Unfortunately I lived here for two years. In that span this is some of the fun I experienced: A one month wait to replace a broken toilet upon move in. The broken toilet was leaking water and flooding my bathroom. AND when they fixed it they used one of my kitchen bowls to drain toilet water into. Constant UNANNOUNCED water outages. Sometimes lasting all day. Imagine waking up or getting home from work and you can't cook, shower or clean. This was AT LEAST 3-4 times a month. Often 2-3 times a week. Mold issues. Verified by an independent lab test. We had issues with breathing and coughing. The retreat refused to even acknowledge the issue until I contacted an attorney. Now look at all of the other reviews mentioning mold issues... STUDENTS - you have attorneys available FREE at TXST... USE THEM!! Management will ask people who take tours to write 5-star reviews to be entered into a giveaway. That is a scam and a misrepresentation (allegedly). Please read the reviews and see for yourself! Other issues not directly the fault of management are: My randomly assigned roommate commiting a felony burglary, followed by a posse breaking into the apartment looking for him. Followed by the police. A shooting within the complex. People randomly throwing trash into the bed of my truck, and just generally all over the place. Even caught one person using my truck as a seat. No respect. People drive through the complex like it is a racetrack. (While also on their phones) I have seen a number of very close calls. My girlfriend has been cat-called multiple times while just walking to and from our car. Overall, this is a horrible place to live. It has been about one year since my stay here as of me posting this review. There are much better apartments in San Marcos. read more

The Retreat - Apartments Near Me - San Marcos, Texas

DO NOT LIVE HERE!! Water turned off constantly, staff is rude and holds your packages hostage. They kick your friends out and give you a 30 year old random roommate. First week of living here my car got broken into. Only pro is the pool and that is never cleaned. Save your money and go somewhere else. Maintenance shows up unannounced. read more

DO NOT LIVE HERE! And if you are, don't live in apartment #1432. First off, I never had A/C in my room for the whole year of living here. 2nd, my closet collapsed THREE times. (Bunch of roaches crawled out of the holes in the wall, when the closet would collapse.) 3rd, you are NOT safe here and management will never fix any issue you have. There's squatters that will enter your home if not locked, cars broken into weekly, and random strangers who will walk around the retreat at night harassing/scaring residents for their own entertainment. Additional info: Maintenance would constantly lie to my face, in a very insulting manner. The large amounts of black mold that was in our apartment caused me to feel fatigued and sick daily (black mold poisoning). Water shut offs with no accurate notice. Some of the residents here are disrespectful, messy, and immature. Apartment wasn't clean on move in day (found a broken nail in my room Etc.) Basically, I could write a whole novel on all the bad experiences and complaints that I have retained living here at the retreat. Dont live here, this place is straight up depressing. read more

Used to be the coolest place to live when going to TXST. Now? It's trashy, the staff isn't helpful at all, there's bugs, constant construction, water shut offs, and it's just gone WAY downhill since 2022. Always one issue after another, and extremely overpriced. I wouldn't waste your time, live at the cottages or villages instead. read more

