10 Apr 2024

Over 50% of all new homes sold in England, Scotland and Wales now covered by the New Homes Quality Code

The New Homes Quality Board (NHQB) is pleased to announce that more than 50% of all new homes sold in England, Scotland and Wales are now protected by the New Homes Quality Code (NHQC).

Helping to deliver a step change in the quality of new homes and customer service provided by developers, over half of all new home buyers now receive improved customer protection, and the opportunity to raise complaints with the independent New Homes Ombudsman Service.

The Code sets out robust obligations that registered developers need to meet when building and selling new homes.  It covers areas such as sales and marketing, customer service (including an effective after-care service in place to deal with any issues, as well as a robust complaints process that responds to customer concerns in a timely and fair manner), information provision, contracts, and pre-completion inspection checks.  

Once all the developers who have applied with the NHQB complete their registration, over two-thirds of all new homes sold in England, Scotland and Wales will be covered by the Code.

Emma Toms, Chief Executive of the NHQB, said: "On behalf of the NHQB, I would like to thank all developers who have demonstrated their commitment to the Code, to build higher-quality homes and provide a better experience for new home buyers.

“Achieving over 50% coverage of the Code across all new homes built in England, Scotland and Wales is great progress in helping consumers to receive better protection and redress if things go wrong. There is, however, still some way to go to provide total, nationwide coverage, and we look forward to working with more developers and policymakers across the UK to make this a reality for all new home buyers.”