Westdale Parke — Attraction in Austin

Do NOT live here. My roommate and I moved to Austin two years ago and were not familiar with the different areas around the city. We chose this complex because of the price and approximation to downtown and other businesses. During our time at Westdale, we had countless issues. Upon move-in we were horrified when we walked into a unit that was completely filthy. It looked as though the "clean up" job the previous owners had done upon move out was the only amount of cleaning done, period. Carpets were dirty, hair on counters and surfaces, animal droppings and trash on the kitchen floor. The kicker was an unfinished bathtub with paint peeling all over the surface you would stand on...oh and the door with a lock that didn't work. We were overwhelmed and frustrated to say the least.

We brought our concerns to Westdale management and were told that they would have a cleaning crew come in, and that they would buy me a bath mat. The cleaning crew helped a little bit and after three replaced doorknobs our door sort of worked (if you didn't lock it every time it would just open randomly).

Months after moving in, my roommate and I went on a weekend trip. We left Friday morning and were to return the following Monday mid-day. While in the airport Monday morning on our return to Austin, my roommate received a call saying that our cars had been towed since we did not remove them from the parking lot that was being resurfaced. The notice to move cars was sent out that Friday afternoon of our weekend away. Westdale attempted to charge us for having to tow our cars, and only when we fought with them about it did they agree to waive the towing fee.

This summer we received a notice saying that the pool would be closed for several weeks for renovations. The notice came over the week of 4th of July, a time when residents would love to have a working pool.

We also saw a major renovation with the apartment leasing office which included a brand new community space next to the fitness center with a kitchenette and couches. Months after the renovation was finished I inquired about using the space (since it is always locked) to throw a grad school graduation get together for my roommate. I was told that residents were not allowed to use the space and that it is for Westdale corporate events only.

Do not leave anything in the laundry facilities, it will be stolen. The apartment community does not feel secure whatsoever.

Upon move out of Westdale Parke I had to go into the leasing office a few time with questions. The management treated me as if I was intruding on the work they had to do and like my presence was annoying. Not a great way to feel as a resident that has been with them for two years.

The final day my roommate and I spent in our apartment was spent cleaning up after our things had been moved out. We stopped by the office and asked if they had any touch up paint to put over the spackle where we had removed nails. We were told that they were out of touch up paint and that if we wanted we could go to Sherwin Williams and buy a gallon. The worker at Sherwin Williams rolled his eyes when we mentioned the complex being completely out of paint and said that it was highly unlikely. While in the office I asked if they had a list of things that would be looked at and residents would be potentially charged for so that we could take the time to make sure everything was clean and up to par. The girl at the desk said "All I can say is just do your best".

We received out resident statement and are being charged for a number of things including "damaged paint inside cabinets". Seriously? The paint job in our unit upon move in was atrocious to being with (in some areas there is hair painted into the walls since they didn't bother cleaning before), and I'm unsure as to how our plates caused $40 worth of damage to the cabinet interior. I emailed (as instructed) so that I could be forwarded pictures of the damages to see what it is we are being billed for and have yet to receive a response.

Bottom line: choose a...

So, I actually waited to give this review until my wife and myself were gone - we just moved out with a week or so still on our lease, because I would not put it past this establishment to retaliate in some passive aggressive manner.

I am 31 and have lived in various places and was in the Navy for years. This is the worst apartment complex I have ever lived in. This seems to be the general consensus of the neighbors I have made friends with and the common reason for people staying is cost - IT IS cheap to live here but you get what you pay for (although rent increase was huge each year). I will try to keep some examples brief as there are too many to type, and in list form because believe me, I could be on here forever..

Maintenance is done slowly and incorrectly: We had mold on most of our vents, mainly in the bathroom. You will find that complaints of mold and deteriorating shelves/paint/cabinets are commonplace. Rather than replace them, they spray painted over the mold and discoloration. We had to have our shower re-done very often, also because of deterioration and mold, and the contractors they hire do a very poor job. Often when maintenance came and did a job, we arrived home, and saw very poor or hastily done work. The maintenance staff themselves were very nice and I'm sure just following orders or under qualified. They had a water leak on both sides of our building out of the hose spigots, and after letting them know - it took more than a month to correct! A leak! My last battle - my apartment's AC unit was bad and the insulation in the place is not great, and after REPEATED emails back and forth, they could not fix the issue so in August in Texas, my apartment would not cool over about 76 degrees. They just could not get it fixed. Asked for a temporary AC unit, they did not give us one knowing we were hot inside.

