Changes to the New Homes Quality Code
The New Homes Quality Code has been updated...
To maintain the Crystal Mark from the Plain English Campaign, some minor amends have been made to the Code to improve the clarity of the wording.
You may be aware that following the launch of the new Code, we made some minor amends to the wording in order to achieve Stage 1 Accreditation with the Consumer Codes Approval Scheme.
Since then, we have asked the Plain English Campaign to review the Code and there have been some further, very minor changes to ensure that it remains clear and easily understood. This work is complete, and they have re-awarded the Crystal Mark to the Code document.
The Crystal Mark is a seal of approval for the clarity of a document. It now appears on over 24,000 different documents in the UK and in other countries and is the only internationally-recognised mark of its kind.
None of the changes that were made are substantive or change the requirements of the Code. If required, you can see details of the precise changes that have been made below.
The latest Code documents are published on our website here and we are in the process of updating the Welsh language version.
There is no intention to make any further amends prior to the first official review of the Code which is scheduled for no earlier than October 2023.
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Location in Code |
Original Version |
Modified Version |
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Page 2, Subheading |
The New Homes Quality Board launched in 2022, offering enhanced protections for buyers of new homes. |
The New Homes Quality Board launched in 2022, to improve protection for people buying new-build homes. |
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Page 2, Paragraph 1 |
The NHQB Discipline & Sanctions Committee. This committee investigates whether a breach (of the Code or other disciplinary offence) has occurred by a developer and, if so, what corrective action or disciplinary measures are to be applied. These can range from requiring employees to be retrained, fines being levied, or ultimately removal from the Register of Developers. |
Our Discipline and Sanctions Committee. This committee investigates whether developers have failed to keep to the code or committed another disciplinary offence and, if so, decides what action to take or disciplinary measures to enforce. The action can range from fines, requiring developers’ employees to be retrained, or removing developers from the Register of Developers. |
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Page 3, Paragraph 4 |
To avoid doubt nothing in this Code supersedes a developer’s legal obligations and the developer guidance and customer guidance do not take priority over or replace the statement of principles or the practical steps, which registered developers must keep to. |
To avoid doubt, nothing in this code takes away the obligations developers have by law. The developer guidance and customer guidance do not take priority over or replace the statement of principles or the practical steps, which registered developers must keep to. |
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Page 11, 1.5 Considering vulnerable customers |
Given the infrequent nature of house purchase, Developers should consider all customers as being situationally vulnerable and offer additional support wherever it may be necessary. |
As buying a home is not something that people do very often, developers should consider all customers as being potentially vulnerable, and offer extra support if needed. |
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Page 18, 2.7 Contract of sale |
This also applies to special purpose vehicles (SPVs*) and other short-term trading arrangements |
This also applies to special purpose vehicles (see glossary) and other short-term trading arrangements which may be formed to build a specific new home or development. |
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Page 19, 2.9 Changes, agreeing to major changes, and the customer’s right to cancel |
However, home buyers still have the right to |
However, they still have the right to complain about any snags even if they have not agreed to the changes. |
Thank you for your continued support, and we look forward to
working with you further in the future.
The New Homes Quality Board.