Our responsibility for repairs
If you bought a brand new or newly refurbished home, faults or defects occurring in the first 12 months (occasionally 6 months) of a new building are the responsibility of the builder. This is called the “defects period”. The 12 months start from the date the homes were completed, and not on the date you bought your home.
If you have bought a brand new home, keep a list of any items that you consider need attention. Normally, we or the builder will inspect the property at the end of the defects period to agree the items that need attention, including those on your list. These will be put right in the weeks following the inspection.
If the repair is urgent, such as leaking pipes, a toilet that will not flush or a heating system that does not work, please report the repair immediately to us. The contractor will usually contact you to arrange a time to call. Please keep to any appointments made - a wasted call can be costly and could incur additional charges.
At the end of the defects period, the builder will cease to be responsible for repairs. Our responsibility will also end except for communal areas as described in your legal agreement.
If you bought a new home from us or from a builder, it will either have a 10 or 12 year National House-Building Council Certificate (NHBC) or a Zurich New Build warranty. The certificate detailing your cover will have been passed to you on completion of your purchase. Major defects occurring after the defects liability period may be covered by this guarantee, if you have any problems please contact NHBC or Zurich.
For apartments, the freeholder (usually us) is responsible for keeping the structure of the building and the common areas (such as halls and stairways) in good repair, and we inspect these regularly. If you notice repairs are needed to these areas, please let us know
If we do not own the freehold, we will make sure you know the name of the freeholder or their managing agents, so you can contact them if you need to.
If you bought your home from us under the Right to Buy or Right to Acquire schemes you will have received the Landlord’s Offer Notice prior to your purchase setting out your liability for major works within the first five years. If you want any further information about this please contact your
Homeownership Officer.