The number of new homes registered in the third quarter of this year fell by 13% compared with a year earlier, according to figures from a warranty and insurance provider.
The National House Building Council (NHBC) said 26,231 new homes were registered in the third quarter of the year, down from 30,279 in the same period of 2025. The NHBC has a 70%-plus share of the UK warranty and insurance market for new build homes, and its figures indicate the stock of new properties in the pipeline as homes are registered with it before being built.
Private and affordable sector declines
Private sector registrations fell by 8% to reach 18,359, compared with 20,054 a year earlier. Registrations in the rental and affordable sector fell by 23% to reach 7,872, down from 10,225 in the third quarter of 2025.
The NHBC attributed the declines to affordability pressures continuing to weigh on demand and supply-side barriers constraining delivery.
Government response and industry reaction
The Government recently unveiled the Your First Home initiative, which will give first-time buyers the chance to buy a new build property with a 2.5% deposit, with the Government stepping in to lend them an extra 20% towards the cost. The full details will be outlined in the Budget, including a household income cap and local property price caps, with the aim of ensuring the new support is targeted at those who need it.
Daniel Pearce, chief strategy officer at the NHBC, said: "The housing industry is at a critical point. Demand remains fragile, affordability is stretched and our latest figures show that the pipeline of new homes is continuing to shrink. Without action to support demand and tackle the barriers to delivery, increasing housing supply will remain extremely challenging."
Pearce added: "The Government's proposed Your First Home equity loan scheme is a significant and welcome step towards tackling one of the market's biggest challenges – affordability. The Budget now needs to provide clarity on how this scheme will operate. Targeted support for first-time buyers could help more people achieve home ownership while supporting demand for new homes, but its effectiveness will depend on getting the design right, including the nature of developer contribution and ensuring that any price and salary caps are set to reflect local market conditions and support viability and affordability."
Regional variations and London's longer-term picture
The NHBC said the biggest annual percentage falls in new home registrations it recorded in the third quarter of this year were in the South East of England and Northern Ireland, with a 32% decrease recorded. But some regions saw growth in new build registrations, with a 27% increase in Yorkshire and the Humber and a 10% increase in the West Midlands.
Following a 170% annual increase in the second quarter of 2026, new home registrations in London broadly returned to the same level as in the third quarter of 2025, the NHBC said. It said registrations in the capital can be particularly volatile, reflecting the timing of big developments. However, the longer-term picture in London remains subdued, with new home registrations falling from 5,130 in the third quarter of 2019 to 1,223 in the third quarter of 2026.
Budget outlook and housing targets
The Government has set a target to deliver 1.5 million new homes in England over this Parliament. Last month, Housing Secretary Angela Rayner insisted she would not "give up" on the target, but said international "headwinds" had made it harder to achieve.
Asked whether the Government could deliver on its target, she told the BBC's Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg programme in September: "It's a slim chance, but I'm definitely not giving it up."
Looking ahead to the Budget, Pearce said: "Our new homes data underlines the scale of the challenge facing Government and the industry if it is to materially increase housing supply. The proposed Your First Home scheme is a welcome and important step, but there is no single solution. Sustainable growth will require action on both demand and supply – improving affordability for buyers while creating conditions for developers and investors to build with confidence by considering delivery costs, planning and regulatory constraints and investment barriers. The Budget is an important opportunity to make progress on both sides of the equation."
The Budget will include more than £1 billion for social and affordable housing and councils will be given extra borrowing powers to fund housebuilding.
