New guide to complaints and disputes launched to help home buyers

Today sees the launch of our new complaints and disputes pack designed to make it easier for home buyers to raise issues effectively.

Developed in partnership with the Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution, our complaints pack contains the information buyers need to help raise complaints with builders and/or disputes via the Code’s Independent Dispute Resolution Scheme (IDRS), including:

• A definition of complaints, disputes and how they are handled
• What to include when raising a complaint with your builder
• Raising a dispute via your home warranty provider
• Raising a dispute via the Code’s IDRS and what to expect

Download your copy of the complaints pack.

With complaints handling being one of the most common Code breaches, we’ve also published a guide to effective complaint handling – the latest in our ‘right first time’ series – to help builders respond well to queries and complaints.

All builders operating under the Code must provide an accessible after-sales service, which includes having – and keeping to – a complaints process to enable issues to be resolved. If builders and buyers are unable resolve issues, consumers can raise a dispute under the Code’s Independent Dispute Resolution Scheme if the issue relates to a breach of the Code. Other forms of redress are available depending on circumstances. The complaints pack describes the different sources of support available for new-build home buyers, and links to our consumer protection overview which covers wider support for second hand homes and services related to home buying.

The new pack coincides with the introduction of a new charge for builders who fail to comply with an adjudicator’s decision within the agreed timeframe. The £5 daily charge, which continues until the adjudicator considers the builder to have complied, is effective from today (1 April 2025) will be piloted for 12 months. Builders will be required to pay the charge to the home buyer in recognition of the additional inconvenience caused.