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June 17, 2021
5 minute read
New build homeowners may be disappointed with the New Homes Quality Board‘s proposals for a New Homes Quality Code. It claims to ‘address the gaps in existing protections for new build customers for which the house building industry has been so heavily criticised in recent years’.
As well as overseeing the introduction of the new code, the New Homes Quality Board will also appoint a New Homes Ombudsman, being legislated by government to provide independent redress for customers not satisfied with their builder or new home.
At HomeOwners Alliance we have spent years campaigning for better protection for buyers who purchase new-build homes. We welcome the measures proposed in the code. However, we feel it falls far short of what’s really needed to protect home-buyers. We also have concerns over the independence of the New Homes Quality Board and their role to improve the quality of our new build homes.
Some of the key proposals in the new code are:
Some of the other proposals include:
Paula Higgins, Chief Executive of the HomeOwners Alliance says, ‘We have been waiting for these changes since 2016 and the code is a disappointment. It simply doesn’t go far enough.
‘It may look good on paper. But we fear that the scope of the New Homes Ombudsman is going to be very limited. We feel this is a result of the Ombudsman being appointed by the industry-led New Homes Quality Board. We’ve already raised concerns about its independence. We also wrote to the Government about our concerns but haven’t yet received a response.
‘Back in July 2016 , the All Party Parliamentary Group for Excellence in the Built Environment published the excellent More Homes, Fewer Complaints. This was followed up in June 2018 with a report on how a New Homes Ombudsman could help drive up standards in housebuilding and improve consumer rights. And it stated that there should be more onus on housebuilders to “aspire to deliver zero-defect houses”.
‘Sadly, the code falls short – it’s not ambitious enough. Whilst we appreciate this code is at the start of a 4-week public consultation, we predict that there will be little difference between what has been published now and what will be adopted. We urge the New Homes Quality Board to prove us wrong.’
We will continue our campaign to fight to get homebuyers a fair deal. Here is what we want to see in the code:
Some critics have already taken to social media to criticise the code. One wrote, ‘This is NOT a “New Homes Quality Code”. It is a revamped Consumer Code for Home Builders which now includes snagging works and the right for buyers to have their homes inspected before completion’. While others raised questions about its independence. One wrote, ‘Definitely not an independent body acting on behalf of consumers.
So what do you think of the proposed code? Does it go far enough? Or have you encountered problems that would still have occurred or been unresolved under this new code? The Consultation will run until the closing date of 7 July 2021. So you still have time to have your say about the code.
Also, please comment below to let us know what you would like to see in the new Code. This will help inform our response.
March 25, 2025 
