You can ask your housing provider about an independent snagging inspection when buying a new build through shared ownership. Ask who can grant access before you get the keys, which team handles defect reports and when your reporting period ends. Getting those answers in writing makes it easier to book a useful visit and get the report to the right person.
Ask Your Provider for the Inspection and Defect Procedure
The New Homes Quality Board excludes homes sold under a shared ownership scheme from the New Homes Quality Code. The separate Shared Ownership Code applies through providers that adopt it. Ask your provider what procedure applies to your home and check your purchase documents. A developer's registration under the New Homes Quality Code is insufficient to establish access for a shared ownership purchase.
Before committing to a date, send the provider these questions:
- May I bring an independent inspector to a handover appointment or book a separate visit? What evidence or permissions do you need?
- If access is available only after completion, can I arrange a visit before moving in furniture?
- When does the defect period start and end for my plot? Can you confirm the actual dates?
- Which email address or portal should receive the report? Who handles items that affect communal areas?
- Which warranty covers the home, and where can I read the policy and reporting procedure?
Keep the provider's replies alongside your lease, welcome pack and warranty documents. A provider's defect period and your warranty can have different dates and reporting routes. The Housing Ombudsman's guide advises shared owners to check the defect period and report issues promptly.
Separate Defects, Communal Issues and Repairs
Make a list for the provider or after-sales contact with the plot number, precise location, photographs and a short description of each issue. Where an issue is in a communal area, record the location separately and ask whether the provider, building manager or another contact will arrange inspection.
If the lease has an initial repair period, it can affect who pays for eligible repairs. Check the lease and ask the provider how that period interacts with defects and warranty cover. GOV.UK explains that items already covered by a building warranty or other guarantee are excluded from the initial repair scheme. Ask for the reason in writing if your provider classifies a snag as your responsibility.
Example: In the first week after moving in, you find a bedroom window that cannot be secured and water collecting by a shared entrance. Report the window under your flat's defect procedure and tell the provider that it affects security. Raise the standing water with the provider as a communal issue and ask for a separate reference. Record both dates and any promised attendance.
Send the Evidence Promptly
An independent report can help show what was accessible, what was found and where. See Ashbridge's sample snagging report for the type of evidence you can send. Share the report within the reporting period, keep a copy and ask for written confirmation of the next steps. If an issue is urgent, use the provider's urgent repair or emergency contact as appropriate. For a dispute about the provider's handling, check its complaints procedure and the Housing Ombudsman's guidance.
If you have a confirmed access date, share your provider's arrangements when requesting an independent new build snagging survey.