Built to fail: How the home repairs market is failing consumers

Built to fail: How the home repairs market is failing consumers

Every year, millions of consumers rely on tradespeople and repair services for urgent fixes, routine maintenance and larger improvement works. However, for too many people, what should be a straightforward process of maintaining and improving their home becomes a source of stress, financial loss and uncertainty.

Our latest research has found that in the last 18 months, nearly three in ten (28%) people who hired a trader for work on their home experienced an issue. From living with unfinished or unsafe work, to dealing with stressful disputes with traders, routine home repairs are turning into nightmares. Many face a maze of complaints processes and dead ends, and struggle to get responses, refunds or accountability when things go wrong with work by traders.

This report draws on nationally representative polling, qualitative interviews, and data from the Citizens Advice consumer service to highlight how current consumer protections are falling short.

The market has little effective oversight. We’re calling on the government to introduce mandatory licensing, improve access to redress, create a single register for traders, and a stronger enforcement framework.