Renting in Tower Hamlets: check-in and getting your deposit back

Homes to rent in Tower Hamlets

Tower Hamlets has one of the highest shares of private renting in England (38.2% in 2021) and a large social housing sector (35.9%), with relatively few owner-occupiers. Much of the private rented stock is in flats: high-rise towers at Canary Wharf and the Isle of Dogs, converted warehouses in Wapping and Limehouse, and former council flats let by leaseholders. There are Georgian terraces in Spitalfields and Victorian streets in Bow and Bethnal Green, and Queen Mary University brings student shared houses around Mile End.

Average rent: £2,462 a month (ONS, September 2026), up 3.8% on a year earlier. Source

On moving-in day

1. Before unpacking, photograph every room: a wide shot, then each item, with the date and time on every photo.
2. Photograph the meters (gas, electricity, water) and write down the readings.
3. Count the keys and fobs, and test the smoke and carbon monoxide alarms.
4. Note anything worn, marked or not working, and send it to the landlord or agent within a few days.

Things to look at in Tower Hamlets homes

• High-rise towers at Canary Wharf and the Isle of Dogs: photograph integrated appliances, ventilation units, floor-to-ceiling glazing and balcony doors, and record fobs, keys and parking remotes.
• Ex-council flats on estates: photograph the front door, entry phone, communal landing and bin chute or store, and note which keys open communal doors.
• Converted warehouses in Wapping and Limehouse: photograph timber floors, exposed brick and large windows, where marks and condensation show.
• Georgian houses in Spitalfields: photograph shutters, sash windows, staircases and original panelling close up.
• Student and sharer lets near Mile End: photograph each bedroom lock and door, and the shared kitchen and bathroom, room by room.
• Note any concierge, parcel room or gym access and its fobs, and photograph the meter readings, which are often in a cupboard on the landing.

Your deposit

Your landlord must protect your deposit in the DPS, TDS or mydeposits within 30 days and tell you which. At the end, deductions can only be for damage beyond fair wear and tear, cleaning back to the check-in standard, or rent owed. A dated check-in record is your best protection.

Help from the council

Tower Hamlets Council’s private sector housing and environmental health service can inspect privately rented homes for disrepair and hazards; tenants of leaseholders can also report communal repairs to the freeholder. Tower Hamlets Council: private renting.

Do your check-in free Moving-in checklist