A guide to living in Yorkshire and the Humber

Everything is really high quality, looks like you’re walking into a hotel. The gym is really good and the roof terraces have great views of the city, can have a bbq or book the private dining room. They do events like film nights, yoga classes, music events, and most of them are free. The building management are great, they all work at the building so you can get help when you need it and there’s an app so you can message them with any questions or if you want to book something. The reception staff are really friendly, Charlotte and Ivana will help with anything and if they don’t know the answer they’ll find out and get an answer for you, Charlotte has shown me how to book onto events and gives recommendations on things to do in Leeds

The James’ building management is spectacular, the staff are extremely well fit for the role, they are conscientious, helpful, understanding and make you feel at home really easily. They help with all aspect of living here for example, when your deliveries come they make sure they are received and notify you that they have come, they make a great effort to plan events to allow neighbours to get to know each other and keep you active. The property is managed really well, everything is in working order and they have made it extremely easy to report any issues. I have been living in the building for 6months + now and any issues I’ve had with my apartment, such as wear and tear, have been repaired almost immediately. As for the design on the building, everything really works, everything is really modernised and in with the times, there’s a sense of luxury to studios. The building has great facilities, the gym is kept neat and tidy and provides you with all the equipment you could need, there is an office space which personally I have not used as I don’t have an office job but seems like a really calm and neutral place to get some work done, there’s also a really nice and comfy lounge for you to socialise with.

The design and facilities are perfect for my needs, however maybe a bigger car park so more people can use it. The management of the building really lets it down, very slow to reply to urgent matters involving both repairs and accounting issues, however there is always someone about to talk to during the week.

The apartments are aesthetically really nice and the furniture is really comfortable and good quality, but the contractors definitely cut costs during construction and this shows. There have been a number of issues with the apartment which are purely down to ‘cowboy builders’ (e.g pipes not being properly connected, leaks, marks and scratches on surfaces from building materials). The water pipes are also super small, so they block easily and the smell is awful. I think that if the contractor had invested a little more money then things would be so much better. The amenities are good; the gym is great! It’s clean and usually not too busy. The communal areas are comfortable and clean, although the communal toilet is almost always broken. The roof terrace is also unfurnished which I know a lot of residents are disappointed by; I think marketing-wise there should be a rethink as a lot of us do feel misled having been advertised a roof terrace when in reality it’s just a glamourized smoking area. The building is pet friendly which is fabulous! Pets are also housed at no extra cost which is super. However, people’s dogs have been peeing in the corridors and down the walls (at least they have in the Madison East building). I was walking the other week and urine was dripping down one of the walls and pooling on the floor. This has happened before in that spot and I can see the paint starting to erode from the acid. The puddle was there for DAYS and just dried down to be sticky, I’m not sure why this wasn’t cleaned. The other times it’s happened it wasn’t cleaned either. I think that the cleaning really needs to be improved in this instance as having so many urine stains when I’m paying this much for rent isn’t just disgusting but unacceptable. There was one instance when I was coming home from work and there was a dog poo in the corridor. I know that falls more on the resident who owns the animal but it’s just revolting. Please hire a carpet cleaner!! Maintenance are friendly and efficient once they’re in your apartment but it takes weeks for someone to actually come and fix something. I’m not sure if this is down to poor triage, lack of staff, or problems with the app but it’s not ideal. They do have a new maintenance person starting though, and I know that management are intending to fix the issues with slow responses. The team are a bit of a mixed bag. They’re usually helpful but they lack warmth and honestly most of them seem really depressed to be here. They’re all lovely people but it’s a bit of an odd vibe sometimes. Particularly from *Name Removed*, who is so slow and never seems to know what is going on. I’ve seen him stood smoking with residents down by the music college, and once I saw him getting into a car with a resident, I think he's here for mates rather than to do a job. He seems to be a member of a resident clique where they all stand around and smoke. I’m not sure that it’s really appropriate. I just think the staff might need a little more training? Most of this does fall to ineffectual management; I’ve never met the manager but she seems like a nice enough lady. However, I know someone who lived at one of her previous buildings and apparently there were a lot of similar complaints about her and her team. I think she just lacks an eye for detail. The urine in the corridors, extremely slow maintenance, slow team. The bin store is DISGUSTING, it stinks and is always overflowing. I avoid going down there because it’s so horrible. The other thing I wanted to mention was security. The security guards are mostly super friendly and I’ve never felt unsafe living here! However, there was once instance where a homeless man had got in and was sleeping at the end of a corridor. I’m sure he was harmless and just looking for a place to sleep but people here have children so it really can’t happen again. We do pay to live in a secure building. Overall, I’d give this place 3/5. The team are fairly friendly but lack warmth and management definitely needs improving. Cleanliness leaves something to be desired due to the animal urine and although the location is convenient there are a LOT of homeless. I’ve seen drug deals, fistfights, and arson from my window. I’ve never felt unsafe as the homeless community in Leeds are generally friendly and keep to themselves but it’s something to bear in mind, especially if you are a young woman. The apartments are aesthetically really lovely and although they are quite expensive I have been mostly happy here.

The staff are so friendly James and the team are great. Leona helped me with an access issue. I like living alongside other young professionals and it’s really diverse at Kangaroo Works. The building responses and management have improved and it’s a great place to call home.