The Block, austin-tx

The employees here are so rude and condescending. I had the unfortunate experience of speaking with Adeline on Saturday regarding the broken gate (for 2 hours) that kept residents trapped and she told her coworker to “handle me” because she could not do her job properly. Unfortunately sitting on your chair and scrolling online while residents are stuck inside the garage and standing behind a closed door saying you’re closed is not acceptable. Ended up having to call 911 to get the gate open, and mind you the gate hasn’t been fixed yet, meaning that the “emergency maintenance” they called hasn’t showed up yet. Anyways, Adeline continued to speak badly about me and how she didn’t want to even be there at work after I left, which shows you how much their employees care about the residents. This review is not about the apartment, as I love mine, but the workers are the issue.

The lobby had such a bright, welcoming vibe the second I walked in, and it actually smelled really clean compared to some other spots I’ve seen. The staff was super chill and took the time to show me around the different layouts without making me feel rushed at all. But what really sold me was how open and modern the common areas felt for the price. It honestly feels like a place where I could actually get some studying done without feeling cramped.

Horrendous move in. I moved in yesterday and had a unit that had no AC. They came and fixed it but it stopped working again today. They came again and fixed it so hopefully it will work from now on. Additionally, the balcony was filthy, with bird feathers/droppings and red stains on the floor. (photos below). My microwave also was not working during move in. The apartment is not really clean during move in so you’d have to clean it yourself. The maintenance team came relatively fast. Please listen to the negative reviews here because they are true.

Ever since I moved in back in August, this apartment has been one issue after another, and frankly it’s been unacceptable from the start. On move-in day, I walked into a unit that was clearly not cleaned or inspected after the previous tenants left, and it was disgusting. The sink had residue in it, the shower drain was clogged with visible clumps of hair, and there was even a broken acrylic nail left on the floor. None of the outlets had covers, there was a Domino’s parmesan packet sitting on the windowsill, and dust covered nearly every surface. It was obvious no one from management or maintenance had properly prepared the unit for a new tenant. My parents and I raised this immediately, and the property manager at the time, Manuel Vela, told us to leave and come back later so they could fix everything, but when we returned it was clear that little to nothing had actually been done, just a rushed, surface-level attempt. The same acrylic nail was still on the floor, which says everything about the level of care and attention given. Unfortunately, that was just the beginning. The next issue was the parking gate. For an entire week during the fall semester, my gate opener worked inconsistently, some days it would open the gate and other days it wouldn’t. One night, after getting off a late shift from work around 11 PM, I came back and my opener didn’t work at all. Several other residents were stuck outside too, all of us trying and failing to get in, leaving us sitting outside at night in a situation that felt genuinely unsafe. We called the so-called “emergency” hotline posted by the gate, and no one even answered, we had to leave a voicemail, which defeats the entire purpose of an emergency line. When someone finally responded, we were told there was nothing they could do until the morning and that we would all have to pay for street parking for the night, which is honestly ridiculous. I’m paying a monthly fee for a reserved parking space and yet I couldn’t even access it, and the solution was for me to spend more money??? Completely unacceptable. Then came the ongoing issue with utilities. At the beginning of the semester, my bill was around $30–$40 per person, which made sense, but over time it steadily increased to $50, then $80, and at that point my roommates and I became extremely careful by limiting lights, shortening showers, and avoiding large appliances like the oven. Despite that, the next bill jumped to $105 per person, which is when it became clear something was seriously wrong. I reached out to Manuel Vela and explained that our usage had not increased, and in fact we had actively reduced it, yet the bill kept rising. After weeks of back-and-forth emails over winter break, he eventually admitted that our water and sewer charges were “higher than average” and reduced the bill. While I appreciated the adjustment, it raised a bigger concern about whether anything would have been corrected if I hadn’t said something, because it felt like we were being overcharged and would have continued to be if I hadn’t pushed the issue. After that, our bills stayed below $55, which only confirmed that the earlier charges were not accurate. Now, with the transition to a new property manager, Lana Jones, the exact same issue is happening again and my utility bill has jumped back up to over $100. At this point, it no longer feels like a coincidence, it feels like a pattern of negligence at best or something more concerning. Overall, the condition of the unit at move-in, the lack of urgency or accountability with safety issues like the parking gate, and the repeated problems with inaccurate utility charges reflect a serious lack of management, oversight, and basic responsibility, and this entire experience has been frustrating, exhausting, and completely unacceptable. Knowing I’m finally moving out is the only thing keeping me going. I don’t come from money, which is why I signed here, but being “cheap” should not mean enduring this. Low-income students deserve honest, decent living conditions. Do better.

Lacy muy atenta y speaks Spanish which is very very nice. This is a very nice place and she will find a customized solution that suits your needs. She’ll be kind and very welcoming. Congrats to the block on having her as part of their team. Very talented and kind. Please give her a raise. She deserves it-a lot.