A guide to living in East Midlands

Easy access to London and the national motorway network ensures the economic prosperity of the East Midlands, UK. A dedicated airport also serves to connect this central region to Europe and the world, with key cities Leicester and Nottingham also providing financial stimulus and good value options for housing. The county of Derbyshire includes much of the Peak District National Park, while culinary highlights from this corner of England include Red Leicester and Stilton cheeses. Manufacturing industries form a significant chunk of the local economy, and Rolls Royce recently invested £90 million in a new test facility in Derby.

Excellent

65.6

Very Good

25.0

Average

6.8

Disappointing

1.4

Very poor

1.2

Best places to live in East Midlands

How is ranking calculated?

Viewing 1-5 out of 169

Rental Only

Award Winner 2024

The Saxons, LE1

By Centrick - Built for Renters

Award winner 2024

4.79

(41 reviews)

The Saxons comprises one and two bedroom apartments, with light from large, wrap-around windows. Although the development is in one of the most central locations in the city, each unit has been designed to offer privacy that feels removed from the hustle and bustle outside. With the city’s largest shopping centre located just across the road, those living at The Saxons can not only enjoy all of the on-site amenities, but also have easy access to a range of dining, entertainment, and retail options right on their doorstep.

1st

Ranked 1st out of 111 in East Midlands

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Rental Only

Award Winner 2024

The Wullcomb, LE1

By Way of Life

Award winner 2024

4.72

(234 reviews)

£725-£1,025 pcm

1, 2 beds

The Wullcomb is a Build to Rent development managed by Way of Life, located in the heart of Leicester. The building offers 297 apartments with a mix of spacious Manhattan studios alongside one and two-bedroom apartments. Residents have the option of choosing a furnished or unfurnished apartment. Additionally, there are a wide range of facilities and amenities on site. These include 24h concierge, secure car park and cycle storage, a rooftop terrace, a shared kitchen and dining space with modern lounge and a private theatre room.

2nd

Ranked 2nd out of 111 in East Midlands

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Lloyds Living at Gedling, NG4

By Lloyds Living

Award winner 2025

4.65

(17 reviews)

Lloyds Living at Gedling is a brand-new development of 2 and 3 bedroom homes. All the homes on this site benefit from solar panels. The development is boarded by the 240-acre Gedling Country Park and is just a couple of miles away from the bustling market town of Arnold which has a number of high street shops, independent retailers, banks, pubs, restaurants, a leisure centre and theatre. It is also only 5 miles from the centre of Nottingham and a bus network connects the development to the local towns and cities. There are also a number of local schools (nursery, primary and secondary) and a hospital nearby.

3rd

Ranked 3rd out of 111 in East Midlands

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Queen Street Quarter, LE1

By BTR Operating Ltd.

4.5

4.50

(71 reviews)

A blend of classic and contemporary flats. A friendly, welcoming community of 230 homes. A prime city centre location. And a refreshing approach to renting. We think you’ll find that Queen Street Quarter is a special place to live. Imagine coming home to take a dip in the pool, relax in the coal-fired sauna, or a workout in our fully equipped, premium gym. Our stylish lounge and games room are perfect for unwinding when you’re feeling sociable. While the workspace makes working from home a pleasure. It’s central Leicester location means everything is a short walk away.

4th

Ranked 4th out of 111 in East Midlands

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The Arches, LE3

By Native Communities

4.45

(58 reviews)

The Arches will transition its management from Cortland to Native on 30th June 2025.The Arches offers 184 brand new ready-to-rent apartments, close to Leicester city centre. With a choice of courtyard and riverside views, the studio, one and two bedrooms feature high quality appliances and are finished to a high standard. Amenities on offer include a resident's lounge, gym, media room and work space as well as secure underground parking and bike storage.

5th

Ranked 5th out of 111 in East Midlands

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Page 1 of 34

Featured developments in East Midlands

Latest Reviews in East Midlands

2237 total reviews

Write a review

Viewing 1-5 out of 2237

Jan (Owner)

Verified Resident

Verdant Rise, LE4

Jul 2025

This is rated 1.00 out of 5.00.

Do not buy a house from Tilla Homes

Jan (Owner)

Verified Resident

Verdant Rise, LE4

Jul 2025

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

Schools and shops very good location. Parking is very good easy access at all times. Quiet area no traffic.

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

Paying for maintenance, which was not mentioned previously.

What is the best feature of your home:

I've made it homely. Still encountering so many issues.

Review image for review 12399290-6c26-4aa1-afe7-051924490a58

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HomeViews

J (Tenant)

Verified Resident

Simple Life at Merlins Point, LN6

Jul 2025

This is rated 3.00 out of 5.00.

