As of March 2022, there were around 4.4 million social housing properties in England, and Homes England statistics show that more than 37,000 new build homes were completed in the 12 months leading up to this date through their programmes, most of which were destined for social housing under various schemes, housing associations and local authorities.

As with any new build property, ensuring that there is a warranty in place before the home is completed is important. It means that there is protection in place for the property owner for the next 10 years, in the event that a serious structural fault comes to light that wasn’t picked up by any of the standard inspections during or at the end of the build. However, with housing association new builds, which may go on to be rented, or sold in shared ownership or shared schemes, things can work a little differently to other kinds of new build projects. This is why a specialist housing association warranty can be the ideal cover for this type of new home.

The way it works is that the housing association warranty is taken out before the property is completed. The property will be inspected before being signed off, and the warranty means that for a period of 10 years, there is cover in place if a serious structural defect is discovered. That means that the housing association is not liable for costly remedial work or even demolition and rebuild costs.

There may be a latent defects insurance provider listed in the HCA requirements and the consumer code for home builders, but housing associations are not obliged to choose this provider. It can be the case that a more competitively priced and suitable option can be found elsewhere, which is where AHCI come in. Our housing association warranties are flexible and underwritten by leading insurance providers, so you can be sure that the cover you need is in place.

Contact us for a warranty quote on your housing association project today.