Consumer Code for Home Builders
ABOUT THE CODE:
The Consumer Code and the associated builder guidance are the result of over 18 months work to develop a code and a redress scheme, together with the administrative support required to run it.
The Consumer Code was formed by agreement between NHBC and MD Insurance Services Ltd (trading as Premier Guarantee and LABC New Home Warranty). These organisations have agreed that builders and developers registered with them will adopt the Consumer Code.
The Consumer Code applies to Home Buyers who, on or after 1st April 2010, reserve to buy a new or newly converted Home built by a Home Builder under the insurance protection of one of the supporting Home Warranty Bodies.
SCOPE & APPLICATION:
The Code applies to individual Home Buyers who have reserved to buy a new or newly converted Home on or after 1 April 2010, which has been built by a Home Builder under the insurance protection of one of the Home Warranty Bodies.
The Code is only for complaints arising and made within two years of the date of legal completion of the first purchase.
The Code does not apply to:
•second-hand properties (for example, homes taken by Home Builders in part exchange and re-sold);
•properties acquired by registered social landlords;
•properties acquired by corporate bodies and partnerships and others for investment purposes;
•property built by self builders for their own occupation;
•properties built under architects’ certificates.
The Code and the associated Dispute Resolution Scheme do not apply to:
•personal injury claims;
•loss of property value or blight;
•claims relating to the land conveyed and its its registered area;
•claims where the amount of redress claimed exceeds the limits of the Dispute Resolution Scheme
Matters better dealt with by other dispute resolution or ombudsman schemes should be referred to the relevant organisation. In such cases, the other scheme will take precedence over this Code and associated Dispute Resolution Scheme.
The Code’s pre-sale and handover requirements apply only to Home Buyers who are the first purchasers of a Home. The requirements relating to after-sales service apply to all new and subsequent Home Buyers in the two-year period after the first legal completion .
What to do if you want to use the Dispute Resolution Scheme:
Simple - ring your Home warranty provider, discuss your case and obtain an application form and a set of adjudication scheme rules from them.
For full details, download a pdf version of the Code at the top of this page
Further information at www.consumercodeforhousebuilders.com