Julia Zehner
West Campus apartments viewed from West 23rd Street on Feb. 19, 2025.
Amid leasing season, lawyers and student advocates said students should review their housing options and know their rights as tenants when they sign leases for next year at West Campus apartments.
Lease agreements are contracts that come in two different types: a traditional lease, where tenants lease the entire living space, and a student-housing lease, where tenants lease a bedroom within the living space. This latter option is common in West Campus apartments, but steps in the leasing process can present issues for students, said Martin Serra, the attorney with UT’s Legal Services for Students.
Students should visit their housing options prior to signing a lease agreement and meet with a trusted advisor, Serra said. Any issues with the apartment should be included in the written contract, he said.
“Most people enter into leasing contracts with a certain expectation of what that is going to entail, and reality doesn’t always live up to those expectations,” Serra said.
If students experience issues as tenants, they can contact UT’s Legal Services for Students and receive a consultation with Serra usually within 24 hours.
The UT Tenants’ Union, a student organization advocating for tenant rights, is an additional resource for students. The union provides resources for common steps in the leasing process, according to their website.
“We want people to be able to turn to us, tell us their housing issues and give them the resources and coalition-building power to make noise and force action,” said Kayla Quilantang, co-founder of the union and architecture senior.
According to Section 92.056 of the Texas Property Code, which lists tenant protections, maintenance issues affecting health and safety must be fixed within seven days, said Jennifer MacGeorge, managing attorney for Texas Tenant Law.
“Your landlord is going to pretend like you have no right to terminate,” MacGeorge said. “If it’s still not repaired after another written notice in seven days, you have the right to terminate your lease.”
Residents can submit a code complaint by calling Austin 311 or by reporting a code violation online, according to an information sheet from the union. Residents should be specific about the problem and when it occurred, according to the information sheet.
The city of Austin Development Services Department’s Code Compliance team responds to code complaints from tenants, said Serra.
“(A code complaint) can be an alternative way to influence a landlord to complete a repair in a situation when they are not being responsive to written requests for repair,” Serra said.
Signing a lease agreement almost a year before it begins could present a challenge for student tenants if they change their minds, Serra said.
“That culture of signing so far in advance is one that’s enjoyed by the landlords and not the students,” Serra said. “There’s a lot of different things that can come up during that period of time. Resist the urge; don’t take the bait.”