In March 2016, Quintain Living’s first residents moved into the first build to rent (BTR) development at Wembley Park, in what was quickly to become one of the most exciting new neighbourhoods in London. Now, five years later, we’re taking a look back at just how much has been achieved since Quintain Living first opened its doors.
When newlyweds Aygul Zagidullina and her husband Kaan Mamikoglu moved into Quintain Living’s Montana building in 2016, little could they imagine how much the area would transform around them and how, as their family grew, their changing housing needs would be met by the residents’ team.
Quintain Living initially launched two buildings – Montana and Dakota in 2016. Fast-forward five years and the award-winning management company is now overseeing homes to rent in 22 separate buildings. The initial 141 homes available have grown to a staggering 3,255 homes (as of April 2021).
Quintain Living has been proud to pioneer many elements of the modern rental experience. The no fees/no deposits approach set the bar for the build to rent sector, while the ‘plug and play’ approach has created an incredibly easy move-in process for residents. Utilities are set up and ready to go, along with superfast Wi-Fi. Residents get one monthly, itemised bill and only pay for what they use. The introduction of secure, flexible tenancies was also well received by London’s renters. Quintain Living’s contracts range from six months to five years in duration, with residents able to pick and choose to suit their needs.
This level of service works particularly well for corporate lets, with businesses able to offer a home to employees who have moved from overseas, or even as a 'staff perk' for businesses wanting to offer a competitive benefit package with exclusive discounted rental agreements.
A focus on residents’ needs has been at the heart of Quintain Living from the beginning including the design process. The first two buildings each included a stylish social space, in the form of a residents’ lounge and an acre of secure landscaped gardens. There are now 27 social spaces spread across the Wembley Park developments, in addition to 12 roof terraces, seven podium gardens and two private gardens. Five years ago, those gardens covered a single acre. Once the transformation of Wembley Park is complete in 2027, half of the 85-acre site will be public realm and private gardens, including a seven-acre park that will open later this year.
Quintain Living’s resident-focused rental offering has also seen the company welcome pets with open arms. 15% of its leased homes now include furry family members with pet-friendly outdoor spaces proving popular and doggy day care and walking services coming soon.
This attention to detail extends to other elements of the rental experience as well. Each building includes secure bike storage, while storage pods are available for larger items, from golf clubs to suitcases to canoes!
Outstanding customer service has always been at the core of Quintain Living’s approach. Original resident Aygul recalls:
"Life at Quintain Living made everything so easy! It reduced the stress of city life in so many ways. I love how stylish and spacious the apartments are. The customer service is also superb – the bulb went in my oven and it was fixed within the hour. I don’t think you would find that level of service anywhere else.”
Each building has a 24-hour concierge and a tireless team who are ready to tackle anything from receiving parcels to collecting dry cleaning. Over the past five years, Quintain Living’s itself has expanded from six people to 85 team members in order to continually deliver the seamless background support on which residents can rely.
Quintain Living has also curated a programme of social events for residents over the years that has included everything from supper clubs with Michelin starred chefs to intimate gigs in podium gardens. Free tickets to Wembley events, whether it be music, sports of the theatre, are also given away to residents through prize draws. These days, there’s a packed virtual events programme in place, offering everything from exercise to self-improvement.
Prior to the pandemic, the Quintain Living team organised 12 events per month. They upped that to 12 events per week at the beginning of the first lockdown and saw a staggering 532% increase in event attendance bookings. Between March and September 2020, 2,000 residents took part in the virtual events. Events have been designed with community in mind, connecting residents with local businesses in innovative new ways, from virtual wine tastings and cocktail classes to candle-making lessons and baking classes in partnership with local bakery Bread Ahead.
All of this takes place within a carefully cared for neighbourhood, with a team that controls and patrols 24/7 to ensure that the local community is always a place that residents will love to call home. Danielle Bayless, Chief Operating Officer at Quintain Living, comments:
“The past five years have been an incredible journey for Quintain Living. We have expanded and developed the service that we offer whilst proudly maintaining our core focus on residents’ needs and their experience of living in Wembley Park. It positions us perfectly for embracing even greater innovation in the way we deliver homes to rent over the next five years.”
The Covid-19 pandemic has, of course, presented a range of challenges for Wembley Park’s residents, just as it has for people the world over. The Quintain Living team has gone above and beyond during the pandemic, doing everything from daily rubbish collection from front doors for residents who were isolating to gifting weekly essential food boxes to over 80 keyworkers.
This commitment to its residents has propelled Quintain Living to lead the build to rent sector in the UK. Wembley Park will be the largest Build to Rent site in the country by 2024, by which time 5,000 homes will be under Quintain Living’s management. That figure will increase to 6,044 homes by 2027. Given the pace at which innovation has been taking place in respect of those homes over the past five years, we're looking forward to seeing how the business grows and diversifies in the next five.
