NHQB Complaint Stages

As directed by the NHQB, a Resident must be informed in a timely manner of the progress of a complaint at specific intervals. clixifix® enables you to proactively control and communicate the flow of information leading to a resolution.

1. Written acknowledgement 
2. Path to resolution letter 
3. Complaint assessment and response letter 
4. 8-week (56 day) letter 
5. Closure letter

The minimum requirements of a complaint that apply to the NHQC are as follows:-

Written Acknowledgement no later than five days from the first business day after receiving the complaint (the complaint start date), the Developer will send the Customer a written acknowledgement of the complaint. 

Path to Resolution no later than 10 days from the complaint start date, the Developer will send the Customer a written ‘path to resolution’ which outlines how they will investigate the complaint. This will include telling the Customer whether they can refer the complaint to a dispute resolution service that is offered by their warranty provider, if they are not satisfied with the outcome of the complaints procedure.

Complaint Assessment & Response Letter no later than 30 days from the complaint start date, the Developer will send the Customer a complaint assessment and response letter. 

The complaint assessment and response letter must include the following information: 

• Details of and a separate report on each complaint.
• If a complaint has been settled, what action has been taken to do this.
• If a complaint has not been settled, and the developer needs more time to look into the matter, an estimate of how long they will need to reach a decision and a brief explanation as to what further steps are needed and why.
• If a complaint has not been settled but the developer accepts that they need to carry out correction work, details of what that work will be and an estimate of when it will be completed. 
• If further investigation or correction work is needed, when the developer will give the customer an update (which must be within 28 days).
• If the Developer does not accept a complaint, a clear explanation of the reasons for the decision.
• Information about any dispute resolution service, offered by the warranty provider, that the Customer can refer the complaint to.
• How the Customer can refer the complaint to the New Homes Ombudsman Service. 

56 Day Letter if the complaint is not closed, and no later than 56 calendar days from the complaint start date, the Developer will send the customer an eight-week letter. 

The eight-week letter must include the following information: 

• A clear summary of what action has been taken to date. 
• Clear details of what is still outstanding, a reason why and the actions to be taken. 
• An idea of when the complaint will be settled. 
• How often the Developer will give the customer updates (which must be at least every 28 days).

Closure Letter the Developer can send a closure letter to the customer at any stage after the complaint start date. 

The closure letter must include the following: 

• A list of the items agreed in the complaint assessment and response letter and confirmation that each item has been resolved. 
• Information about how to refer matters to the New Homes Ombudsman Service if the customer is not satisfied. 

(The above was correct at the time this article was composed 17/07/2023, please refer to the NHQB website for any recent updates)