Taking at least $4000 a month from me and 4 of my roommates combined and they still want to charge a $350 fee for wanting to cancel a resigned lease AND you have to find someone to take over the lease. It is absolute bull. Now I have to pull $350 out of my asshole. I understand it's policy but the whole year I lived here was hell. I am so taken aback by this knowing they charged up to $1000 a month for a moldy ran down room that was horrendous upon move in. I had to hire 2 cleaning services myself because it was so disgusting. I was SHOCKED. There was literally black stuff all over the vent facing directly above my bed. I was breathing that in every single night. It was MOLD. There was a disgusting black ring around the toilet water that I almost passed out trying to clean. My cleaning lady almost passed out too. I've written a review at the beginning of my time living at the retreat because I misunderstood and was completely misunderstood by a student that was working there and she snapped at me. I was extremely depressed because I was moving out for the first time on my own driving an hour back and forth multiple times moving my things back and forth all by myself. I was stressed and confused. I just wanted clarification as to why my car was towed when it was parked in front of my front door and the student working went off on me and I still remained calm because I was so taken aback by her attitude. After that situation, everytime I came to the front office to pick up a package I was given dirty ugly disgusting looks. Completely classless people. Completely power tripping off of teaming up on tenants who express themselves through honest reviews. Even the MANAGER a grown woman probably late 40s was hating and holding a grudge on me. I asked a girl at the front office about my packages because I was missing one and the manager said from a room in the back "if you need help let me know I'll come take care of it" like I was a threat. I know the manager heard me say my full name when the student worker asked me for it. She did in fact realize she forgot to grab one of my packages. I just felt defeated knowing every time I wanted to pick up a package I would be punished for leaving a valid review. A couple girls were nice to me but for the most part I dreaded having to come in to pick up packages. It was like this for the whole year. It will 100% inconvenience you living here. You will regret it so much and end up paying undeserved fees. Wish I could form a group of some sort that have had a terrible experience here and file a lawsuit about this dissappointment of an apartment. They are so money hungry and make things difficult for monthly payments so that they can charge you at least $100-$200 in fees on top of rent. I am so emotional about this because they are completely heartless scammers. Texas laws require landlords to make a diligent effort to repair issues that affect physical health or safety, which includes toxic mold conditions. If there is mold in your apartment make sure you provide a written notice detailing the mold. They have about 7-30 days to fix it. If they fail to do so you should terminate the lease for constructive habitability violation. There should be a group formed for those who want to file a lawsuit for damages, including health issues or emotional distress. Even though Texas law doesn't prohibit reletting or admin fees they should be reasonable. In my case I am ending my lease due to a habitability breach, why should I be required to pay fees for terminating the lease early because I am sick from the condition of this complex the whole time living there. I never get sick!! Never even got COVID when my family had it. My throat would be scratchy breathing in the air in my room. Every night. Wake up dry coughing and choking cus of the mold. I can say I actually stayed in my room for less than half the time I leased here. The rest of the time I spent in San Antonio at home. The only people deserving of a good review is maintenance. I feel so bad for maintenance because they are the ones having to fix these issues. They are so kind I offer them as much cold water as they want everytime they are in my house fixing. They are amazing people. You can find a low quality apartment like this one for a MUCH cheaper price. Should've been paying no more than 600 for a room at The Retreat. If I go up there to finish moving out and do slave work for them I better not get disrespected again. No human decency what so ever. Disgusting. read more

This place is so garbage never live here unless you want to be permanently stressed. If you want to be over charged for rent, for a 4 bedroom they charge 917 dollars for a room, and theres 4 rooms so thats around 3600 dollars total, they are just taking your money because they are so big and greedy read more

Unless you want to pay $1000 + each month for a place with black mold, back doors have no lock and maintenance gaslights you with their Spanish then avoid getting scammed here!! read more

I want to give this place a zero star and I was shocked at the condition of the apartment at move in. I wish my kid never lived here, from incorrect billing, run down apartment, poor maintenance, terrible management and just an overall bad experience. I warn all parents that are paying the bills, do not live in an American Campus apartment! If you do, you better pay attention to your billing, video your entire move in and take a ton of pictures of all broken, worn out and just dirty conditions....then after you clean for your moveout, video and take pictures again, as you will be billed for something that is broken or dirty. That is how they make easy money!! My advice, do not live at the Retreat! read more

Transferring from Hawaii was a big change but as I was looking for a new place to live I was instantly sold on this place! Jadyn my tour guide was beyond helpful with my questions abt here! She was such a great speaker when explaining the amenities here. Not to mention she also was so kind to answer all my questions about San Marcos! And having lived here for almost 6 months now has been amazing thanks to Jadyn! read more

This is my third year living here and it has been horrific. The water is shut off every other day, maintenance doesn't clean up after themselves. I've had a roach problem in both houses i've been in. They also don't let you get out of your lease unless you find someone to take over for you, but no one wants to live here so you're basically stuck. read more

