The introduction of the New Homes Ombudsman (NHO) and New Homes Quality Code has already forced developers to “sharpen their focus on customer care and to ensure that the experience of the customer from the point of initial contact through to move in and thereafter is as positive as it should be” according to its first annual report published this week.
NHO says it has already brought on board 90 developers who account c. 55% of the total number of new homes built in the UK. A further 91 will be onboarded bringing the coverage to closer to 70%.
However, many small and medium developers are not yet signed up and NHO is calling for ministers to make it a legal requirement for all new housing developers to join the scheme. It points to the continued poor quality of house-building as evidence of the need for mandatory membership; especially, NHO suggests, in light of the government’s ambitious house building targets.
While the Building Safety Act made provisions to establish a New Homes Ombudsman Service in 2022 that all housing developers would be required to join, this has not yet been implemented. The ombudsman is currently a voluntary service, established by the New Homes Quality Board, which has already produced a New Homes Quality Code, setting standards for new home builders to meet, including access to the ombudsman service.
A survey of 2,000 UK adults conducted last year by the Chartered Institute of Building revealed that 32% of respondents considered new build housing to be ‘poor-quality,’ while 55% believed that older homes were better quality than new builds. Only 21% felt that new homes were better quality.
Jodi Berg OBE, chair of the New Homes Ombudsman Service, said:
“While we’ve made significant strides in our first year, it is crucial that all homeowners receive equal protection against poor-quality new housing. As the government implements its ambitious house building plans, ensuring all developers join the ombudsman service is essential. Without this, too many people will be left without the help they need.”
One Response
It’s all well and good but some of the new home warranties are not worth the paper they are written on. Some of the new home warranty providers simply do not want to know and how some of these properties are ‘signed off’ is beyond me. If some of these new home warranty supplies refused to sign off properties that were below standard it would go a long way in sorting matters out. I have definitely seen some warranty suppliers attempt to wiggle out of their commitments. Some have previously demanded the Solicitors conveyancing file to try and undermine the Solicitor and pin the blame on them if they reject a claim.