The Rules Roundup provides a monthly accounting of RMLS rules violations and courtesy notifications. Our Data Accuracy team manages all reports of property listing errors, tracking 34 specific issues outlined in the RMLS Rules and Regulations, and is responsible for addressing subscriber questions and concerns regarding listing accuracy.
HIGHLIGHTS
One of the most common listing violations concerns missing school information. Elementary and High School are both required fields, so selecting “other” when entering a listing will result in a violation notice. Let’s talk about why listings are entered without school names and how to prevent that.
The number one reason this field is left blank is because the appropriate school did not show up on the drop-down list. School names populate on the drop-down list based on the area number that is selected.
If you do not see the correct school’s name, first verify that your area number is correct. Here are a few key tips that will make finding your area number a breeze and help you find the school you are looking for.
1. 
You can find maps labeled with commonly used area numbers and maps here: Toolkit > Forms and Documents > All Documents > 1200-1299 Property Listing Menu > 1200-1209 Area Maps and Lists.
2. You can also use the Map Search to find the Area number:
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- From the menu bar select Search > Map Search.
- In the Locate field on the right, above the map, enter the address and click Go.
- Verify the pin is in the correct location.
- At the top left, click the Layers button and turn on the Area layer. This will display the area numbers on the map. (You may need to zoom out a bit to get them to show)
- From the menu bar select Search > Map Search.
3. If you have verified that your area number is correct and the school is still not showing, check with the school district to verify that the school is still open and hasn’t changed names recently. Also ensure that the school in question is a public school and not a private school – private schools are not included in RMLSweb.
4. Lastly, you can always contact rules@rmls.com to inquire about schools or let us know of any school information changes.
FORMAL VIOLATIONS
The RMLS Rules and Regulations Committee reviews all formal complaints which allege a violation of the RMLS Rules and Regulations. The committee has the power to impose sanctions.
The committee did not review any cases in July 2022.
INFORMAL VIOLATIONS
Listings missing Tax ID information are consistently the top informal violation within RMLSweb. Sometimes the missing tax information is due to an error of omission. Other times, it may be because the listing is a new construction property that does not yet have a tax ID number available. Data Accuracy sends courtesy notices out to remind agents of the need to provide the tax information (when available).
The chart below shows the next three most frequent informal violations from July 2022.
This pie chart shows the remainder of the informal violations last month.
Data Accuracy Department Statistics
- Listings Reviewed: 21,179
- Notices Sent: 2,782
- Violation Notices Received: 418
- Courtesy Notices Sent: 2,044
- Phone Calls Received: 447
How to Report Violations
Subscribers have multiple options to report violations, including a Report Issue button on every RMLSweb listing. Subscribers can email our Data Accuracy team at dataaccuracy@rmls.com or call them at 503.395.1916. When there are increases in specific violation types, we sometimes place notifications on RMLSweb.