow Members. Financial and Contractual Integrity • Pay what you owe, when you owe it. This includes invoices, fees, commissions, referral fees, revenue shares and any other sum due to the Association, to its directors or officers, to other Members, to suppliers, to contractors, to clients, or to any other business or person you deal with. • Honour commission, referral and partnership agreements, whether they are written or agreed verbally or by message. • Where there is a genuine dispute about a payment, raise it promptly and in good faith, and work to resolve it in a fair and timely way. A dispute is not a reason to ignore a debt that is clearly due. • Handle client money, deposits and supplier payments responsibly and transparently. Interacting with Integrity • Do not endorse an individual known to be unqualified. • Do not engage in any form of misleading advertising, or misrepresent your qualifications, experience, awards, results, reviews or membership of the Association. • Do not make false accusations about another Member or their business, or cause injury to their reputation. • Come forward if it comes to your knowledge that another Member is performing, or has performed, misconduct. • Do not take part in any breach of professionalism or of any Association policy among your peers. • Act in a way that reflects positively on the Association and the profession at all times. Lawful and Fair Conduct in Your Business • Run your business lawfully and in line with its governing documents, including company law, partnership and shareholder agreements and articles of association. • Treat your co-directors, partners, shareholders, employees and contractors fairly. Decisions affecting them, including removing a director, partner or shareholder, or excluding them from the business, must follow the correct legal and governance process. • Comply with applicable laws and regulations, including consumer protection, employment, tax, data protection, and health and safety law. Respect for Others • Treat everyone with courtesy and respect, in person, online, in the Association’s community spaces and on social media. • Do not discriminate against, harass, bully, intimidate or threaten any person. • Be fair to suppliers and subcontractors and honour the terms agreed with them. Intellectual Property • Images, text and materials taken from the Association’s website, platform or resources may only be used with the Association’s written permission and with credit given. • All portfolio and marketing images you use must belong to you, or you must have the express written permission of the homeowner and/or the photographer or copyright holder. • Do not take credit for any work other than your own. Confidentiality and Protection of Association Content • All content on the Association’s website, platform and membership area is for active Members only. This includes courses, lessons, videos, recordings, PDFs, templates, guides, forum and community discussions, directory information and member-only communications. • Do not copy, reproduce, download for sharing, screenshot, record, distribute, resell, republish, translate or adapt that content, in whole or in part, in any format, without the Association’s prior written permission. • Do not share your login with anyone, or give anyone access to member-only content. • Do not upload Association content to AI tools or datasets, or use it to create, train or promote competing courses, memberships or communities. • Do not sell, share or make available member-only information, member lists or contact details to any third party, including for mailing lists or electronic lists. • Keep confidential anything shared with you in confidence by other Members or by the Association. Health, Safety and Insurance • Apply health and safety regulations in your business and hold all insurances required for the services you provide. Working with Ethics Members agree to adhere to the ethics standards set by their training organisation and/or company, and to be committed to truthfulness, fairness, honourability and originality. WHAT WILL NOT BE TOLERATED The following conduct is a breach of this Code of Conduct. This list is illustrative and not exhaustive. Conduct that is not listed, but that in the Board’s view is unethical, unfair or harmful to the Association, its Members or the public, is also a breach. • Failing to pay money that is due to the Association, to its directors or officers, to other Members, to suppliers, to contractors or to clients, or failing to honour commissions, referral fees or contractual commitments. • Acting dishonestly, deceptively or in bad faith in any business dealing. • Removing, excluding or sidelining a director, partner, shareholder or co-owner of a business by unlawful means or without following the proper legal or governance process (for example, without holding a properly convened board or shareholder meeting where one is required). • Misleading or defrauding clients, suppliers, Members or the Association, or making false claims about qualifications, results or membership. • Defaming, harassing, bullying or intimidating any person, or spreading false or damaging statements about another Member, a supplier, a client or the Association. • Poaching, or