The complex staff, it's way of operating, and priorities are petty: We had a situation with the manager of the complex a few years ago over pest removal. They were laying sticky glue traps outside where ANY type of animal can get caught in, not just rats (which this is also an inhumane way to dispose of rats when rat traps are more effective and less cruel), and surely enough a bird got caught in one. We told them they can't lay traps out, the staff argued with my wife who is licensed in animal rehabilitation, and we had to call the game warden (because of protected species threat). After the game warden threatened to fine them, they removed the traps. I had a car that was in great shape and was off of the road, and I was in the process of selling. They place a sticker on the car for towing and said they were going to tow in 2 days (what if I was on vacation)!? After checking the lease, they owed me 7 days notice for removal, which when I argued for, they "graciously" granted so I could sell my car. This complex is also, currently, in a petty battle with a neighbor of mine over her emotional support pets, and have hired a lawyer to get involved over a few cats. The general theme and my point: if the complex would put this much time and energy and cost into ANYTHING else or over fixing the horrible conditions in these apartments, this place may be a much nicer option for those who want to live in North Austin.

The reviews speak for themselves and I would avoid this place at all costs, unless your standard of living or expectations are very low. You can gather that the apartments themselves aren't great over other reviews, with even the nicer reviews saying this place is "okay" or "fine for the cost", so I wanted to focus on the pettiness of the staff and the method in which things...

Avoid at all costs.

I lived at Westdale Parke for two years. There are some serious things you need to know before you consider living here:

1. Water: All running water in your apartment will be shut off, sometimes with no notice, at least once a week. Usually every Tuesday and Thursday. Management cites "maintenance" or "emergency repairs", however such "emergencies" happened consistently over two years. There must be a serious plumbing issue with this complex if it requires so much maintenance and emergency shutoffs.

2. Hot water: In addition to your running water being consistently disconnected, your hot water will also stop working without notice. Sometimes there will be little to no pressure, and sometimes it will not run at all. Unlike your running water, you are usually not notified about this. I have experienced periods up to 4 days without any hot water. Prepare to start your day with a cold shower.

3. No laundry: Your unit does not have a washer or dryer in it. They have paid laundry on site, and the laundry rooms are filthy. At any given time, usually half the machines are broken, and it takes around a month for the company to come repair them. Washers are filled with standing water without maintenance for weeks on end, and dryers blow cold air or don't spin. The laundry rooms are also unlocked with the door wide open. This means that unhoused folks are usually rummaging through the clothes left out. If it rains, there is water pooled on the floor. Despite these facts, they raised the prices for laundry by approx. 75% while I lived there.

4. Shady management: At the time of my lease renewal, they were asking for almost $1500 a month while the same unit I was living in was listed under $1000. When I attempted to negotiate this price, they told me they would get back to me. After two weeks of radio silence, I reached out again and was ignored. Since you're required to give 60 days notice of your intent to not renew, the longer they take the more likely you'll be forced to renew your lease at an outrageous rate. The management office only reached out to me to negotiate rent after I CC'ed executives at their parent company. Coincidentally, that same week my hot water stopped working again. While this feels retaliatory, the property manager Edith maintains that it was not. This is entirely possible, since your hot water stops working quite often.

If you're looking for a complex with a similar vibe, I would suggest a place like Bridge at Waters Park on Parmer Lane.

Update: It’s excellent to see an update from the “Community Manager” after a month. It’s also interesting that every other response uses a different signature. Almost as if this review was more damning than usual.

I’d like to provide some clarity on their response, in the interest of transparency for future tenants.

1. The delay in rent negotiation was not an inconvenience to me. It was very telling of potential malicious intent during the review process. This was not a multi-day delay, this was unresponded emails for a time period spanning around a month.

2. If “burst pipes” and “the building structure” were reasons for water shut offs multiple times a week, I would be extremely concerned about the structural and plumbing integrity of the entire complex.

3. The conditions in the laundry facility I spoke of were consistent since the beginning of my rental period over two years ago. Valid complaints were raised by multiple residents during this time. Said upgrades to laundry rooms, during a time of high vacancy due to the property’s management, seem highly unlikely or...