section 535.228(c)(3) of the standards of practice do require inspectors to report as a deficiency a starter course tab that is not sealed material. trec does not require a pre-inspection or employment contract to be signed by the parties to the inspection. failure to repay a loan constitutes a breach of your private agreement with the license holder and is not a violation of trela or the rules. if it does, trec will ask you to provide a copy of the order of expungment or non-disclosure and upon receipt will not consider that offense in determining a person’s fitness for licensure. a real estate license is not required for an individual employed by a property owner for the purpose of buying or selling real property on behalf of the owner. [trela §1101.558(c)] in addition, the iabs is not generally required when the license holder is acting solely as a principal in the transaction. yes, but if you offer, recommend, or promote the use of a service provider and expect to receive compensation from the service provider when a party uses the service, the ad must disclose that you may receive the compensation. [rule 535.147(d)] it is not a violation of trela or the rules for a license holder to rebate a portion of their compensation to a party in the transaction. it is not a violation of trela or the rules for a license holder to rebate a portion of the license holder’s commission to a party to a real estate transaction. yes, but a locator will be required to first obtain the consent of the apartment complex if the locator does not represent the tenant. [trela §1101.351(c)] thus, a sales agent may not work for a broker who is not the sales agent’s sponsoring broker or work for another broker or out of another broker’s office. a name used in advertising by an associated broker that is not the associated broker’s licensed name must be registered as a team name by the broker he or she is associated with and meet all the requirements for a team name. it is important to remember that there will always be a single intermediary broker even if another license holder has been authorized to make the specific appointments. they are only required to conduct a visual inspection of the property, and buried gas lines are not required to be inspected. accordingly, inspectors are not required to report mere evidence of a past fire or the presence of paint in the attic. if installed and if visible, the installation described in your question is required to be reported as a deficiency. rule 531.20(d) states that providing a link to the iabs form in a footnote or signature block of an email is insufficient. only an active licensed sales agent sponsored by a licensed business entity may make a referral on behalf of the brokerage, and any referral fee must be paid to the sponsoring broker. you may want to call one of the tenant assistance associations for help or contact a private attorney.