UK Homeowners Hit by Shoddy Work Surge

British homeowners are grappling with a growing crisis of shoddy work and rogue traders, as a new report from Citizens Advice reveals. The advisory service has been inundated with complaints, receiving more than 700 grievances about home maintenance and improvements every single week.

Over the past year, the charity recorded nearly 37,000 complaints related to home upkeep, making it the second most common issue reported by consumers, just behind problems with used cars. This surge in complaints represents a significant 12.6% of all issues handled by the service, highlighting the substantial scale of the problem.

Alarmingly, the report indicates that 14.3% of these complaints, or 5,230 cases, involved scams or rogue traders. Homeowners reported instances of paying for services that were never delivered, and being subjected to high-pressure sales tactics for unnecessary and overpriced work.

The most frequent complaints were related to roofing, roof sealing, and chimney repairs, which accounted for 22.2% of all issues. This was followed by major renovations like loft conversions and extensions, and problems with windows and doors. Citizens Advice has assisted countless consumers with a wide range of issues, from damaged property and unfinished jobs to being "ghosted" by hired tradespeople.

Jane Parsons, a consumer expert at Citizens Advice, warned that the summer months are a peak time for home improvements, but also for these issues to arise. "Every year, we hear from thousands of people who are left out of pocket, waiting for weeks or months for work to be completed, subjected to poor quality work—or even scammed," she said.

For homeowners who encounter a problem, Citizens Advice offers practical advice. They recommend first trying to resolve the issue directly with the tradesperson. If this fails, consumers should gather all paperwork and receipts, take photos as evidence, and consider using "alternative dispute resolution" (ADR), which helps solve disagreements without going to court. If the job was paid for by a credit card, consumers may also have additional protection.