Simple life, poor

J (Tenant)

Verified Resident

Simple Life at Merlins Point, LN6

Jul 2025

Extremely Disappointed – Poor Service from Start to Finish I rarely leave negative reviews, but after a full year of dealing with Simple Life, I feel compelled to share my experience. Throughout our tenancy, communication was shockingly poor — it often took weeks (if not months) to get any response. We waited over six months for basic repairs, including broken doors, lightbulbs, and a non-working doorbell. No sense of urgency or care. Despite the lack of service, they increased the rent by over £200 in a single year, without any justification or improvements to the property. When we moved out, they didn’t even carry out an end-of-tenancy inventory, giving them free rein to dispute or withhold parts of our deposit — and they were incredibly greedy and difficult when we asked for it back. To make things worse, they never once came to check the property in the entire year we were there — no inspections, no maintenance checks, nothing. Just radio silence unless we chased them again and again. Overall, it felt like they were happy to take rent but offered nothing in return in terms of service or responsibility. I would not recommend Simple Life to anyone looking for a responsive, fair, or professional rental experience.

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

The location is perfect for a newly family really lovely people around very helpful and want to help people out as well. Location is very quiet but sometimes you do get people having parties you get that everywhere but the location was perfect. Lovely the reason of moving is because simple life are very poor and the rent went up too much in one year

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

Day one asked for maintenance got it six months later

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

I wish before I knew I looked into simple life a bit more before moving

Manager response

Dear resident, Thank you for leaving such a detailed review. We’re sorry to hear about your experience and appreciate you sharing it. We would value the opportunity to look into your experience further. As we are unable to identify you based on the information available to us in your review. Please contact our team directly at slmarketing@simplelifehomes.com so we can investigate this. We’re glad you found the location and local community positive, and we appreciate you highlighting that aspect.

Posted by

Anonymous, Simple Life

Jul 2025

・・

HomeViews

Ammar (Tenant)

Verified Resident

Queen Street Quarter, LE1

Jul 2025

This is rated 5.00 out of 5.00.

Great experience

Ammar (Tenant)

Verified Resident

Queen Street Quarter, LE1

Jul 2025

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

Local area is amazing. Very close to the city centre with lots of public transport links nearby as well as lots of parking availability.

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

They have always been extremely supportive, attentive, and responsive. The management are very friendly and always very helpful.

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

Nothing comes to mind. Any information was told beforehand.

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HomeViews

Chris (Tenant)

Verified Resident

Simple Life at Merlins Point, LN6

Jul 2025

This is rated 1.00 out of 5.00.

Avoid at all costs

Chris (Tenant)

Verified Resident

Simple Life at Merlins Point, LN6

Jul 2025

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

Development started off OK until a oath was put infront and down the side of the property. Our front garden was used as a cut through and dog toilet until we managed to get a picket style fence fitted.

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

In 17 months in the property we were still waiting for repairs we had reported. We gave up in the end and gave notice.

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

Can't make house a home as you need permission for everything and when you leave they will find anything to bill you for to take money from your deposit.

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HomeViews

Georgia H (Tenant)

Verified Resident

Lloyds Living at Kenning Brook, S45

Jul 2025

Reviewer was offered an incentive for an honest review, regardless of rating

This is rated 2.00 out of 5.00.

Poor management.

Georgia H (Tenant)

Verified Resident

Lloyds Living at Kenning Brook, S45

Jul 2025

The management have been very poor at this development. On multiple occasions they haven’t shown up for property inspections/viewings or kept us informed through the process of ending our tenancy. They tell you they’ll be in touch on ‘X’ date but never follow through. They also entered the property without our permission whilst we weren’t there. They are extremely disorganised and are now trying to charge us 91% of our deposit for redecorating. The property is also very expensive for its average location. It’s been an awful experience.

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

There are only a couple of shops within walking distance, transport links aren’t great. The estate itself is fine but it’s a very average location.

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

That signs of wear and tear would be charged extortionately against our deposit (or at least attempted to).

What is the best feature of your home:

The large bedroom on the top floor with the en suite is lovely.

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Reviewer was offered an incentive for an honest review, regardless of rating

HomeViews

Page 1 of 448

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

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Northamptonshire

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Nottinghamshire

If you're looking for a new home, Nottinghamshire is the destination to be. From quaint villages and picturesque countryside to vibrant cities and large towns; there's plenty on offer in this diverse county. In this guide, we'll take you through what makes Nottinghamshire such a great place to live, work or study - from where it lies in England to some of the best schools in the area - so that you can find your perfect match!

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