Leon House, CR0

Please tell us about the good and bad aspects of living in your local area:

Great location, amazing building construction, lovely view. Very basic restaurants around nothing special that I could recommend.

Please share one thing (or more) which you wish you had known before you moved in:

I wish to know that my service charge will be increased by double in one year.

What is the best feature of your home:

The view is lovely, large living room, really warm in the winter.

Please tell us about the good and bad aspects of living in your local area:

Very good selection of bars and restaurants in the local area, all quite reasonably priced. You can really take full advantage of the area with a personal vehicle which makes accessing the bigger supermarkets and shops in Purley Way much easier. There are no supermarkets very closeby but lots of shops. Walk to East Croydon station is about 15 minutes, and South Croydon about the same. Excellent transport links to central. The area is reasonably safe most of the time although things can get quite seedy late at night, but that is the case for most of London. I have lived in many other parts of the city and it seems to me that Croydon gets an especially bad reputation for crime Lots of brand new developments are sprouting up around everywhere, but the high street is declining if anything. I think it is a problem the whole country is facing, but the issue specific to Croydon is that super-convenient access to central London reduces local demand. I am very hopeful that the high street and shopping areas will get re-developed to some degree in the near future, it is very much needed.

How has the building management responded to any problems or issues you have raised:

rude, short and unhelpful. Every interaction with FI Real Estate has been very unpleasant.

Please share one thing (or more) which you wish you had known before you moved in:

That Leon Quarter was going to obstruct the north-facing view of apartments, and that there is no cover for snags or issues discovered after moving in.

Please tell us about the good and bad aspects of living in your local area:

Good location. Old building and no proper ventilation. Bin management is bad as I am based on the south side and it smells all around the year.

How has the building management responded to any problems or issues you have raised:

They have not responded to any of my issues or complaints.

Please share one thing (or more) which you wish you had known before you moved in:

If I had know this area was full of crime and noise is constant makes you kill yourself and the stench that comes from the bin site it is just to overwhelming.

Please tell us about the good and bad aspects of living in your local area:

In terms of shops, bars, restaurants and open spaces, there's a huge variety but whether they're good quality is questionable. Transport links are fine but costly. You can easily connect to Zone 1 but if there is a strike, you need to stay at home because it would take around 2 hours to go to Central London. Parking is a big problem. There's usually no space. Bin collection is another problem because Biffa is a very irresponsible company. There's almost always some noise coming from outside both from people and traffic. It is very common to hear people screaming at each other.

How has the building management responded to any problems or issues you have raised:

They did nothing to address the problems related to the defects in the flat.

Please share one thing (or more) which you wish you had known before you moved in:

I wish I had known the profile of the residents before I moved in.

Please tell us about the good and bad aspects of living in your local area:

The South End of Croydon is a lively bustling environment which is both a blessing and a curse. The range of shops and entertainment in close proximity is a definite plus, however being in the middle of this area can lead to some noisy nights after hours and in the case of Leon House, the sad fact that you are regularly unable to open your windows on the South side without gaining a lot of smoke entering from the restaurant literally next to it. Parking availability is non existent on the roads but the building does have a car park currently for guest of residents but due to development nearby this facility could go which will make life quite difficult for both residents and guests. Being a commuter the close proximity to East Croydon station is the largest plus as you are only 15 mins away from getting a train to the South Coast or to Central London and beyond.

How has the building management responded to any problems or issues you have raised:

Building Management were dismissive, then aggressive with regards to the issues in the Bathrooms, then forced work involving multiple workmen on a vulnerable person during the pandemic, threatening to void the building warranty on the flat if it was not undertaken, despite me explaining my situation. If I had the choice I would sell up tomorrow sadly as I do not feel if there is a major issue that they would either respond adequately or indeed compassionately to someone who has invisible disabilities. I now have cracks in my bathroom and there is no recourse other than to try and remedy myself.

Please share one thing (or more) which you wish you had known before you moved in:

One Good, One Bad. The good is that the Facebook Community between residents is lovely, showing a real community vibe and they are always happy to help others and try to make others welcome. The bad is that the running cost of the property is not the cheapest energy wise and the Service Charges increase dramatically each year putting a strain on peoples finances, especially if you are moving in on your own.