Not really cheap anymore, as they've increased rents each semester to the point where it's hardly…read morecompetitive with apartment housing. In order to keep things cheap, they look everywhere to fine members: miss a meeting - get fined, common space is dirty - get fined, can't do your labor on time - get fined. It's a bit like the Spirit Airways of housing - cheap, it's an awful experience, and when you add up all the other costs it's really not worth it. Bullying is quite prevalent in all of the houses. All of these reviews are from a time when the organization was run by people who cared more about everything.

Gosh, where do I start with my 2020 review of College Houses? There's a lot to unpack here, but…read moreI'll start with the few positives I guess. Pros of College Houses: Cheap affordable housing near UT Austin, and food is always available in the kitchen which means you don't need to necessarily buy your own. You get to meet a lot of international students which could broaden your horizons depending on who you meet. Cons: There are many. Bullying against disabled and autistic people is quite normal, not to mention reporting it to the office does nothing. Office members and co-op leaders are often complicit with this too. It's also quite okay to make fun of people with different political views than what is considered "normal" by Austin standards, which I don't think leads to a healthy or conducive conversation. It's also quite okay to look down and belittle students with a darker complexion (aka skin colour) and think that they aren't as smart, intelligent, competent, cultured, etc. and that has led to many conflicts from what I've seen, not to mention anti-Asian sentiments about COVID-19. Nobody stepped into help from what I saw, except for the anti-Asian sentiments.

We were fortunate to live at the Cole for nearly three years. Regarding the space, the location…read morecould not be better: walking distance to Lady Bird Lake, downtown, ACL...you get the picture. The apartment itself had a super cozy, open environment with huge windows facing downtown Austin (we had a 4th-floor unit with a balcony looking north). All the other apartments we looked at during our search had tiny living rooms, but the Cole allowed plenty of room to entertain. The bedrooms, bathrooms, and closets were all spacious, which is plus, plus, plus. I can not say enough about Carly and her team. From the leasing office to the maintenance crew, everyone was amazing. Carly was on it whenever we had an issue and ALWAYS with a smile. The maintenance crew usually had repairs/maintenance done within a day or two. Top-notch customer service, indeed. We always felt safe and secure in the environment. Our neighbors were awesome and friendly and the amenities were just what we needed. Seriously, it was a fantastic experience. Carly and the Cole are excellent.

My boyfriend and I moved into the Cole Apartments last week and so far we've been blown away by the…read moreproperty and level of service we've received from the leasing office. I toured with Katie and she was so transparent, answering a lot of tough questions that leasing agents like to dismiss. Her manager Savanna seems great as well. Same goes for the maintenance staff guy I met for a minute, Oz. Solid crew! Pro's - LOCATION, huge unit, even bigger walk-in closets, roomy balcony facing downtown (so pretty at night), lots of natural light, clean & quiet pool and hot tub, lots of resident events if you want to get to know your neighbors or meet people, so far I'm loving this place... Con's - Older building, noisy outside with construction, concerts at Zach Theater, cars on S Lamar (but we actually like the city living feel of it), toilet flushes mega-loud, the AC unit is really loud, the gym is tiny and dated so if you're a gym rat who works out at home this isn't for you. For my needs, this place has been ahhhhmazing! I highly recommend the Cole Apartments.

They should tear this place down. It's kind of a bunch of run down shacks that attract the wrong…read morekind of people. Many of them there may not even go to the schools. It was beyond words outrageously abysmal. That was over 10 years ago. Memories of the place suck. Not to mention my previous place burnt down weeks after I moved here. Then my high school friends apartment building burnt down. Not sure if there is a connection there but I wouldn't be surprised. If there was a way to contact the police or some sort of authority to have this place shut down, it is 100% what should be done. I don't understand what's going on here. It is kind of a danger to the students and people in the area. Their egos and attitudes are fight forming. They are all swapping illegal drugs and manipulating each other in what seems like a nightmarish play put on by whoever is propping this place up. Also, take a look at the reviews they got removed and hidden. They are there. I lived there at the same time as this other person who has a review hidden. Their review is true and the people at this place are truly out of their minds.

It is rare to move into a community that is as accepting of an individual's differences as 21st…read moreco-op is; the people here not only accept the differences but encourage it. Be who you want to be, learn who you will become and discover yourself this is the perfect place for that. 21st is more than just a community; its a family. We eat together, work together and party together. There are weekly events that encourage residents to come together and socialize, programs in place that are geared toward educating the masses about what it is you want to learn. We all work together to develop a cooperative living enviroment, which fosters trust and promotes teamwork, while empowering each individual. The rent is affordable, and the location is conveniently located near UT and a short distance from downtown. 17 meals a week are provided, and you have the freedom to cook something to eat whenever you get hungry. 21st co-op is the best place I have ever lived and I am proud to call this place my home.

