Daniel Zeichner, Member of Parliament for Cambridge, spoke in a Westminster Hall debate on Monday, calling on the government to strengthen protection for buyers of new homes.

He explained the plight of many Cambridge residents who have bought newly built houses and found themselves plunged into a nightmare of home defects. He condemned the “attitude of some house builders” who exploit new buyers and the “imbalance of power” between developers and buyers.

The Royal Institute for British Architects reports that two fifths of those who buy a new build property report at least 11 problems within the first few months of moving in. RIBA state that according to the Government’s own measures, half of homes built today will be too small for the households they are intended for.

Daniel said: “It is time to stop this inefficient use of resources which cause so many people such distress. I visited a new home bought by a constituent and it had so many problems it was like a building site. It was completely uninhabitable, and the developer refused to take responsibility for their shoddy work