James Brokenshire
The government has moved a step closer to creating a single New Homes Ombudsman, as it set out plans to bring forward new legislation.
The news came as the government set out its response to a consultation on strengthening redress in the housing market amid concerns that the existing system is “confusing” and “fragmented”.
There are currently four different redress providers available for buyers of new homes: the housing ombudsman, the property ombudsman, ombudsman services and the property redress scheme. The government has proposed a single ombudsman to replace all of them in a bid to ensure buyers’ concerns about defects were dealt with more effectively.
A consultation on the proposals received 1,209 responses from consumers and industry.
The government said those responses provided “clear messages” that redress should be more accessible, improvements need to be made to ‘in house’ complaint handling, and that the gaps that currently exist where consumers cannot access redress should be filled.
Presenting the government’s response to the findings, communities secretary James Brokenshire said: “I want to help plug the gaps in available redress services so that more people can get their housing disputes resolved without going through the courts.
"To that end, I am proposing a New Homes Ombudsman, underpinned by legislation following the establishment of an interim voluntary service, and requiring developers of new build homes to participate. I will also bring forward legislation to require all private landlords, including private providers of purpose-built student housing, and park home site operators to belong to a redress scheme.”
The government said it will now bring forward legislation to underpin a New Homes Ombudsman in statute and will work with industry and consumers prior to legislation.
The concept of a single New Homes Ombudsman has previously won support from the Chartered Institute of Builders (CIOB), which believes it would support consumers, improve build quality and enhance the reputation of the construction industry.
A survey of CIOB members last year found that 84% backed the creation of the post.