Moving into a brand-new home is exciting. But new builds often come with defects that need fixing in the first months. This guide covers your rights as a
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Moving into a brand-new home is exciting. But new builds often come with defects that need fixing in the first months. This guide covers your rights as a tenant in a new build, especially during the snagging and defects period. Knowing them helps you get problems sorted quickly and fairly.
What is snagging?
Snagging means spotting and reporting the minor defects and unfinished work in a new-build home. Common snags:
- Doors and windows that do not close properly
- Gaps, cracks, or uneven joins in the plaster
- Missing or badly fitted tiles
- Dripping taps or badly connected pipes
- Unfinished or rough fixtures and fittings
- Paint drips, marks, or patchy coverage
- Appliances never properly connected or set up
Snagging is different from structural defects. Those are more serious problems with the building itself.
What is the defects liability period?
New builds usually come with a defects liability period. This is a window, often 12 to 24 months from completion, when the builder or developer must fix defects that appear. During it, the builder fixes defects at no cost.
If your landlord is a developer or housing association that built the property, they should have that arrangement in place with the builder.
What are your rights as a tenant in a new build?
Your rights run against your landlord, not the developer or builder directly. Your landlord must make sure the home is fit to live in and keep it in repair.
Before you move in. The landlord should hand over a home that is complete and fit to live in. You should not be moving into serious outstanding defects.
Fitness for human habitation. The Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018 requires the home to be fit at the start of the tenancy and to stay fit throughout. A new build with major defects may not be fit.
Section 11 duties. The Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 makes the landlord keep the structure, exterior, and installations in repair. New build or not.
Damp and mould in new builds. New builds can turn damp. Condensation in the first winter is common as the structure dries out. Some condensation is normal. But if the damp is heavy, or your landlord ignores it, you may have a disrepair claim.
How to report snags and defects
Report every snag in writing as soon as you move in. Be specific about each item, keep a copy, and take dated photographs.
If your landlord tells you to deal with the developer directly during the defects period, you can try it. But your legal right to a repaired home stays against the landlord. The developer relationship belongs to the landlord and the builder, not to you.
What if your landlord does nothing?
If you report defects and your landlord does not arrange repairs within a reasonable time, you have the same options as for any disrepair:
- Escalate in writing with a formal complaint
- Contact environmental health if the defects touch health or safety
- Bring a disrepair claim
When should I contact Support for Tenants?
If your new-build home has defects or disrepair your landlord will not fix, call us on 0800 030 4669.
No upfront cost. You only pay if you win, and the fee comes out of the compensation, not your pocket. If you don't win, you pay nothing.
Sources
- Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018 (legislation.gov.uk)
- Section 11, Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 (legislation.gov.uk)
- Defective Premises Act 1972 (legislation.gov.uk)
Related articles
- What is the Fitness for Human Habitation Act?
- Damp and mould, is it the landlord's fault or mine?
- How to report damp to your landlord
We review every guide at least twice a year and update it when the law changes. If you spot something out of date or wrong, email help@supportfortenants.co.uk.
Reviewed against current housing law for England and Wales as at 15 June 2026. Checked by our SRA-regulated panel solicitors. This is general information, not legal advice for your specific case. Any compensation figures or ranges shown are illustrative only, not a promise; every case is different.
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