When the first residents moved into a luxury apartment block near the Shard last summer, they were anticipating its amenities: a cinema, rooftop pool, orangery, gym and sauna.
What they were not expecting: all the rules for living there.
Current and former tenants say that London’s Shard Place – where a one-bedroom flat costs £4,300 a month – has delivered on its promises of high-end finishes and “astonishing views”.
But they say they also assumed their money would buy greater convenience.
Instead, the building’s managers stopped food delivery drivers from entering the building and limited guests to staying no longer than 14 days in a 90-day period.
Tenants also found themselves in disputes over the prices for internet access and charges for gym induction.
“I feel like I am fighting about something new every week,” one tenant wrote in a text message last August, calling the state of affairs “so draining”.
In October, the same tenant wrote: “Why am I paying so much to feel like an imposition and not get services I get in comparable buildings?”
The 27-storey tower had been hotly awaited. Located near the Shard in London Bridge, it was completed five years behind schedule and ran more than £200 million over budget, according to accounts filed with Companies House.
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Like a small but growing minority of London housing, Shard Place is “build-to-rent”: none of its 176 flats are is available for sale.
Even in the tightly managed world of build-to-rent, its rules have made it an outlier.
Some buildings have loosened their rules in the wake of the Renters’ Rights Act, such as no longer charging fees to have pets, said Karen Standing, who oversees the build-to-rent segment at estate agency Hamptons.
Shard Place does not allow pets, except for guide dogs. Under the Renters’ Rights Act, the Labour government’s flagship effort to help renters, landlords cannot have a blanket ban on pets.
Shard Place was built by the same firm that constructed the Shard and the next-door News Building, and is managed by Qatari state-owned Real Estate Management (UK). This is the company’s first big foray into build-to-rent housing.
Build-to-rent landlords say the arrangement offers benefits, including increased security. The trade-off, however, is less control.
Why would I pay to use my residential gym? It just did not make sense to me. I got to talking to other tenants later on and it was a thing that we all bonded over
Shard Place resident
Tenants began moving in in June 2025. They could choose from light and dark colour palettes with preselected furniture.
Shard Place pledged to make living in central London an “effortless experience”.
Instead, almost immediately, tenants encountered snags. Rubbish could only be placed in the building’s chutes before 5pm, when tenants were often at work. The pool had to be booked and was often unavailable.
Food-delivery drivers were barred from entering the building or leaving items with the concierge. Guests had to be fetched from reception and were not permitted to use the pool.
In contrast, Greystar, a landlord that owns nearly 22,000 build-to-rent properties across the UK, allows collection points for food deliveries and guests to use amenities, said a person familiar with the matter.
For some Shard Place tenants, the most concerning restriction has been the limit on guests’ stays to 14 days in a three-month period without permission from management.
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The policy, which had not been outlined in the tenancy agreement, said “anyone staying beyond the permitted guest period may be considered as residing in the apartment and will require a Right to Rent check, in line with UK immigration law”, according to a copy reviewed by the FT.
Home Office guidance says house guests such as friends or family would not ordinarily be treated as occupiers for the purposes of such checks.
“The landlord can only [limit guest stays] if the lease allows it, and it would be quite unusual,” said James Naylor, a solicitor specialising in property disputes.
“I have very rarely seen leases that specified something like that in 25 years of practising law. I’m not aware of any statutory obligation or requirement that entitles them to do this.”
Some Shard Place tenants had relatives visiting from abroad who were helping to pay the rent. These family members would not be able to pass a Right to Rent check, which requires permission to live in the UK.
One tenant was advised to add their family members to their tenancy agreement, which they declined to do to avoid potential tax implications.
I thought I’d be safer, but I had far less agency than I would have in a normal situation
Shard Place resident
In another instance, a tenant wanted a key card so their partner could enter the flat without them. Knight Frank, one of the estate agents responsible for letting the building, suggested adding the person to the lease.
“But we had only been dating for four months,” the tenant told the FT. “It would have been crazy … We could break up tomorrow, and then what would I do if they had a right to reside here?”
“Knight Frank wanted me to define the relationship faster than my partner did,” the tenant added. The tenant later moved out.
Knight Frank declined to comment.
Shard Place said: “Shard Place is one of London’s most desirable addresses, with the majority of our residents choosing to stay with us for the long term.
“We will always put the safety, security and comfort of our residents first, and we actively welcome feedback so that we can continue to offer and improve the premium service we provide to them.”
One resident, who liked the building’s proximity to London Bridge Underground station, moved in after leaving a build-to-rent place in Nottingham.
Although she loves the building itself, she has been put off by various policies, including having to pay a one-time £50 fee to use the gym, which she says she had not been told about before signing her lease. Marketing materials seen by the FT do not mention the fee.
“Why would I pay to use my residential gym? It just did not make sense to me. I got to talking to other tenants later on and it was a thing that we all bonded over,” she said.
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She was also flummoxed to be informed that she had exceeded her permitted use of the cinema. “I had never been told there was a certain amount of slots for the month,” she said.
Not being able to take guests to the pool is “absolutely ridiculous. I can’t be paying that amount and you guys tell me how to run my apartment”, she said.
She is planning to move out in October.
One issue that united residents earlier this year was internet access. After mistakenly charging some residents a lower fee, or in some cases nothing, the building told tenants in March it would charge £60 a month for internet use.
Residents balked at the short notice, the inability to choose their own internet provider, and the price. Average entry-level broadband prices in the UK are about £25 a month, according to Enders Analysis.
A tenant who sent multiple emails outlining residents’ concerns was evicted shortly after, according to a notice seen by the FT.
“We are very sorry to hear reports … of how dissatisfied you are with our operational services, amenities, and third-party service providers…
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“We feel that Shard Place is not the right property for your needs and we regrettably will not be inviting you to remain in Shard Place beyond the 12 months of your fixed term tenancy,” the notice read.
“It is unfortunate that you have not enjoyed your time and Shard Place Apartments, and we hope that you find a property more suited to your needs.”
Many residents said the building’s staff were pleasant to deal with.
The management has responded to some concerns. Residents can now drop off their rubbish 24 hours a day. The gym hours have been extended. Additional key cards have been dispensed for some guests.
The process, however, has left some luxury residents feeling powerless.
Under build-to-rent, “I thought I’d be safer, but I had far less agency than I would have in a normal situation,” said one tenant.
“I thought being across the table from a corporation would make things more professional but they had outsized bargaining power. It amplified bargaining inequality rather than producing better service.” – Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2026