A guide to living in Brentford

Please tell us about the good and bad aspects of living in your local area:

The local area itself has decent transport links and access to shops and amenities, but living here has been overshadowed by persistent anti-social behaviour and poor management of the building. I have been here since 2023, and it used to be much better - now the management got significantly worse, and the area follows. Noise from parties is common, there have been repeated incidents involving police attendance (there's been weeks with armed police attendance for several days in a row), people throwing rubbish from balconies and windows, and even glass bottles being thrown from upper floors. Residents frequently encounter litter, unpleasant odours, and poor waste management. Security concerns have also affected the wider living experience, as non-residents can often gain access to the building due to broken entry systems. Overall, any positives about the area are significantly outweighed by the problems associated with the development itself.

How has the building management responded to any problems or issues you have raised:

Management responses have generally been reactive rather than proactive. Many issues are repeatedly reported by residents yet continue to reoccur. Concerns relating to security, cleanliness, anti-social behaviour and access control often remain unresolved for extended periods, leaving residents frustrated and lacking confidence that problems will be addressed effectively. No one wants to see an AI-generated e-mail by the property manager, this is their job to tackle the issues here.

Please share one thing (or more) which you wish you had known before you moved in:

Honestly when I moved in it was clearly not as bad as it is now, but I wish I had known how significant the security, anti-social behaviour and management issues would be - would have moved out earlier. Now that my contract here is done, I am leaving very soon. These are not things that become apparent during a viewing. Prospective residents should speak to current tenants, ask about police attendance, parcel theft, access control, noise complaints, cleanliness standards and how quickly management resolves reported issues. The day-to-day experience can be very different from the impression given during viewings.

Please tell us about the good and bad aspects of living in your local area:

We really like the Kew/Chiswick area, it feels safe, clean, and well-connected. There’s a good mix of cafes, restaurants, and green spaces nearby which makes it easy to enjoy day-to-day life along with Chiswick High Street in close vicinity. Transport links are convenient and getting onto the motorway is straightforward. The street itself is generally quiet with no major issues other than traffic across rush hour which is expected

How has the building management responded to any problems or issues you have raised:

Any minor issues we’ve had have been handled quickly and professionally, with clear communication throughout. Especially with benefit of being able to submit tickets on the mobile app to keep track of any issues encountered

Please share one thing (or more) which you wish you had known before you moved in:

The area is a great balance between quiet residential living and having everything you need close by, which you don’t fully appreciate until you’ve settled in. It wasn't too clear that hot water and heating is a pay as you go service, and if it was mentioned it may have been something that I missed during the initial viewings but, it seems the rate are not bad in comparison to what you typically get in West London so not a major issue, with pay and go functionality should hopefully help us keep better track of our spending habits

Please tell us about the good and bad aspects of living in your local area:

great area with plenty of shops around and good transport links. also there is also good ameneties too great a

How has the building management responded to any problems or issues you have raised:

yes, they are very quick with their response time and they fix all the defects

Please share one thing (or more) which you wish you had known before you moved in:

I wish the gym was in every building and maybe bigger for more equiptment

Please tell us about the good and bad aspects of living in your local area:

The local area itself isn’t the main issue it’s everything NHG fails to manage around it. Shops and transport links are fine, but the street and surrounding environment suffer because NHG don’t stay on top of anything. Bin collections are inconsistent, rubbish piles up, and there’s a constant feeling that no one is responsible for keeping the place safe, clean, or monitored. Parking is chaotic, anti-social behaviour goes unchecked, and residents are left dealing with problems that should have been prevented if NHG actually managed the neighbourhood properly. The area could be decent, but NHG’s poor oversight drags everything down.

Please share one thing (or more) which you wish you had known before you moved in:

I wish I had known how impossible it is to get NHG to actually respond to anything. They tell you someone will contact you, but no one ever does. You end up chasing them for weeks, sometimes months, and still get ignored. On top of that, there were property damages already there when moving in things they promised would be fixed and they’re still sitting exactly the same, completely untouched(8 years later). If I had known how unresponsive and unreliable NHG were, I never would have agreed to move in.

What is the best feature of your home:

The only real “best feature” is the potential the flat could have if NHG actually maintained it. The layout and size are decent, but that’s overshadowed by the constant issues they refuse to address. The home could be comfortable, but unfortunately any good point gets buried under the neglect and lack of proper management.

Please tell us about the good and bad aspects of living in your local area:

The neighbourhood is genuinely lovely. It’s close to several parks and supermarkets, and you can easily walk to either Ealing Broadway or Brentford, which makes getting around convenient. There is a significant issue with noise from children playing directly on the road where cars pass through. Balls are often thrown against the building and parked cars, on one occasion a ball even landed on my balcony. Thankfully nothing was damaged. I raised this with management, but no action has been taken, which is disappointing.

How has the building management responded to any problems or issues you have raised:

The property management usually reply to emails, but no real action is ever taken. They acknowledge the concerns, promise to look into them and then nothing actually happens.

Please share one thing (or more) which you wish you had known before you moved in:

Poor communication from the management as mentioned above.

What is the best feature of your home:

Great neighbourhood, communal garden, flat layout.