Residents tipped to be living la vida local, as 2025 Build to Rent sector trends revealed

From connecting with nature to getting the best from local life, there are certain renter desires that span the generations. JLL’s Global Consumer Experience Survey recently highlighted this, with basics such as safety and affordability understandably being top priorities when it came to cross-generational urban housing preferences. The survey also found that people of all ages were keen for more green space – something that is feeding one of the five key rental trends identified by Quintain Living – the award-winning management company overseeing the rental of over 3,390 apartments in Wembley Park – in the Build to Rent sector in 2025:

1. Greenery from top to bottom

From rooftop gardens to communal amenity spaces packed with indoor planting, Build to Rent (BTR) buildings are going greener for 2025. In London, Quintain Living is showcasing this at its most sustainable building to date, Repton Gardens, in the heart Wembley Park. Homes at Repton Gardens cluster around a lush central garden, with playparks, BBQs and outdoor dining facilities interspersed with open green spaces. Mounded earth in the garden has enabled the planting of large trees to encourage biodiversity, which is further enhanced by the development’s brown roofs. The greenery continues indoors, with extensive planting in Repton Gardens’ work from home suite and welcoming club room.

Canada Gardens also showcases the trend of embracing greenery indoors and out through its use of biophilic design. Hanging plants and enormous ferns lend an outdoor feel to its cosy clubhouse, while home workers can hire designer sheds in the midst of an acre of gardens. The building is also home to community allotments, where residents of all ages can engage with growing an abundance of produce in the heart of the urban landscape.

2. Living la vida local

The appeal of ‘living locally’ is also going to be a big trend for the BTR sector in 2025. Nathan Wise, Leasing Director at Quintain Living, explains:

“Our residents are seeking superior connections in 2025. That ranges from easy connectivity to the wider area – as showcased by Wembley Park’s location just 12 minutes from central London – to support with forming local community connections. BTR has much to offer here, with shared amenities and regular events supporting residents to connect with like-minded neighbours in a range of exciting ways. These local connections help residents to feel part of community life, to combat loneliness and to get more from where they live.”

A blend of convenience and culture help BTR residents get more from their local lifestyle. In Wembley Park, residents have everything on their doorstep, from the largest new GP surgery in North West London to dentists, opticians, fitness centres, salons and more. London Designer Outlet, Wembley Stadium, the OVO Arena Wembley, Starlight Express on at the Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre and so much more ensures the local area is buzzing with cultural capital. There’s also a thriving foodie scene, from the bustling BOXPARK to a host of independent restaurants and regular markets all supporting residents with a rich culinary journey that can suit all manner of tastes and budgets.

3. Growing together

Another interesting trend for 2025 will be BTR’s increasing appeal to those who have tired of renting from individual landlords in the private rented sector.

“Renters deserve more,” explains Quintain Living’s Nathan Wise. “They are seeking security via a long-term relationship with a professional landlord. And they increasingly understand that they can expect more when it comes to value for money – they want everything from on-site amenities to a responsive, high quality maintenance service included in the cost of their rent. With modern homes designed for renting and backed by attentive services, the Build to Rent sector is there to meet their needs.”

A seamless rental process is also essential when it comes to meeting renters’ requirements. Quintain Living is showing how this translates into everyday reality in Wembley Park. This starts from the very first engagement with Quintain Living’s diverse apartment buildings. Potential residents can explore virtually via 360 self-serve tours, take a personalised one-to-one virtual tour or do it the old-fashioned way and tour the homes in-person. Once they’ve signed on the digital dotted line, the seamless engagement continues, with the Resident App enabling them to sign up for events, book a social space, arrange guest parking, report maintenance issues, connect to the building’s Wi-Fi and much more.

4. Partnering with pets

Increasing levels of pet ownership can be seen around the world, according to the analysts at Mintel. They report that an increasing awareness of the link between pet ownership and mental wellbeing, along with a societal embracing of single and child-free lifestyles, is driving pet owners to see their furry companions as part of the family. Mintel’s research shows that over half of consumers in the UK own a pet.

With the Government set to strengthen protections for pet-owning renters as part of the proposed Renters’ Rights Bill, this is something which the BTR sector will increasingly have to support. Quintain Living has been ahead of the curve in this respect, with well-behaved furry residents welcome in all of its buildings since 2020. The firm’s dedicated pet events including the Halloween Pet Parade have become the highlight of the social calendar for many residents (and their owners).

5. Striving for sustainability

The BTR sector will be among those pushing for greater sustainability in 2025, in everything from construction to residents’ micro-actions. The drive towards a lower carbon footprint ties in with BTR residents’ values; HomeViews’ Sustainability Report 2023 found that BTR residents value sustainable building features more than other private rented sector residents.

Rental home operators can do much to support residents in their sustainable micro-action choices. Recycling is a good example of this. It is residents’ most valued sustainable building feature, according to HomeViews. At Wembley Park, the specialist Envac waste system makes recycling easy for Quintain Living residents, supporting them to make positive choices regarding their waste.

Micro-actions such as daily recycling, embracing active travel and participating in Quintain Living’s hugely popular Buy/Swap/Sell group on the Resident App can all contribute to enhanced sustainability credentials for the BTR sector.

Across the Wembley Park estate, Quintain’s utilities monitoring tool is showcasing another way in which the BTR sector can take a proactive approach to sustainability. The tool monitors the consumption of utilities in every property every 15 minutes, setting the data against each home’s unique context (size, number of occupants, orientation and so on). It can then flag any anomalies, spotting everything from lights left on in vacant apartments to continually flushing cisterns. The maintenance team can then spring into action and prevent the unnecessary waste of further resources.

“We are proud to have been pioneering these key BTR trends for many years, with broader adoption of them now anticipated as we begin 2025. Ultimately, the BTR sector’s focus on everything from greenspaces and pets to sustainability and technology will enhance the living experience for our residents – both now and for generations to come.”

Nathan Wise, Leasing Director, Quintain Living