ATTENTION PARENTS!!!!!! So if you are looking to move your student off campus I would be very careful and wouldn't recommend "The Retreat". Regardless of what they (all the off campus rental apartments) state this is not a student friendly complex, it is a standard lease and they have zero compassion for a student even if medical conditions arise. For example, my daughter broke her ankle, had surgery, and now cannot work for 3-6 months not to mention had to move back home so her mother and I could take care of her. Their answer to a compromise, or some sort of assistance to leave the lease was "policy is", "per the lease", ect, no offer to assist or any compromise. Now, I will honor the lease, and I 100% own that it is legal and standard for most apartment rentals, but I had erroneously assumed (again my fault) that they would treat their tenants more like students, not cash cows. To follow on to the above, they don't fix things promptly, and the home (if you can call it that) is dirty as best even when they first move in. Bottom line is, this is a standard lease, not student housing, and they will not treat your child well or compromise so go in eyes wide open. read more

PARENTS DO NOT SIGN A LEASE HERE!!!!! Its not the worst most likely but its damn close. Not only did I find disgusting ring around the toilet every single time I visit, and we clean and she cleans it once a week. There was an ant pile behind the refrigerator (RED ANTS) all over the walls and counter. Her roommates car was towed and had to pay over 350$ from her own residence!!!! WHAT is happening!!!! Multiple times we have an overage of water, electric, the wifi is terrible. She can't get into her virtual classes because the wifi never works. deplorable. Its like a modern day slum lord. TRUST ME and get in touch with me if you have any questions to why you should not sign a lease, I will find your child housing on my own time if needed. read more

I wish there was a 0 star rating, this place is an absolute scam. From double charging in rent, to improper and fraudulent bookkeepers named Lily, and no tenant respect or accountability. They never clean their pool either but advertise it as the "best pool in San Marcos" with brown shit stains all across the walls. They don't fix anything either with service requests and charge you rent for August when you move out July 31st Stay clear of this apartment complex and there's a reason they are dropping rates and cannot fill spaces this place absolutely sucks! read more

do not live here. water is constantly shut off, parking is taken up by construction workers during the day and their supplies at night. if you live here be prepared to be woken up at 7am during finals week by banging on your roof or a construction worker knocking on your door to ask you to move your car so that they can work on plumbing. do not live here. read more

Julia was a wonderful help when I visited the office. She was prompt and professional

The retreat has nothing but problems , every week they turn water off , the pool is always shut down , the units are always trashed when you move in . I can keep on the list with this disgusting place . Your paying for location and a pool which is barley open . The staff is nice only to parents . They don't allow grills or coolers on a patio or furniture which is crazy . Would be better off loving at cottages . Hate this place with a passion I've lived here for the past two years and have nothing but bad things to say. For the love of your own money please don't live here or give this company anymore money . read more

Do not sign here unless you want to pay to be inconvenienced. Have been living here around 3 months and our ac has been broken at least 4 times (they took three weeks to fix it one time), wifi goes out all the time, and they constantly shut off the water. Our toilet has also overflown for no reason. They take forever to respond to maintenance requests and the management is horrible. The workers at the front office are terribly rude and don't care at all whatsoever. The living conditions are horrible and when you move in the house will not be clean at all. really disappointed they don't even try to work with people when something goes wrong. read more

The Retreat - Apartments Near Me - San Marcos, Texas

Been here a little over a week. 10 work orders still not addressed. Apparently working appliances, ceiling fans, trash in dumpsters ever being picked up or even a rack in the closet to hang your clothes on is not included in the $3500 a month me and my 3 roommates pay to live here. Help! read more

it's a nice apartment complex with a great pool, and seems like a good place to live on the surface. I lived here for about a year and I think they turned the water off at least twice a month, usually more. They would then take forever to turn it back on, keeping it off for over 8 hours sometimes. The pool was constantly closed, literally the main attraction, and they couldn't maintain it. Our AC broke at least 3 times in 2 weeks in the middle of summer, which was especially dangerous for our pets. My roommate's dog was literally panting just lying down in her room. If you're someone who likes to go to bed at a reasonable time don't expect to able to do so here. There is constantly ridiculously loud music coming from the pool area until 4 am sometimes. I definitely do not recommend signing a lease here when there are better options with less problems for less money. It's not worth how much it costs to live here. read more

