A guide to living in East London

Excellent

57.9%

Very Good

28.9%

Average

10.0%

Disappointing

2.1%

Very poor

1.1%

Best places to live in East London

How is ranking calculated?

Viewing 1-5 out of 290

Rental Only

Award Winner 2025

Alma, E1

By Native Communities

Award winner 2025

4.89

(26 reviews)

Living at Alma allows residents to access a range of amenities and personal services. As well as personalised service, residents can enjoy exclusive invitations to private viewings, curated events and experiences developed in partnership with local creatives and independents.

1st

Ranked 1st out of 180 in East London

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Rental Only

Award Winner 2025

Dressage Court, E2

By Essential Living

Award winner 2025

4.72

(203 reviews)

Dressage Court by Essential Living offers 104 rental-only apartments. It includes one, two, and three-bedroom homes, designed for modern London living. Located just a 7-minute walk from Bethnal Green station, it’s well-connected for easy access across the city. Residents enjoy dedicated work-from-home spaces, a roof terrace, and an on-site gym. Regular events help build a strong community in one of East London’s most sought-after neighbourhoods.

2nd

Ranked 2nd out of 180 in East London

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Rental Only

Award Winner 2025

Sailmakers, E14

By Greystar

Award winner 2025

4.71

(274 reviews)

Greystar's Sailmakers is a Build to Rent scheme, which comprises of 327 units. It is within the mixed-use Galliard Homes development, Harbour Central. The site is situated on the Isle of Dogs close to the River Thames, and less than a 10-minute walk from the heart of Canary Wharf. In addition, transport links come courtesy of nearby South Quay DLR and Canary Wharf's DLR and Underground services. Residents enjoy fast and frequent connections to the likes of Bank and Monument.

3rd

Ranked 3rd out of 180 in East London

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Rental Only

Award Winner 2025

Balfron Tower, E14

By Way of Life

Award winner 2025

4.69

(64 reviews)

Balfron Tower is an iconic residential development situated in Poplar. Designed by the architect Ernő Goldfinger, it features a range of 1, 2, 3 and 4-bedroom apartments. Residents can access a range of facilities including a roof terrace, yoga studio, cinema room and co-working spaces.

4th

Ranked 4th out of 180 in East London

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Rental Only

Award Winner 2025

Riverstone Heights, E3

By Way of Life

Award winner 2025

4.67

(183 reviews)

Riverstone Heights is located on the banks of the River Lea. With a rooftop terrace mid-barbecue, a private lounge and dining room, Way of Life's newest residence is an elegant home in the heart of east London. Alongside thoughtfully designed apartments, the building’s first floor is dedicated to co-working; with meeting rooms, phone booths and a kitchen for residents. Residents can take meetings, or find a quiet corner to catch-up on their to-do list. Superfast WIFI and our onsite resident hosts are also included.

5th

Ranked 5th out of 180 in East London

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Page 1 of 58

Featured developments in East London

Latest Reviews in East London

7651 total reviews

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Viewing 1-5 out of 7629

YR (Tenant)

Verified Resident

8 Water Street, E14

Jun 2026

This is rated 3.00 out of 5.00.

Good building/poor tenant management

YR (Tenant)

Verified Resident

8 Water Street, E14

Jun 2026

We were tenants at Vertus from 2022 to 2026 and, until the end of our tenancy, had been very happy living here. Unfortunately, our experience with the Renewals team completely changed that. Following the changes introduced by the Renters’ Rights Act, Vertus emailed residents stating that “no action was required.” As our tenancy was due to end shortly afterwards, we reasonably understood that our planned move would proceed as expected. It was only when we contacted the Renewals team to arrange our move-out that we were told Vertus considered us liable for a further two months’ notice. What disappointed us most was the way this was handled. We had been reliable tenants for five years, always paid our rent on time and, over the course of our tenancy, paid well over £150,000 in rent. Despite this, there was no attempt to understand our circumstances or find a practical solution. Every response from the Renewals team felt like a standard template repeating company policy rather than engaging with the specific issues we raised. Vertus later acknowledged that its communication “may not have been sufficiently clear” for tenants approaching the end of their tenancy, yet still refused to exercise any discretion. We also raised published government statements and industry guidance that appeared to support a different interpretation of the new legislation, but these were dismissed without explaining the legal basis for Vertus’ own interpretation. We appreciate that legislation changed and landlords must comply with the law. Our disappointment is with the customer service. When a genuine dispute arose, we expected a long-standing tenant relationship to count for something. Instead, the approach felt rigid, impersonal and focused solely on enforcing policy. It’s a shame that five positive years ended this way. Based on our experience with the Renewals team, we would think carefully before renting with Vertus again.

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

Good links to transportation and central location within Canary Wharf. Plenty of restaurants and shops close by.

