New Homes Ombudsman Service (NHOS)

What New Homes Ombudsman Service (NHOS) does

The New Homes Ombudsman Service (NHOS) is the designated ombudsman scheme for new-build home complaints in England and Wales, operating as a free public service. The service is delivered by New Homes Ombudsman Service Limited, which is in turn operated by The Dispute Service Ltd (company number 4851694, registered office in Hemel Hempstead). NHOS investigates and resolves disputes between home buyers and registered developers/housebuilders under the New Homes Quality Code (Parts 1 and 2), issuing binding decisions that developers must comply with.

The platform is built on Salesforce, providing an integrated workflow spanning an online complaint form for consumers, a registered-developer portal for receiving and responding to complaints, an internal casework management system for evidence handling and early resolution, and a public Decision Database of published rulings organized by themes such as Transparency and Fairness. Supporting infrastructure includes CivicUK-based cookie consent management for UK cookie-law compliance and Welsh-language (Cymraeg) plus Google Translate accessibility layers. The service holds ISO/IEC 27001, Cyber Essentials, Customer Service Excellence, and Disability Confident certifications, and is affiliated with the Chartered Trading Standards Institute.

The business model is a free-to-consumer ombudsman service, with no pricing charged to home buyers; revenue is implied to derive from developer registration fees and/or industry contributions rather than direct consumer charges. The go-to-market is direct-to-consumer via the nhos.org.uk website, with an enterprise channel for developer registration and scheme participation. No headcount, revenue figures, funding rounds, or management team details are disclosed in the public material reviewed.

Name

New Homes Ombudsman Service (NHOS)

Legal name

New Homes Ombudsman Service Limited

Website

https://nhos.org.uk

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The New Homes Ombudsman Service (NHOS) is the free public ombudsman scheme for resolving new-build home complaints in England and Wales. It investigates disputes between home buyers and registered developers under the New Homes Quality Code and issues binding decisions, operated by The Dispute Service Ltd.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Consumer Dispute Resolution Services

NAICS

Services to Buildings and Dwellings (5617)

SIC

Services-To Dwellings & Other Buildings (7340)

akta.pro primary industry

Residential Lease Administration & Tenant Services (BPAJAFAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

HOA / Condominium Association Management (BPAJAFAH)

Keywords

• New homes ombudsman
• Dispute resolution services
• Consumer complaint mediation
• Property dispute resolution
• Housing quality code compliance

Headquarters

HQ city

Hemel Hempstead

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Ombudsman Complaint Resolution Service: Free public service for resolving disputes between home buyers and registered developers. Funding model not explicitly disclosed in source material. Operated by The Dispute Service Ltd.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

NHOS impartially investigates and resolves complaints from home buyers about new homes against registered developers in England and Wales. The service follows a structured process — complaint submission, evidence upload, developer response, early resolution options, draft ombudsman decision, and binding final decision — all aligned with the New Homes Quality Code. The service is free to consumers and operated by The Dispute Service Ltd.

Product overview

The New Homes Ombudsman Service (NHOS) operates as a single, unified ombudsman service that impartially investigates and resolves complaints about new homes. The service functions through an integrated platform comprising an online complaint submission portal for customers, a registered developer portal for receiving and responding to complaints, and a public decision database showcasing recent ombudsman rulings. The core service follows a structured process: customers raise complaints and upload evidence, developers receive and respond to complaints, the casework team explores early resolution options, the Ombudsman reviews evidence and issues draft decisions, and finally issues binding final decisions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Ombudsman Complaint Resolution Service The core service that impartially investigates and resolves complaints about new homes, following a structured process from complaint submission through to final binding decision. It is offered to home buyers in England and Wales for free, with registered developers required to participate.
• Online Complaint Form Digital self-service portal allowing home buyers to raise complaints against registered developers/housebuilders regarding their new homes and upload supporting evidence online.
• Registered Developer Portal Platform for developers/housebuilders registered with NHOS to receive complaints, submit responses, and participate in the ombudsman resolution process.
• Decision Database Public archive of recent ombudsman decisions organised by themes (Transparency, Fairness) and covering New Homes Quality Code compliance matters.

Quantifiable outcome

• Impartial dispute resolution for home buyers against registered developers
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• The Dispute Service LtdcoreOthersNew Homes Ombudsman Service Limited is operated by The Dispute Service Ltd, a company registered in England and Wales (company number 4851694). The Dispute Service Ltd provides the operational infrastructure and management for the NHOS ombudsman scheme.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Ombudsman Services: One of the largest cross-sector ombudsman providers in the UK covering energy, communications, and other regulated industries. Comparable as an established multi-sector ombudsman operator with similar case management infrastructure.
• Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution (CEDR): UK-based ADR and mediation services body offering commercial mediation, arbitration, and dispute resolution training. Comparable as an established alternative dispute resolution provider operating in overlapping consumer-facing schemes.

Emerging players

• The Furniture & Home Improvement Ombudsman: UK ombudsman for furniture and home improvement sectors. A related but adjacent ombudsman scheme with comparable consumer dispute resolution scope.
• Leasehold Advisory Service: Government-funded advice service for leasehold property owners in England and Wales. Comparable in addressing residential property consumer issues, though focused on advice rather than binding ombudsman decisions.

Others

• Citizens Advice: UK's statutory consumer advice body frequently directing consumers to redress schemes. Comparable as an adjacent ecosystem participant in the UK consumer protection and property dispute referral pathway.
• National House Building Council (NHBC): UK's leading new home warranty and standards body covering build quality inspections and insurance. Comparable as an adjacent authority in the new homes sector, often interacting with NHOS complaint pathways on quality issues.
• The Dispute Service Ltd: Parent operator of NHOS and operator of tenancy deposit protection schemes (TDS). Directly comparable as a UK dispute resolution operator running related residential property schemes under the same corporate umbrella.

Direct peers

• Property Redress Scheme: Government-approved redress scheme for property agents and property management. Directly comparable as an alternative property-sector dispute resolution body competing for similar registrant populations.
• The Property Ombudsman: UK's main property ombudsman scheme covering estate agents, letting agents, and surveyors. Operates the same kind of independent dispute resolution model for property transactions, making it the closest functional peer to NHOS's new homes focus.
• The Housing Ombudsman Service: Statutory ombudsman for social housing residents in England. Comparable as a housing-sector ombudsman with binding decisions and a published decision library, though focused on social rather than new-build private housing.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/nhos

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about New Homes Ombudsman Service (NHOS)