Last updated: 30 Jan 2026
Industry guidance on compliance with competition law
Following the investigation by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) into suspected exchanges of competitively sensitive information by seven house builders, the CMA announced on 30 October 2025 that it had accepted voluntary commitments from the house builders, and closed its investigation. Those commitments included the development and publication by the Home Builders Federation (HBF) and Homes for Scotland (HfS) of UK competition law guidance for the housebuilding industry in relation to information exchange (the Guidance).
This Guidance is now available HERE. HBF and HfS have circulated this Guidance to its members and will continue to promote it both to members and the wider industry.
The Guidance covers UK competition law principles regarding information exchange, and guidance specific to the housebuilding industry. Alongside the Guidance is a ‘Do’s and Don’t’s’ document that picks out the high level key points you need to ensure you and your employees are aware of.
While this document is designed as a guide for the industry, each individual housebuilder must take responsibility to ensure that they are complying with UK competition law.
Therefore, HBF is not able to provide advice over and above what is included in the Guidance and we suggest companies take their own legal advice if required.
Industry Guidance document
This Guidance covers UK competition law principles regarding information exchange, and guidance specific to the housebuilding industry.
Do's and Don'ts Guidance
This document picks out the high level key points you need to ensure you and your employees are aware of.