Borough of Brent

Looking to buy a home in London? Then you should definitely consider Brent – one of the most vibrant and diverse boroughs in the city. Situated in northwest London, Brent is well-connected to all other parts of the city and offers plenty of great opportunities for residents. In this guide, we’ll take a closer look at Brent – including its history, areas, universities and top schools. So if you’re thinking about making the move to London, read on!

4.18
Average Location Score

Excellent

49%

Very Good

31%

Average

14%

Disappointing

4%

Very Poor

3%

Best places to live in Borough of Brent

HomeViews Top Rated Development ranking takes into account the Star Rating and HomeViews Transparency Rating of every development in the area

Where is Brent?

The London Borough of Brent is found in North-West London. It covers the areas of Church End, Cricklewood, Dollis Hill, Harlesden, Kensal Green and Kenton.

Thanks to its location – just a stone’s throw from Central London – Brent is well connected to all parts of the city by public transport.

The borough shares borders with six other London boroughs: Ealing and Harrow in the northwest; Barnet and Camden in the northeast; Westminster in the southeast; and Hammersmith & Fulham in the southwest.

Areas in Brent

Brent has several neighbourhoods that are popular among homebuyers, including:

Alperton – an industrialised area that is home to a large Indian population and the Grand Union Canal.

Brondesbury Park – An affluent area south of Kensal Green with grand Victorian houses, many of which have been converted into flats. This neighbourhood has good transport links, a high street for shopping needs, local schools and parks for recreational activities.

Dollis Hill – A leafy suburban area near Willesden Green with plenty of green spaces including Gladstone Park (which features tennis courts) and Fryent Country Park (where you can enjoy nature walks). Dollis Hill also has underground access via Jubilee Line at Dollis Hill station.

Kenton – Situated in northwest London on the Watford branch of the Bakerloo Line, Kenton is a suburb with a vibrant high street featuring independent shops and restaurants. It is also home to Horsendon Hill Local Nature Reserve and Barham Park, which makes it ideal for nature lovers.

Kilburn – One of North West London’s most popular neighbourhoods known as ‘Little Ireland’ due to its large Irish community who settled here in the late 1950s. The area features two railway stations (Queen’s Road at Kilburn High Road station; Brondesbury Station on the North London line) along with numerous parks and green spaces such as Priory Park, Mapesbury Dell Playground and Queens Park Gardens.

Neasden – An inner suburb of North West London covering an area of just over three square miles. The residential areas are characterised by spacious Victorian and Edwardian houses with many being converted into flats and bedsits.

Kingsbury – A suburban district in North West London, located on the north-west side of Brent, bordering Middlesex to the west and south-east along with the London Boroughs of Harrow to the south, Barnet to the east and Wembley Park (in Brent) to its immediate north.

Universities in Brent

As a London Borough, Brent does not have any universities of its own. However, there are a number of universities located nearby in other boroughs which students from Brent may attend, including:

The University of Westminster (in the City of Westminster) – Established in 1838, the University of Westminster is the oldest university in London. It has around 26,000 students and is located in the heart of London, close to many of its major attractions.

University College London (UCL) – UCL is one of the world’s leading universities, with around 38,000 students and ranked as the fourth-best university in Europe. It is located in the Bloomsbury area of London.

King’s College London (KCL) – KCL is another world-renowned university, ranked as the sixth-best in Europe and thirteenth in the world. It has around 26,000 students and is located in the borough of Lambeth.

Top Schools in Brent

Brent is home to a number of top-performing schools which have been recognised through various awards and ratings. These include:

The West Bridgford School (rated as ‘outstanding’ by Ofsted) – The school has a strong record of academic achievement, and students are encouraged to develop their leadership skills through participation in the student council.

Latymer Upper School (rated as ‘outstanding’ by Ofsted) – This selective all-girls school is known for its strong academic results, with almost all students gaining entrance to their first choice universities.

Wembley High Technology College (rated as ‘good’ by Ofsted) – The school has a diverse student body, with pupils from more than 40 countries speaking over 35 languages.

Population of Brent

The population of Brent was estimated at 327,000 in 2016, making it the second-most populous London Borough after Tower Hamlets.

 

Reviews in Borough of Brent

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Definitely recommend this if looking for a place in the area

Verified Resident
Verified Resident
Review Date Dec 2023

Wide range of options available for eating out and grocery / everyday shopping. Excellent connectivity across London.
Traffic noise can be an issue at times.

