Waterloo Flats

I moved in about two weeks ago and I really like it here. I was born here so I'm familiar with the area and know this is a rougher neighborhood historically but I'm still happy. The area has a lot of good places to eat and I'm close to the lake. What I really like though is my renovated unit. I love the kitchen. I would change some things in regards to storage but I'm very happy I made this move and got the price that I did. The weather made my nice extra craft but Bradley and another staff member (I can't remember her name) were very helpful. I wish the owners didn't make them come in during such dangerous conditions. Updating here: On the down side, I do hear my neighbors well once I turn off my tv- similarly or a bit more than the average apartment I think. The dips in the floor worry me in that I wonder if there was mold at some point as it is soft and dips but I see no visible signs of anything bad. Good little community so far.

I felt compelled to leave a review after my recent tour with Megan, the Community Manager. I appreciated her willingness and availability. I've not had a manager do so before. Megan's energy was welcoming and not in the "salesperson, make you buy" type of way. She was genuine and honest. She listened well. She is clearly very experienced and knowledgeable in this line of work, in a humble manner. I asked lots of questions! She was patient. Unfortunately, Waterloo Flats doesn't quite have what my husband and I are looking for at this time, however, I will still recommend to my friends/family or anyone inquiring about an apartment space. Ask for Megan for an enlightening tour! 😉

Update: I’ve upgraded to 2 stars as leaving a 1 star review here AND with CSC helped. Although CSC gave me a specific email to escalate and followed up, vs the basic response you see below. Lesson learned, call them out publicly and things move. Machines in Laundry room by main office have been out of order for, essentially, months. A couple worked periodically for a week or so. It’s been about a month since I reported it to the front office and got a “we’re working with [vendor], and “residents can also report directly to expedite”….i also reported directly to the vendor about a month ago. For a place that’s raising rent regularly, it would be nice to use the amenities on site, especially laundry. And for the amount of rent paid, it would be nice to have a management team that actively advocates on behalf of the community when an entire room of machines isn’t working. I have to specifically reach out for updates and it’s always the same PR response. No urgency whatsoever, yet that Amenity Fee still shows up on the monthly bill. Seeing these machines sitting, untouched, unfixed and non functional for MONTHS has become infuriating.

Living here has been nothing short of a nightmare. At the end of last month, my A/C stopped cooling properly. I submitted a work order and Bradley in the office told me it was “set too high.” That was completely false, I always keep my thermostat at 72, yet it wouldn’t cool past 76. Just days later, I woke up drenched in sweat to find my apartment at 81 degrees while it was cooler outside. I called the emergency line since anything over 85° is an emergency in Austin. By the time maintenance brought me a portable unit, it was already 87° inside. That unit only cooled one room, leaving the rest of my apartment unlivable. Cooking in a 90° kitchen was impossible, and the lack of air took a serious toll on my mental health. I had to constantly pester the office for answers. Eventually my boyfriend connected the thermostat to my phone and it confirmed what I suspected all along, the compressor was broken. Why this wasn’t diagnosed immediately is beyond me. Instead of addressing the real problem, I was brushed off as if I didn’t know how to use my own thermostat. When the compressor was finally scheduled to be replaced, the job was canceled because of a light rain shower, forcing me to go another weekend without A/C. I was “offered” a spare unit to stay in, but it reeked of cigarette smoke. Then the portable unit they gave me MELTED my outlet, creating a fire hazard. I spent the night in 88° heat in violation of city code. When I told the office, Marin actually blamed me for “setting it too low” and even told me not to set the portable unit under 70. Since when are office staff allowed to dictate what temperature I can set inside my own apartment? That is completely unacceptable. A new compressor was eventually installed, but it turned out to be defective, meaning yet another week without A/C. It’s now the end of August, and I’ve spent the entire month dealing with broken promises, broken equipment, and office staff that are dismissive, unprofessional, and frankly insulting. Even after all of this, my A/C still struggles to cool properly, never reaching the temperature it’s set to. The way the staff have handled this has been appalling! Excuses, delays, unsafe equipment, and zero accountability. Living without proper A/C in Texas summer is not just inconvenient, it’s unsafe. Do yourself a favor: do not rent here.

With the renovations in progress the updated apartments are amazing. Wood floors, fully renovated kitchen with stainless steel appliances. The area is perfect and you'll never be bored. Good place to live. Definitely worth a look. Check it out for yourself.