I have been without working wifi since I moved in in August. It took them 5 emails for them to finally respond back to me but still never got an answer that would solve my problems. Had a guy tell me that it was specifically my room that didn't have working connection so I have to wait who knows how long again for a replacement if they even remember about my problem. Thank god I'm transferring next semester so I won't have to be dealing with this much longer. Just disappointing with not having the best experience here. read more

First of all don't like here if you want to feel safe in your own house. Crime and break ins are a usual daily occurrence. Second of all, they load you with ridiculous "fees" after you move out. I cleaned my apartment amazing and got charged with a cleaning fee. THEN the workers who re-cleaned the apartment left the doors wide open while cleaning which Gave us a HUGE electricity bill !!! We lived with crappy couch cushions ALL year long. Me and all four of my roommates wrote down the nasty cushions on our move in paper. And we still go charged for them because "we didn't write down how bad they really looked." Like what !!?? They just wanna take the money out of college kids pockets. It looks all pretty moving into this place with the big pool but please do yourself a favor and DO not live here. read more

I would rate this place -5 stars if I could. I recently moved in to a 5 bedroom house here on August 13th, and I was appalled at the state of the house. Nothing had been cleaned, dusted, changed or painted since before the last tenets moved in. The same situation happened with my last lease at the retreat. The office management promised us compensation and that they would have all damages promptly taken care of. This was of course not the case. My house is so filthy, In just two days of staying there, I had to be admitted to the ER for respiratory issues. My house has been in this state the last 6 days with no word from management. The images speak for themselves and when brought up to corporate today, they showed no sign of sympathy or care. They simply told me I could drop my lease. I do not recommend ever allowing your children to live here. There are much nicer apartments with a lot less hassle. Management and corporate will make any excuses or lies they can to cover themselves. The book and record keeping is a joke (I've been charged multiple times for things I had already payed for) I've had management come inside my room at 10:30 at night while I was in bed, and was given no explanation, as well as two or three times prior. These people do not care about customer service or your loved ones. read more

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If you're planning or even thinking about staying at The Retreat while attending school in San Marcos, I'd highly suggest you think about staying elsewhere. In my just short of a year living here my car has gotten broken into, my house was raided and $1000+ of personal items were stolen, and my roommates truck was vandalized (broken truck bed cover & break light). In addition to all of these things, the day I moved into The Retreat I lost my parking pass. I immediately went to the office to get a replacement where I was informed I would have to pay an additional $100 for a new one. Given all the new expenses I'm experiencing from moving out for the first time, I was extremely disheartened that they would expect MORE money for something I already paid for. read more

Went in for a tour with Liza P. and she did amazing, answered all of my questions and shared a lot of good information. Ready to sign my lease now! read more

I was given a tour by miss Emily and got so excited to sign here! Since moving in, it's gotten better. I had an experience with staff where they were incredibly helpful and it just cemented that this was a great place for me. 10/10 would recommend signing here. read more

There was a shooting... cops and everything. It's loud all hours of the night. Expect to get no sleep. They make promises they can't keep, staff will answer questions wrongly and then management will crack down/fine you for their own lack of ability to train staff. I was told I would be able to have a floor plan and roommates found through their roommate portal, then was screwed over at the last minute when it was too late to sign anywhere else. I asked about utilities and the (previous) manager told me it was included, staff members also told me it was included. Come to find out it's not, so all of my roommates got late fees. I asked about breed restrictions, they told me there were none, so I got a dog and then they sent out an angry email saying my breed isn't permitted and they will be fining people accordingly. They entered my roommate's room incorrectly (put her downstairs in their system when everyone agreed she'd receive upstairs) then I was assigned to this house and I was promised upstairs as well. On move in day my roommate drove 6 hours to our place only to be told she couldn't have her keys to the upstairs bedroom because they put her in the downstairs bedroom. So she had to wait with all of her stuff and nowhere to put it. Water has gone out more times than I can count. They have a mock hot tub that looks like a hot tub but is never heated. As in, it's there to trick people. They also have a pool table but no pool sticks lol? Everything is staged. Gym sucks. Our kitchen was infested with ants and the place was SO dirty when we moved in. The breaker trips every other day. Noise level is heinous, people scream off balconies at 3-4 AM and they do nothing about it. I applaud the creative new ways these people find to disappoint their residents daily. It's truly impressive. Don't sign here. read more