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The development is well finished with high-end appliances. The building is well managed by the team here.
Apartments are well designed, airy and bright. Parcel collection services are also available. Parking space (first come first served basis) is also available. The building also has a very decent gym with high-end equipment and a small basketball court as well.

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

Over the past 2 years, the traffic in the area has grown a lot which can be an issue at times.

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

The building management is very proactive in addressing in any problems(e.g., minor issues like LED bulb change, tap issue, etc,).
The management is also available on emergency number during out of office hours.

5
Facilities
5
Design
4
Location
4
Value
5
Management
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Poor management , money taken with no explanation

Verified Resident
Verified Resident
Review Date Nov 2023

It was okay. A few corner shops and barbers here and then. Overall it was good enough to live in the area

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Poor . I had leakage coming from studio above, was difficult to have my room as clean as it was, the job was just to cover quickly, no quality. The people looked like they had no clue what they were doing and they took their time talking to each other rather than fixing my problems.

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

I wished to have more people moved in before me,so I can review the comments. I read it while I was there, too late for me.

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

Slowly and poor quality of the issues that I addressed.

Extremely slow to replies and email, as soon as you give them your money they do not seem to care and answer to your emails. But when its about asking you for money they are on you 24/7. Unacceptable

1
Facilities
1
Design
1
Location
1
Value
1
Management
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Counting Down the Days Until We Leave

Verified Resident
Verified Resident
Review Date Oct 2023

The area has some shops, but very little in the way of restaurants, bars or open spaces. It’s very close to the Bakerloo and Overground lines which is convenient.

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I think the development has a lot of potential, but management is very poor. For example, a water tank broke and the building was without water. Residents notified the concierge/maintenance service and we were told it wasn’t a big deal and that someone would deal with it later. It took several residents to push the concierge to call maintenance and request an emergency repair. Information on the situation did not go out to residents until late the next day. We did not have water for almost an entire day. After that, a community notice was sent out stating that we should only share positive information on the community forums and that they would delete any criticism.

While I understand that things go wrong sometimes, communication is key. We are often told to contact management with issues, but management does not respond or tells us to go to concierge – who then tell us to go to management. Around and around we go… This makes it difficult to get anything fixed. The day we moved in our oven and stovetop weren’t working and it took them over 3 months to replace one fuse to get it working again. They had us going in circles the entire time.

Probably one of the worst things is the gaslighting that management seems to engage in. They tried to tell us that existing damage that we documented on day one wasn’t there (we have pictures). They also provided paperwork stating that someone had walked through the apartment with us to review damage (they never did). They told us we requested a furnished apartment (our application paperwork clearly has the unfurnished box checked). Anytime anyone points out an issue with the community – even if they are being rational and respectful – they are told that they are being negative and rude.

We have considered going through the complaints process through the Housing Ombudsman and the Local Authority, but it is incredibly difficult and time consuming. We are counting down the days until our lease is over and we can move somewhere else. Whenever I’m asked how I like living in London, I always say it’s great with the caveat that WEM Tower has been a terrible place to live.

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

The building looks shiny and nice on the outside. The sales team are good at what they do, especially being nice and personable. But, once you sign and they have your money, that niceness goes away entirely and no one is there to help you. In the future, I plan on staying far, far away from Canada-Israel and Home Made.

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

Usually management ignores us. We let management know the day after we moved in that our oven/cooktop wasn’t working. We notified them via the maintenance app, concierge email, and property management emails. Their first response was to say that it was working when they handed over the apartment the day before. Over the course of 3 months, we sent several emails and had to talk to the concierge directly to finally get it fixed. They acted like we were being completely annoying the entire time.

4
Facilities
3
Design
2
Location
2
Value
1
Management
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Amazing experience

Verified Resident
Verified Resident
Review Date Oct 2023

Location is amazing. Walking distance to everything one will ever need. LDO, which is stone throw away, has many great branded stores with great discounts

Please review your development:

Stayed at Madison West for a year. It was a cherishing experience staying at one of their beautiful properties. I enjoyed daily walks along Olympic way and many parks around the area. Amazing resident activities always kept us engaged and connected socially.

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

I wish there was an option for multi year lease at a discounted price.

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

Resident team were really accommodating and ready to help. I have had frequent interactions with Shane, Maria, Leeann and Greg from the resident. Always got top notch support from them

5
Facilities
5
Design
5
Location
5
Value
5
Management
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