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

Have lived here since 2022. Issues within the flat (broken locks/windows) took 6-9months to be resolved.

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

Customer engagement / service around renewals. Awful. Gym membership subsidy for third space was taken away soon after we signed up.

・・

HomeViews

LauraL (Tenant)

Verified Resident

50-60 Charter Street, E22

Jun 2026

This is rated 3.00 out of 5.00.

Low value for money with issues of basics

LauraL (Tenant)

Verified Resident

50-60 Charter Street, E22

Jun 2026

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

Location is good. New building with new facilities. Friendly concierge. But the building has issues with basics, such as frequent water outage, malfunction of smart meters and radiator noise.

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

Only respond within their office hours and not caring

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

I wish I had known it has so many basic issues. ..

・・

HomeViews

Tenant (Tenant)

Unverified

Fizzy East16, E16

Jun 2026

This is rated 5.00 out of 5.00.

Great living experience at Fizzy!

Tenant (Tenant)

Unverified

Fizzy East16, E16

Jun 2026

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

The local area is very nice with parks and greenery nearby. It is also located close to shops and supermarkets and there are excellent transport links via the Canning Town station!

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

Maria was very helpful in the lead up to our move into Fizzy! She kept us well updated during the paperwork and admin stages, and answered all our questions with great detail. The move-in process was very straightforward and pleasant thanks to her support. We felt very well supported, thank you Maria!

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

I was provided with all the necessary information upfront so nothing to add

・・

HomeViews

Resident (Tenant)

Unverified

Fizzy East16, E16

Jun 2026

This is rated 5.00 out of 5.00.

It’s a great place that feels like home right away!

Resident (Tenant)

Unverified

Fizzy East16, E16

Jun 2026

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

The local area around Fizzy is very convenient and pleasant! There are lots of good transport links nearby which makes commuting and traveling easy. There are also a variety of shops, including a big supermarket in the area. Overall, a very nice area!

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

Maria was fantastic throughout our move into Fizzy! She made the viewing smooth and answered all our questions clearly and promptly. She kept us updated during the paperwork and admin stages and handled everything super efficiently. The move-in process went very smoothly thanks to her support. We felt very looked after the whole time, thank you Maria!

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

N/A - I was made aware of everything and the process was very smooth.

・・

HomeViews

Steven (Tenant)

Verified Resident

Goodman's Fields, E1

Jun 2026

This is rated 1.00 out of 5.00.

Unresponsive management.

Steven (Tenant)

Verified Resident

Goodman's Fields, E1

Jun 2026

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

Love Aldgate. Seriously disappointed with the apartments. There is graffiti, the bathrooms have a musty smell, and the cooling system doesn’t work.

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

The management is unresponsive and the utilities don’t work. The bathrooms smell.

What is the best feature of your home:

It’s quiet, and central. The appliances are high quality.

・・

HomeViews

Page 1 of 1526

These reviews are the subjective opinion of a HomeViews user and not of HomeViews

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Canary Wharf

Only a few decades ago, Canary Wharf was just a network of long-abandoned industrial docks. Now it’s a buzzing business and residential district, its cloud-skimming buildings full of state-of-the-art new-build apartments, hotel rooms and offices. The location often referred to as Canary Wharf consists of the 97 acre Canary Wharf Estate owned and run by The Canary Wharf Group and the wider Isle of Dogs area on the peninsula. Whilst the estate is Canary Wharf, home to a working population of over 120,000 people, many of the developments on the Isle of Dogs peninsula also market themselves as Canary Wharf and have been included in this guide. Read on to discover the developments that are rated as the best places to live in Canary Wharf and to see reviews from residents who own or rent in Canary Wharf.

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Canning Town

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Borough of Hackney

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Borough of Newham

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Poplar

Historically rough around the edges, Poplar is finally starting to get the TLC it deserves. As gentrification takes hold, buyers and renters are discovering the charms of this neglected East End district, a Zone 2 spot neighboured by Canary Wharf. Read on to discover developments that are rated the best places to live in Poplar. In addition, read reviews from residents who own or rent in Poplar.

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Borough of Redbridge

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Stratford

Pre-2012 London Olympics, Stratford was, for many, just a place where the Jubilee line terminated. But the Games put this East London district well and truly on the map. Modern residential developments (with a plethora of amenities) have been multiplying here ever since. Where are the best places to live in Stratford? Discover where to buy or rent in Stratford in our area guide.

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Borough of Tower Hamlets

Diverse, vibrant and with its finger well and truly on the pulse – that’s London’s Tower Hamlets. It’s what we like to call the Selfridges of the capital’s boroughs, in that it truly offers something for everyone. Art lover? Foodie? Or Fitness fanatic? Read on to discover developments that are rated the best places to live in Tower Hamlets. In addition, read reviews from residents who own or rent in Tower Hamlets.

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