I moved to Avalon as a bright-eyed college freshman. Avalon, with its stinky couches, co-ed…read morebathrooms, dirty carpets. During my time there, I learned to cook for 25 people for $25. I learned to play pool. I stayed up many a night watching the boys play Mario cart. Most importantly, I met my husband at Avalon. Someday I hope to send my kids there.

I've lived at co-ops and hostels around the world and there are few that can compete with the…read morewarmth of the community at Avalon. I lived there for two years after having lived at two other ICC houses and I have to say it's my favorite and I will forever love my Avalonian brethren. I met my wife at an Avalon party and made multiple friends for life at this wonderful north campus landmark.

How can one sum up 5 years of extensive experience living somewhere?…read more Tis a daunting task, but someone's gotta do it. The Pearl Street Housing Cooperative is owned and operated by the college students that live there. This 501c non-profit is under the umbrella company College Houses. What is a co-op you ask? Well, it sure as hell isn't the University Co-op that ass-rapes UT students at the sound of a transaction. A real co-op is something like Wheatsville, REI, Land O' Lakes Butter, or ICC Houses. Pearl Street has been my home since 2003, my freshman year in college. Any student from ACC, St. Edwards, UT, etc. can live here...as long as your enrolled in 6 hours. This is the cheapest place by far in West Campus. This fact is becoming increasingly true with the proliferation of shitty generic money grubbing apartment compounds. Every student that calls Pearl Street home does about 4 hours of "labor" each week to keep costs low. Examples of labor could be anything from cooking dinner and vacuuming hallways to organizing parties. I love this house so much that I have been two officer position, sat on the board of directors, and told countless about my amazing experiences. The average age of student living here is probably about 21-22. There are some 18 yr-old and some random 40 year-olds. It's cool though...we're not ageist here. People from all over the world live here. Dinners are healthy and we've got options for meat eaters and/or vegetarians. When its your b-day it's tradition to be "pooled".

Repulsive living conditions. Temperatures above 85 in the summer, below 65 in the winter. Toxic…read moreculture. Parties are loud and disruptive so you cannot study.

Great place for first-time and short-term Austin residents. You save money on rent in return for…read moregiving up privacy. If you understand that tradeoff and you're willing to be flexible, you will have a good time.

I was very lucky to find this place when I first moved to Texas. I was all by myself and didn't…read moreknow much about Austin. I found there friends from all around the US and all over the world - we were exploring the city together, celebrating holidays and birthdays just like family. The price was very affordable, considering also that the place had everything you need (sofas, equipped kitchen, cleaning) and the room had the minimum like bed, bathroom, closet... Another big plus is that it is month-to-month lease. In short - the ultimate place to stay if you are new in town. Thank you Macro House!

It's actually a pretty great place to live. I've lived here my entire 3 years at law school, and…read moreit's been a very pleasant experience. The price, the culture, and the community all made this apartment an excellent place to live. Opsis is a "co-op" or a cooperative house. The idea is that the entire complex and its sister co-ops are completely run by its tenants. Most basically that means you contribute labor to help maintain the premises. In exchange you pay much less rent. In fact, it has to be one of the cheapest apartments in west campus. Especially considering that you get your own bedroom and your own bathroom. Yep, that's right--every apartment is a fully-furnished 2 bed 2 bath. But the labor demands are not extreme. You perform one hour of labor a week, and then once a semester the entire house (20 tenants) comes together at an event where they tackle larger projects. There's also a management caretaker that conducts specialized repairs. The management does infrequently hire people to perform professional maintenance. Probably the best thing about Opsis is its culture. The risk of living in West Campus is that you'll get sucked into the undergrad party scene and lifestyle. Law school demands serious attention to your studies--so I could not afford to surround myself with neighbors who party hard. Because Opsis explicitly targets international and grad students--people who care about their studies--it's an oasis of responsible, mature people. There's also a sense of community here that really suits the life of a committed student. The co-op system focuses on building a community, so here at Opsis they host social events every month and have house meetings every two weeks. House meetings are undoubtedly the worst, but they're necessary--and they help teach you to make collaborative decisions with fellow tenants that impact the immediate community. You also perform labor with another tenant--the person I've worked with for the last two years has actually become a great friend of mine! Now, there are a few things to complain about. As a member of the community, you inevitably have to deal with people to sort out communal issues, which can actually be a drag sometimes. The building is old and the bathrooms are poorly designed. The furnishings are generally of mixed quality. Still, for the price and the location, Opsis remains a great investment. It has helped me save a lot of money, and has been a welcome refuge from the stresses of law school. Austin has become a very desirable place to live, and as affordable housing close to campus and downtown becomes more scarce, Opsis stands out as a great place to live for the committed student. Highly recommend.

I LOVE Opsis! Perfect place to focus on schoolwork while still living cooperatively in a close-knit…read morecommunity. Highly recommend to grad students and current co-opers that need a little more space/place to concentrate. Apartments are the perfect size for two people. Cat lovers will feel at home here. However, there is a unicorn infestation but most members don't seem to mind.