More pressure on cowboys as govt unveils homes Ombudsman plan
February 2020

Cowboy installers may soon face even further pressure with the creation of an official government New Homes Ombudsman with statutory powers to award ban rogue developers and make them pay compensation and put right faulty workmanship across all UK domestic new-build.

Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick, announcing the scheme, which will be obligatory on all housing developers, said yesterday: “The Ombudsman will stop rogue developers getting away with shoddy building work and raise the game of housebuilders across the sector.  

“Where people are in dispute with developers, the new Ombudsman will act swiftly and independently to resolve any issues – ending the injustice of people facing long waits and costly court cases trying to sort out problems with their new homes.

“The New Homes Ombudsman will provide a clear route for purchasers of new build homes to complain when things have gone wrong and provide effective redress through alternative dispute resolution, avoiding the need to go to court.
“Where disputes cannot be resolved early, we will ensure the New Homes Ombudsman has the ability to act, so that new build issues are dealt with swiftly and effectively. These include:

• the ability to make awards for compensation to the homebuyer
• requesting developers to undertake or refrain from undertaking work
• directing developers to improve their service
• publishing details and reasons for expulsion of a developer
• ability to make recommendations to resolve disputes and timescales for rectifying disputes
• requesting apologies and explanations from developers”