interfering with, another Member’s clients, suppliers, staff or contracts by improper means. • Copying, sharing, selling or republishing Association content, or giving non-members access to member-only material. • Using the Association’s name, logo or membership to mislead, or after membership has ended. • Spamming, soliciting or advertising in the Association’s community spaces without permission. • Bringing the Association, its Members or the profession into disrepute, whether in business, in private life where it becomes publicly connected with the profession, or online. • Failing to cooperate with a review under this Code of Conduct, or knowingly giving false information during one. • Attempting to rejoin, or to take part in the Association through another company, person or account, after being removed, declined or refused renewal. CONCERNS, REVIEW AND DECISIONS Anyone who has a concern about a Member’s conduct is encouraged to report it in writing to the Association. All concerns are treated confidentially. Members are urged to keep confidential all matters discussed, in order to protect the reputations of everyone involved. The Board of Directors of the Association (the “Board”) is responsible for applying this Code of Conduct. The Board may look into any matter that comes to its attention, whether or not a formal complaint has been made, and may ask Members to respond in writing within a reasonable period, normally fourteen (14) days. Members are expected to cooperate. Failure to respond will result in the immediate suspension of membership benefits for a minimum of thirty (30) days. The Board’s decisions are made at its sole discretion. The Board does not need to prove a breach to a legal or evidential standard, is not required to hold a hearing or to disclose its evidence or sources, and may take into account any information it considers reliable. The Board will act in good faith and in the interests of the Association and its Members. The Board’s decision is final. Depending on the circumstances, action may include: • an informal reprimand; • a formal reprimand with warning; • suspension of membership and benefits for a set period; • removal of directory listings, content or community access; • termination of membership with immediate effect; • a decision not to renew a membership; and/or • refusal of any future application to join or rejoin, which may be permanent. Fees are not refunded where the Association takes action under this Code of Conduct. All inquiries remain confidential, and the Association will not normally give reasons for its decisions to anyone other than the Member concerned. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS Members must tell the Association promptly if any lawsuit, court claim, arbitration, regulatory or disciplinary action, insolvency proceeding or criminal charge is brought, or formally threatened, against them or their business, or against any of their directors or owners in connection with the business. If there is any such proceeding against a Member, the Association reserves the right to pause (suspend) the Member’s membership, including access to the Platform, content, community and directory listing, until the matter is resolved. The Board decides this at its sole discretion and does not need to wait for a verdict or judge the merits. A pause is not a finding of wrongdoing. During a pause the membership term is not extended and no fee is refunded or credited. Once the matter is resolved, the Board may reinstate the membership, or take any action described in this Code of Conduct, depending on the outcome and on the Member’s conduct. RIGHT TO DECLINE, NOT RENEW AND REFUSE RE-ADMISSION Membership is a privilege, not a right. The Association may, at its sole discretion and at any time, decline an application, suspend or end a membership, decide not to renew a membership, or refuse a Member who has left, been removed or let their membership lapse the opportunity to rejoin. The Association does not have to give a reason for doing so. This applies equally to a business, its directors, owners and associated companies. NON-COMPETE For a period of twelve (12) months following a Member’s removal or resignation from the Association (the “Restricted Period”), the Member shall not, directly or indirectly, in any manner whatsoever: (i) engage in any capacity with any business that competes with the Association’s line of business (including membership, education and community services for home staging professionals) for the Member’s own benefit or for the benefit of any person or entity other than the Association; or (ii) have any interest as owner, sole proprietor, shareholder, partner, lender, director, officer, manager, employee, consultant, agent or otherwise in any entity competing with the Association. In addition, during the Restricted Period the Member shall not develop any property for use in the Association on behalf of any person or entity other than the Association, and shall not solicit the Association’s Members, suppliers or partners away from the Association. Nothing in this section prevents a Member from continuing to operate their own home staging business and to provide home staging services to clients.