A guide to living in Borough of Tower Hamlets

In my experience, the building itself has also declined over the years. The second-floor lounge is often not properly maintained, with stained furniture and cleanliness issues. The coffee machine and facilities are frequently out of service, the second-floor bathroom was unavailable for months with a very unpleasant smell, and the gym has poor ventilation and often smells strongly of sweat. The quality of some materials used in the apartments, especially the bathrooms, feels poor and deteriorates quickly. When I first moved in, cleaning support was offered, but later residents were expected to pay for services addressing issues that many tenants were experiencing. Regarding my tenancy, I was told verbally that one month’s notice would be sufficient, so I provided my notice on 9th July, with my contract ending on 6th September. However, I was later informed that they calculated the notice period differently, resulting in them expecting me to stay until the end of September. This lack of clear communication has been extremely frustrating. I had heard similar concerns from other residents before, but I never judged until I experienced it myself. Sadly, my own experience has shown me why some tenants felt disappointed. My advice to future residents: get everything confirmed in writing, ask detailed questions before moving in, and carefully consider other tenants’ experiences before making a decision. A very disappointing experience after 4 years of living at Newfoundland.

Good, near the gym and tube. The room design and facilities is best for people who live with friends (if you pick 2b2b). For the building management -- very quick and feasibility (in any aspects) No more point I could talk, each parts are perfect for me.

Our experience was characterised by broken promises, poor communication, and a lack of empathy when serious issues affected residents. The most significant problems were repeated building wide hot water/ heating outages and ongoing issues with the fire alarm system. On multiple occasions, the entire building was left without hot water. The longest outage lasted around 2-3 weeks, during which there was also no heating at one of the coldest times of the year. We received repeated emails apologising for the "inconvenience," but meaningful solutions were not offered for weeks. Responsibility was passed back and forth between the building management and the energy provider rather than the issues being resolved. Being told on Fridays, Saturdays, or before long weekends that nothing could be done until the next working day was incredibly frustrating and unacceptable Another ongoing concern was a persistent fault with the fire alarm system. For months, it regularly emitted a high-pitched noise, causing constant disruption. A fire watch team was hired to do hourly walks to check for fires, for months while the freeholder, L&Q, refused to absorb the cost and just fix it. Meanwhile, cosmetic work such as painting appeared to take priority over resolving more significant issues that directly affected residents daily.

The development is clean, modern, and well maintained. The area feels safe and quiet, with good access to shops and public transport. The facilities are well looked after, and the overall atmosphere is friendly. I would happily recommend it to others.

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.