Summary:
The New Homes Quality Board (NHQB) has published its 2025 Impact Report, outlining the organisation’s progress over the past year in raising standards and improving outcomes for new homebuyers, while continuing to support developers in meeting the requirements of the New Homes Quality Code (the Code).
The report highlights another year of growth for the New Homes Quality Code, with nearly 60% of new homes across England, Scotland and Wales now benefitting from its protection. NHQB’s influence within the housing sector continues to expand; in 2025, it was appointed to operate and oversee the Shared Ownership Code. This appointment demonstrates confidence in NHQB’s governance and expertise, marking a significant step towards increased customer protection across all tenures.
Throughout 2025, NHQB continued to strengthen transparency and provide support to both developers and customers. This included publishing the National New Homes Customer Satisfaction Survey results achieved by NHQB-registered developers on the NHQB website, giving consumers greater visibility into developer performance and customer experience.
NHQB also launched a comprehensive guide to buying a new build home, designed to help consumers better understand and navigate the homebuying process. The guide provides practical information on each stage of purchasing a new home, helping customers make informed decisions.
A key focus during the year was the first full review of the New Homes Quality Code, ensuring it remains effective and relevant as customer expectations evolve. Following this review, an updated version of the Code came into effect on 2 March 2026. To support developers through the transition, NHQB delivered a programme of communications, training and guidance to help businesses understand and implement the changes.
In addition, the Code achieved accreditation under the Chartered Trading Standards Institute Approved Code Scheme, reinforcing the strong governance framework behind its operation and the standards expected of registered developers.
Emma Toms, Chief Executive of NHQB, commented: “Our continuing progress and strong momentum in 2025 are a testament to the hard work of our team, whose focus and expertise are deeply appreciated. We would like to thank them all for their commitment.”
Looking ahead, the report sets out NHQB priorities for 2026, including supporting the implementation of the updated Code (which came into effect on 2 March 2026), increasing engagement across the industry, and further strengthening consumer protection in the new homes market.
