Guides › Home Improvements and Traders › New-Build Home Defects: The New Homes Ombudsman
New-Build Home Defects: The New Homes Ombudsman
If you have problems with a new-build home, start with the developer's after-sales complaints process. For defects under warranty, contact the warranty provider. If you are still unhappy and the developer is registered with the New Homes Quality Board, you can complain to the New Homes Ombudsman Service.
At a Glance
Your Rights
What the rules say, with a link to the official source for each.
Complaining About a New Home
The Route
Follow your developer's after-sales complaints process (you should have been given it when you moved in). If you are unhappy and the developer is registered with the NHQB, raise it with the New Homes Ombudsman Service. You may be protected by the Code if you reserved your home after the developer's activation date. If the developer is not registered, complain through the relevant consumer code provider. For defects under warranty, contact your warranty provider. source
Time Limits to Know
Miss a deadline and you can lose a right. Check the dates on your own paperwork.
- Developer firstComplain to the developerUsing its after-sales process
Steps to Take
Step 1 of 5
List every defect with photos and dates.
Step 2 of 5
Report them through the developer's after-sales process. Our free letter templates can write it for you.
Step 3 of 5
Check your warranty and contact the warranty provider for covered defects.
Step 4 of 5
Check whether the developer is registered with the NHQB.
Step 5 of 5
If unresolved, complain to the New Homes Ombudsman Service.
(Tap the numbers to reveal steps)
Where to Go If It Is Not Put Right
Your options, in order, and when each one applies.
The Developer
After-sales complaints process first.
Warranty Provider
For defects under warranty.
New Homes Ombudsman Service
If the developer is registered with the NHQB.
Good to Know
Small things that make your complaint stronger.
Keep your reservation date: it decides whether the New Homes Quality Code covers you.
Want Help?
If you would like one of our team to look at your problem, our initial case review is free. We cannot guarantee any outcome and we do not give legal advice.
Lead reviewer
Luke Marley
Founder and Lead Reviewer
Luke founded CPUK in 2026 after seeing how hard it is for ordinary people to get problems with companies put right. He oversees our guides and checks them against official sources.
Research by Katie Burt, Co-founder and Operations Lead (17 years in the care sector, including managing services for vulnerable adults), and the CPUK Research Team. Researched with AI-assisted research tools, then checked and corrected by our team.
Last checked: 13 October 2026. We are not paid by the companies we write about. Adverts never affect our guidance. Read our editorial policy.
Sources and official links
- nhqb.org.uk/faq/i-have-a-complaint-about-my-developer-new-home-who-should-i-contact Checked 13 October 2026