The long awaited report by the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) into the homebuilding industry to determine whether it is competitive and offers a good service for customers, was published. The housebuilding industry was deemed as “broadly competitive”, with no evidence of housebuilder landbanking. However, the report noted complaints about faults with new homes and delays with customers moving into their new properties. In response, the industry has begun to liaise with the OFT on a new code of conduct to improve customer service. “Our long term focus is on establishing this code,” John Stewart, HBF’s head of economic affairs, stated. “At the same time, the OFT study has a long shelf life. If there are any later criticisms of landbanking, we can just point to the study.”