New research has revealed the most complained about areas in the UK.
Property purchasing company Sell House Fast analysed reports to FixMyStreet, revealing which councils received the most complaints between 2007 to 2025.
The analysis revealed that residents living in the UK’s most complained about area were 20 times more likely to report street quality issues than the national average. Street cleaning and fly-tipping were among the most complained about issues.
Here are the top ten complained about areas in the UK:
10. Cheshire East
Tenth on the list is Chesire East, which received 173,688 total complaints and 41,227 complaints per 100,000 people.
9. Bexley
Bexley ranked ninth for complaints, with 108,868 overall complaints and 42,455 per 100,000 people.
8. Brent
Next on the list was Brent, which received 185,373 total complaints and 52,517 per 100,000 people.
7. Merton
Merton was seventh on the list, with 114,950 total complaints and 52,599 per 100,000 people.
6. Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire ranked sixth for complaints, with 335,510 total complaints and 57,969 per 100,000 people.
5. Bath and North East Somerset
Bath and North East Somerset came in at number five, with 123,329 overall complaints and 61,611 complaints per 100,000 people.
4. Isle of Wight
Isle of Wight is the fourth most complained about area in the UK, with 105,356 total complaints and 74,372 complaints per 100,000 people.
3. Hounslow
Hounslow received the third most complaints in the UK, with a total number of 223,726 and 74,719 complaints per 100,000 people.
2. Westminster
Second on the list was Westminster, with a total complaint number of 171,661 and 81,745 per 100,000.
1. Bromley
The most complained about area in the UK is Bromley, with 365,344 overall complaints and 108,954 per 100,000 people.
Why does Bromley receive so many complaints?
SellHouseFast puts forward a number of explanations as to why Bromley residents submit more FixMyStreet complaints than any other local authority.
The borough’s most common complaints are related to street cleaning (13,000+) and fly-tipping (7,000+), indicating that there are continual maintenance challenges across Bromley’s suburban network.
Another possible reason is that Bromley Council was one of the earliest adopters of FixMyStreet Pro, making it easier for residents to report faults.
Bromley also has extensive public spaces, which may make upkeep more challenging. The borough manages more than 300 miles of roads and 160 parks and open spaces, amounting to one of the largest green footprints in London.
What else did the research reveal?
The research revealed that there were discrepancies in the types of complaints that people had in different areas.
Westminster had the most complaints about pavements and street lighting, while Greenwich topped the list for grievances about green space and abandoned vehicles.
Meanwhile, Oxford had the most frustrated commuters, with 186 bus stop complaints per 100,000 people.
