Purpose The demand for residential units in mixed development is increasing because of a better understanding of the benefits and functions of mixed development. However, there is a lack of study on the performance of the residential buildings in the mixed development. The purpose of this study is to investigate the satisfaction level of the occupants of residential buildings in mixed developments. Design/methodology/approach The research developed a questionnaire instrument that included 17 factors to measure the expectations and actual satisfaction of the residences in the mixed development. Data were collected using a survey questionnaire from five mixed developments in Greater Kuala Lumpur and analysed with service quality and matrix chart models. Findings The data revealed that while the expectations of the residential building users in mixed developments were not excessive, their satisfaction levels were not high. The price of residential buildings in mixed developments is exorbitant. Many of the occupants have relatively high actual satisfaction, even though some of them are disappointed in some of the services or benefits that are expected in mixed developments. The occupants are not interested in the nearness of the mixed development to public transport facilities, suggesting a high urge for private car ownership and poor public transport facilities. Originality/value The findings will be useful to developers, design teams, city planners and policymakers. Implicit in the findings of this research is the lack of a benchmark for the performance of luxury housing. From an ontological standpoint, the main findings of this study are generalisable to other cities in and outside of Malaysia.