Approximately 4.8 million households have encountered problems with home repairs over the past 18 months, according to findings from Citizens Advice. The charity stated that consumers are being left to manage these issues with inadequate oversight in the home repairs market. The reported problems include unfinished or unsafe work, as well as disputes with tradespeople.
Roughly 1.7 million households incurred additional costs to rectify previous work or were overcharged, losing an average of £750 each. For one in ten of these households, the extra expenses exceeded £5,000. The stress from these home repair issues affected over a third of homeowners, with more than 10% reporting feeling unsafe as a result. Home repairs generated nearly 37,000 complaints to the Citizens Advice consumer service in the past year.
Declining Trust in Traders
The growing distrust in the market is having tangible consequences for consumers and is diverting business away from reliable traders, the charity noted. Approximately 28% of individuals who arranged home repairs in the last 18 months opted to do the work themselves due to concerns about finding trustworthy tradespeople. Another 26% delayed or avoided necessary repairs altogether for the same reason.
While many households conduct research before hiring tradespeople, often using online reviews, Citizens Advice found that due diligence did not consistently prevent substandard workmanship. The charity suggested that simply providing more information to consumers cannot address the fundamental issues within the market. Low trust levels are influencing how people find tradespeople, with many relying on personal recommendations over formal systems they find difficult to verify.
Common Repair Issues and Complaint Difficulties
Citizens Advice has assisted individuals facing escalating costs, poor quality work, and significant delays after hiring traders. Some consumers were charged thousands of pounds more than anticipated, left with incomplete or unsafe work, or found it challenging to get tradespeople to return and fix problems. Others encountered persistent demands for payment despite disputes over the quality of the work performed.
The most frequently reported issues related to home repairs involved energy efficiency improvements, room renovations, installations, and external wall and roofing projects.
When home repairs or renovations go wrong, many consumers face complex complaint processes with limited avenues for resolution. More than 80% of over 5,000 surveyed individuals reported facing obstacles when trying to resolve complaints about shoddy home repairs. One in five experienced lengthy resolution times, 16% reported being ignored by the trader, and 15% did not know how to escalate their issue beyond the tradesperson.
Calls for Regulatory Reform
Currently, alternative dispute resolution in the sector is voluntary, limiting consumer options for resolving disputes. Citizens Advice is urging the government to review the regulation of the home repairs sector, advocating for mandatory licensing and broader access to redress. The charity believes a centralized register for traders would help elevate standards and better protect homeowners.
Dame Clare Moriarty, chief executive of Citizens Advice, stated that too many people are let down by traders, turning routine repairs into stressful ordeals. She emphasized that consumers are losing significant sums of money, living with unfinished or unsafe work, and struggling to resolve issues independently. Moriarty added that a lack of trust in the market damages industry confidence and hinders reputable traders.
Citizens Advice is calling for stronger consumer protections, including a single register for tradespeople and a clearer, mandatory process for dispute resolution to improve industry-wide standards.