Daniel Zeichner MP Standing up for Cambridge
Speaking in the House of Commons, Daniel Zeichner quizzed the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, Sajid Javid MP, on the responsibility of Government in ensuring homeowners’ rights are protected when buying newly built homes.
Mr Zeichner made reference to the “terrible stories in the national press” which reflect the issues faced by buyers after purchasing newly developed properties, such as holes in place of windows, inadequate insulation, floods and leaks, and the failure of development firms to rectify any shortfalls or offer compensation.
He later commented on these declining standards: “People are having to wait months for repairs that should not be necessary in the first place and facing substandard living conditions when they have been promised quality homes. We must ensure that the rising demand for new homes is met with a consistently high standard of construction and consumer rights are secure throughout the process.”
Mr Zeichner questioned the Secretary of State: “why is it you can buy goods in a shop and you have powers of redress, but if you spend a fortune on a new home, you can sometimes struggle for months, if not years, getting what you paid for?”
The Secretary of State conceded, agreeing with Daniel Zeichner that more needs to be done in order to ensure buyers who experience such problems get “proper redress,” a matter he acknowledged “needs to be carefully looked at.”
Daniel Zeichner added that he is happy Mr Javid agrees with him on the issue, but is determined to maintain pressure on the Government to address this issue as much more is still needed to be done.
You can watch the full exchange here: https://goo.gl/2bfxko