The government has unveiled its promised New Homes Ombudsman, first touted in 2018 by Savid Javid.
In an announcement bound to raise eyebrows, Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick said that homebuyers who are faced with “shoddy building work” in their new homes will be protected by a new, independent Ombudsman
The New Homes Ombudsman will step in to help homebuyers with issues from sloppy brick work to faulty wiring – and will have statutory powers to award compensation, ban rogue developers from building, and order developers to fix poor building work.
Currently, dissatisfied home owners and tenants have had very little recourse. They face the unhappy choice of approaching the national press or manoeuvring between at least four different services just to work out where to register a complaint.
It is hoped the move will instil more confidence in the new homes industry, which enjoys overwhelmingly positive feedback from the majority of its punters.
New laws will also require all developers to belong to the Ombudsman, giving all homebuyers access to swift redress.
As part of the government’s wider work to raise the standard of homes across the country, new measures have also been confirmed that make sure all homes sold under the future Help to Buy scheme meet higher standards – and ensure developers put quality first.
Housing Secretary Rt Hon Robert Jenrick MP said: “It’s completely unacceptable that so many people struggle to get answers when they find issues with their dream new home.
That’s why the Ombudsman will stop rogue developers getting away with shoddy building work and raise the game of housebuilders across the sector.
“Homebuyers will be able to access help when they need it, so disputes can be resolved faster and people can get the compensation they deserve. Currently, homebuyers who purchase new builds have no independent way of challenging developers’ service or poor workmanship.
“Today’s news will give people buying a new home the confidence they need that when they get the keys to their home, they are getting the quality they expect. This is the latest in a series of policies the government is putting forward to build better homes across the country – including developing a new National Model Design Code; consulting on the Future Homes Standard to tackle climate change; and introducing a new Building Safety Regulator to bring fundamental change to the sector.”
However, industry observers have pointed out that such complaints could be minimised if lawmakers turned their attention to the qualifications of those wearing hardhats.
Brian Berry, Chief Executive of the Federation of Master Builders (FMB) said: “While welcome, the drive towards ensuring quality for the consumer cannot be fully achieved without an industry-wide adoption of a licensing scheme. So long as any company is legally allowed to undertake construction work in the UK without having to demonstrate a minimum level of competence, homeowners will remain at risk from rogue builders and poor service, leading to the sorts of complaints that the New Homes Ombudsman has been established to address.”
Many have viewed the move as a good start, but are quick to point out that more action is needed. Franz Doerr, founder and CEO of flatfair, said: “The government’s move to protect new homeowners is positive, but its attitude needs to be matched across the sector. Too many homeowners and renters are being let down and there needs to be a mechanism in place to protect people whatever type of home they live in. In addition to new government regulations, there should be an embrace of technological solutions that can make the housing industry fairer and more transparent for all.”
PICTURE CREDIT: Stuart.graham
