The Dispute Service approved to operate New Homes Ombudsman

The Ombudsman Association has approved the joint application by the New Homes Quality Board and The Dispute Service to operate a New Homes Ombudsman service.

The independent NHOS is a key part of the NHQB’s plans to deliver a step change in the quality and customer service provided by housebuilders and the decision paves the way for its introduction over the coming months.

The NHQB selected The Dispute Service as its preferred partner to establish a NHOS last autumn. Since then, The Dispute Service has been striving to get the NHOS ready to launch including working with the NHQB to get approval from the OA for the new body.

The OA process required the applicant to meet a detailed set of requirements around independence, fairness, effectiveness, openness, and accountability. Following approval, the NHQB has contracted with The Dispute Service and the final preparations are being made to enable the NHOS to go live. It is expected that the first builders will start to come under the remit of the NHOS later this year.

The announcement follows the introduction of a new industry code of practice, the New Homes Quality Code, that puts considerably greater responsibility on developers, which was …