University of Texas at Austin (UT) students who reside at The Standard claim the new luxury housing complex is rife with various problems, per a report from Austin CBS affiliate KEYE.
KEYE reported that property on West 23rd Street in the city’s West Campus neighborhood has elicited complaints from residents since at least before the start of the 2021-2022 academic year.
The station reported that problems ranged from missing furniture to a rodent infestation.
Allison Uebele told KEYE that rats in her unit forced her to stay at a hotel for weeks.
“I was living in a hotel out of my own pocket and (The Standard) never reimbursed me for this because I could not live here,” Uebele said, the station reported. “There was rat feces everywhere.”
According to the station, Uebele brought in a pest control company though it violated property policy, but more rats came into the unit.
Uebele’s rat problem was eventually solved, KEYE reported, but she was forced to deal with another headache.
"It's just not a safe place to live at all," she told KEYE. "They branded it as a luxury building, but in reality a lot of the students don't feel safe to live here."
The station reported that one resident created an anonymous Instagram account to document complaints.
At least 12 posts were shared to the account as of this month, KEYE reported.
Landmark Properties, a real estate firm that specializes in student and single-family housing, owns The Standard.
According to the station, the company issued a statement saying it prioritizes residents’ safety.
“We take all resident concerns seriously and have taken immediate action to address the situation, mitigate additional incidents and manage tenant grievances,” the statement reads. “All pest issues were handled quickly and remedied by our local pest control provider.”
Landmark further explained that its maintenance staff investigates moisture complaints.