‘New homes quality must be policed properly’ warns ombudsman

As Labour limbers up to ‘get Britain building’ The New Homes Ombudsman has warned that buyers need better protection from ‘bodgit builders’ and is calling for its Quality Code to become compulsory.

According to its research 32% of people described new-builds as ‘poor-quality’ whilst 55 per cent said they felt older homes were a better quality than newbuild properties. Just 21 per cent said they felt they were better quality.

The New Homes Ombudsman was established in 2022 to improve quality standards and it was intended to be mandatory for developers to join.

To date, this has not happened and it remains a voluntary service. That said, it has produced a New Homes Quality Code which sets the standards for builders.

The Ombudsman says that 90 of the largest developer groups have now joined the service, covering just over half (55%) of all newbuild homes sold in UK.

A further 91 are in the process of doing so which will bring the coverage up to 65% to 70%. Most small and medium-sized developers however have not yet signed up.

As the Government implements its ambitious house building plans, ensuring all developers join the Ombudsman service is essential.”

As the Government is planning to build 1.5 million new homes over the next five years, the ombudsman is calling for Ministers to make it a legal requirement for all developers to join the scheme.

Jodi Berg OBE, Chair of the New Homes Ombudsman Service (main image), says: “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.”