Dockside, Leith

Living at Dockside has been an absolute joy!

We have lived in similar developments in London that do not compare to Dockside in every aspect. The facilities are outstanding. The gym large, spacious and very well equipped.. you never have to wait to use equipment. The social areas are beautifully maintained and it feels like you live in a luxury hotel, but one with a community feel. We were informed of extra costs for use of some areas and they seem reasonable to me. Importantly Dockside say they are pet friendly and they certainly are. Although they have restrictions which most developments do, and understandable, our pets are treated like Kings and Queens and allowed use of all areas, as long as on leads. All staff including cleaners, maintenance , front staff, sales and Manager have all been most helpful. When we have raised an issue, it has been dealt with well and swiftly. I like to attend as many of the residents events as possible and we appreciate their efforts. I understand these can be one aspect of Dockside marketing but I believe the staff involved in organising these events do it for the residents. There is a community feel and we have met some lovely people and made some friendship groups.

Well planned and maintained

the location is nice and quite while still being close and easy to get to the city. The amenities are also great and make for nice areas to spend time when you want to be out of your own flat. The team downstairs are great too and always friendly and helpful.

Fantastic development with a killer view

I really like the building. Externally, the functional design of the towers themselves has actually really grown on me, but internally they are very polished, there are plenty of places to sit, work, think etc both in the lobby area and the roof top spaces. The gym appears to be very well kitted out and additional systems for collecting mail, ditching your rubbish and bike storage are all excellent and add to the overall efficiency of the building. The only thing missing for me is some kind of buzzer system, even if just to allow friends/delivery people to alert you that they have arrived.

Very happy living here

I'm really happy living here and honestly don't have any complaints. Everything is well looked after and the staff are all lovely. They're friendly, approachable and easy to have a chat with, which makes a difference when you live somewhere. Our dog is also very well known around Dockside and gets plenty of attention from the staff, which we really appreciate. It’s nice that they are so welcoming and treat pets as part of the community too. I've had no issues with the building or the way things are run. I just enjoy living here and have been very happy with it.

Looks Like Luxury — Read the Fine Print

The building is attractively designed, but the quality and condition of the property increasingly do not justify the rents being charged. The energy arrangement is another major concern. Residents cannot opt out, are subject to a standing charge of around £60, pre electricity usage, and regularly face bills of £120–£200+ per month, with charges based on business rates. Energy is purchased by the building and effectively resold to residents, leaving tenants with no meaningful choice or ability to seek a cheaper supplier. The lack of transparency around this arrangement is upsetting given the building energy is meant to be efficient. The area means you will pay around £360 per month in council tax. The building is backed by large investment funds, yet tenants are being asked to accept escalating costs while basic maintenance isn’t completed to a high standard. AI cameras across the property also raises serious concerns about privacy and surveillance. Overall, while the design looks good on the surface, the growing gap between the premium price residents pay and the standard of service, maintenance and transparency they receive is extremely disappointing. Extremely high turn over of staff at front desk, now missing the original people who made the building special. No transparency when you join regarding the social spaces that are available, you are told these are available to use, but often fail to mention it costs hundreds of pounds to rent out spaces. Old staff members allowed it to be used if it was not booked which meant you could show off your home to others, your now policed like the stasi government and sent passive aggressive emails and will get charged if more than 4 people congregate who are not part of the building. You will pay another £200 a month in parking if you have a car. Social events increasingly feel like marketing opportunities for the building rather than genuine resident benefits, with activities always used for social media promotion. This can be particularly uncomfortable for residents who have legitimate privacy or personal safety concerns about publicly identifying where they live. Overall, the building looks impressive on the surface, but there is a growing disconnect between the premium residents pay and the service, transparency, freedom and value they actually receive. The sense of community that originally made the building special is being replaced by increasingly restrictive rules, rising costs and a strong focus on profitability and marketing.