A defect doesn’t include misuse, general maintenance or damage from wear and tear.
A defect is something like an issue with structural components, or workmanship, such as a door not closing properly, or a loose drawer handle.
Our customer home experience team shares a comprehensive home user guide with new owners. It’s designed to help you settle into your new home. It provides information on the finishes, appliances and warranties. The guide is there for quick reference in the event you require advice. It helps to resolve common issues and explains what to do if you need to report something. Keep it somewhere handy.
It contains information specific to your home, such as the location of your stopcock or gas meter, supplier details and a whole host of FAQs designed to help you settle in.
Issues can include a fault light on your heating system, a thermostat or radiator not working, a small amount of water dripping from an overflow/warning pipe or a loss of pressure. This may be a defect, however you may be able to resolve the issue with help from your user guide.
These pointers may also help:
If there is a fault warning on your gas meter or your heating system, and you have tried the above steps, report a defect. You’ll be asked to supply evidence of the steps you’ve taken to resolve the issue yourself. This will help you avoid receiving any non-defective repair charges.
Non-emergency issues with your plumbing or drains can include an issue or leak on your stopcock, slow-draining/leaking toilet cisterns, taps, bath or shower and pipes in the plumbing system.
Please check your home user guide before raising a defect order. You’ll be asked to supply evidence of the steps you’ve taken to resolve the issue yourself.
Issues with your electrics, that aren’t caused by accidental damage, could potentially be a defect.
Check your home user guide for help with things like testing your smoke and CO alarms (which should be done regularly) as well as for help with common issues. If you have a consumer unit fault, remove all appliances and check one by one. The last electrical device plugged in by the process of elimination will be the faulty one.
If you have tested as much as you can, and are sure that your electrics are defective, raise a defect order. You’ll be asked to supply evidence of the steps you’ve taken to resolve the issue yourself.
Advice on things like small cracks (due to settlement of your new home), lines in carpets or issues with toilet seats, shower rails and curtain screens can be found in your home user guide.
Fine cracks to plaster are part of the drying out process of a new-build home. These will be assessed at the end of your defect period when your property is inspected and can usually be remedied with redecoration.
Always check your home user guide first, but the following are likely to be defects:
Cosmetic items and issues with areas like carpets (that are not causing a trip hazard) may be assessed and logged to be dealt with at the end of your defects period.
If you do need to report a defect we’ll need a detailed description, including which area of the property the issue is in, and photos to help us understand the situation.
All appliances in your home are your responsibility for repairs and maintenance. Ensure all appliances are registered with the manufacturer to benefit from their warranty. You’ll find these details in your home user guide.
Your kitchen units are adjustable, you’ll find guidance in your home user guide to help you adjust these yourself.
Accidental damage isn't classed as a defect, and potentially falls under your contents or home insurance policy.
If you’re unable to open and/or close a kitchen unit, or you’re concerned your units are not secure, report it as a defect. Problems such as these are covered, unless caused by accidental damage or general wear and tear.
If you do need to report a defect we’ll need a detailed description, including which area of the property the issue is in, and photos to help us understand the situation.
If an external door or ground floor window cannot be locked, opened or closed please check the home safety segment of our reporting an urgent issue page. Your home user guide also contains guidance.
Issues that don't directly have an impact on the security of your home can include; faulty window operation or fitting, a problem with handles, locks or missing and faulty restrictors. These are likely to be defects. Please check guidance in your home user guide for details relevant to your home. If required report a defect, below.
For problems with condensation, window seal discoloration or imperfections in glass, advice can be found in your home user guide. Such issues would have been noted at handover of the property from the contractor. Anything new will generally have been caused through damage/wear and tear and will not be taken into account.
If you do need to report a defect we’ll need a detailed description, including which area of the property the issue is in, and photos to help us understand the situation.
If you have slipped or missing roof tiles, a leaking gutter/downpipe or persistent drainage issues that cannot be cleared with help from your home user guide, you may need to raise a defect.
If you have a leaking gutter, see if you can clear the issue, a blockage isn’t classed as a defect.
It’s always a good idea to carry out regular repairs and maintenance, help can be found in your home user guide. Extra guidance is freely available to search online.
If you have followed advice, but there is still a problem that hasn’t been caused through damage/wear and tear, report a defect. We’ll need a detailed description, including exactly which area of the property the issue is in, and photos to help us understand the situation.
If your issue is critical, but you haven’t found information to help you in your home user guide, elsewhere on this page or online, we’ll need more information to diagnose the problem.
We’ll need a detailed description of the fault, including which area of the property it is in and photographic evidence of the defect. Have details to hand of the steps you have taken to resolve the problem yourself, if applicable.