The UK residential sector has been experiencing notable growth in terms of both investment volume and development projects. The BPF’s data of complete and in-construction Build to Rent (BTR) developments paints an exciting picture of the changing landscape of the rental marketplace across the UK and the continuing investment in the sector. But how do you know who is delivering the best resident experience and location for UK renters?
HomeViews Build to Rent Coverage
With more residents moving into new build developments, the mission of HomeViews is to share useful trustworthy insights about what it is like to live within new build developments. The 2022 HomeViews Build to Rent Resident Choice Awards recognises the highest-rated BTR buildings across several categories, based on the reviews of thousands of verified residents and covering 89% of the UK’s BTR developments.
The Highest Rated BTR Developments by Location
In our BTR Resident Choice Awards, we awarded the Top 10 BTR developments in six different regions across 2022. In addition to London and the South-East, regions included the South-West, Midlands, North-West, North-East and Scotland.
Each region is at a different stage of development in the maturity of its BTR sector. While London has widespread BTR coverage, including in central and suburban areas, coverage in other parts of the country is more sporadic. Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool and to a lesser extent, Bristol, have all forged ahead in BTR developments, while other cities are only just waking up to the possibilities the sector offers.
London and the South-East
London and the South-East’s top rated BTR development was awarded to The Gessner. This BTR development in the popular Tottenham Hale regeneration area achieves almost perfect scores across the board, something that’s necessary if you’re going to win out in the competitive London BTR sector.
South-West England
The South-West’s BTR landscape is dominated by Bristol developments, though the 2022 Resident Choice Awards did find space for developments from Bath and Bournemouth in its regional top five. The winner for the South-West was in fact Bath’s Spring Wharf, a joint venture between Urban Bubble and Legal and General.
Midlands
Birmingham tops the Midlands BTR developments, with Urban Bubble and Legal and General’s The Whitmore Collection taking the top prize. This ever-popular development benefits from a highly convenient location in the Jewellery Quarter, just moments from Birmingham city centre. Highly-rated developments to also feature in the regional top 10 included buildings in Leicester and Telford.
North-West England
The North-West’s competitive BTR sector saw Allsop’s The Trilogy win out. Liverpool and Manchester developments shared the honours in the regional top 10, with seven developments from Greater Manchester and three from Liverpool. Reputable developer Allsop dominated the list, with all three of the region’s best-rated developments coming from this developer’s stable.
North-East England
The highest-rated BTR development across the North-East of England was Leeds’ New York Square. A further two of the top five in the region were from the Leeds area, while other developments to feature included Sheffield’s Porterbrook Apartments and Middlesbrough’s Simple Life at Bracken Grange.
Scotland
In Scotland’s fledgling BTR sector, The Point from Dandara Living came out top in 2022. This Aberdeen development competes with the very best the UK has to offer, with an overall rating of 4.94 out of 5. Meanwhile, Edinburgh’s The McEwan from Moda Living was just edged out in second place.
HomeViews invites verified residents of the UK’s new build homes to rate the Facilities, Design, Location, Value and Building Management of their development. In addition, they write a review describing their experience, the location and share any recommendations on things they wish they had known before they moved in. The 2022 Build to Rent Resident Choice Awards recognises the best developers in the growing BTR sector. You can find out more about the awards by clicking here.
Join us at the 2025 Resident Choice Awards
HomeViews’ Resident Choice Awards return on 13th February 2025. Take your seat among the UK’s most outstanding and innovative BTR developers to celebrate the very best Build to Rent operators, developments and teams, including new categories for Build to Sell and Shared Ownership brands.
As always, the awards will be based solely on the experiences of those who matter most: the residents. No entry forms, no judging panels and no sponsorship requirements – just verified resident reviews on HomeViews.