Still would rate a 0. So I'm moving out (this entire year I've had a problem where I can't get this black ring to go away in the toilet) and I took the lid off the back of my toilet and there was mold filling the tank and floating up top. They don't check a thing before allowing you to move in read more

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I've never had an issue with staff here (except before I moved here when I got 10 calls saying I didn't pay my pet fee, which I did). The bathrooms are small compared to some other apartments and the rooms are just decent. Also, watch out. Sometimes they will do random pet checks without warning and it's kinda bothersome for someone with a pet that will bolt out, who also has already paid her pet deposit (which they know. I literally have a sticker on my door for it) After all is said and done though, not a bad place to live. read more

This is absolutely shittiest place to stay in San Marcos if you are a student. The front office is useless, the way they have everything set up through separate bills- doesn't include water or electricity or ALARMING. We recently had a break in and all doors were broken into ( kicked down/glass broken) and tons of items stolen. They were of little help and no one is there Bc of the holidays. No security, no cameras and crappy reports taken. They didn't fix any damages other than the broken down door. This is a poor excuse of an apt complex. read more

The Retreat - Apartments Near Me - San Marcos, Texas

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Facility is "nice" compared to other student housing, minus the constant break ins and theft and people opening fire all the time. Also they charge you a bunch of random things with no explanation. In my years of renting I've never dealt with such an unorganized and shitty management. The pool and gym are nice though and so is the main office, the property isn't bad but I will definitely not be resigning. They moved my roommates and I to a different house the day of move In and didn't tell us, but expected the former roommate to like it was her job? I don't recommend this place at all. read more

My son lived here during college. NO real issues and office staff was super sweet and accommodating. Now my daughter has signed a lease here and I'm comfortable knowing Ive dealt with them before and the familiarity of it all.. read more

Honestly I lived here for a semester, and I have enjoyed it. Don't have any of the issues that the previous people are complaining about. All of the staff is helpful and maintenance is quick. Place was in perfect condition when moving in, and everything works as expected. Signed a lease for another year because I've enjoyed it and the location is great. Only thing I would recommend is do not go in with an expectation of perfection, it is a college housing community not your dream home. I left from the vistas and move to the retreat and it felt like a complete 180 from the experience I had at the Vista is, it was pretty bad over there. Don't expect every unit to be in pristine condition, just be sure to let the front desk now and they generally handle everything pretty fast. Sad to see that people throw fits about common upkeep. read more

The Facility is nice, however I am mainly writing this review about the front office crew. The customer service is beyond extraordinary, especially from one CA, Will Bergan. He continuously answers my questions without irritation and makes me feel as though I am part of the community even though I haven't moved in yet. He has great energy and I feel very excited to move in because of him. Thanks Will! read more

I did contact Rachel K. back. She was much more professional and kind than the original person I spoke with. She said she will look into this situation, so we will see how it's handled. I will update with results. Basically was told again that there was leverage that could have been used with allowing the vehicle to be released without a fee paid, but since Evan chose not to, there's no remedy at this point for compensation. Again, don't waste your time here. For those we've convinced not to sign here, you made a good decision. For the others on the fence, while it looks nice, you will be disappointed. read more

DO NOT SIGN A LEASE HERE! The apartment will not be clean when you move in and BEWARE of all the added charges when you move out. If you have already moved in - fair warning - KEEP ALL DOCUMENTATION! Keep the sign-in sheet for damages and force them to do a walk through with you when you end your lease. Keep a copy of each and every repair you request. Be detailed and force them to make repairs. Take photos before you move in and when you move out. If you don't, they will try to make you pay for regular wear and tear to items as well as carpet cleaning and paint touch up. They don't care about their tenants or the rules. It's all about the money with this group. read more

Currently live here from 2017-2018. Do not live her, those who are looking for a place to live! I requested to move in early since literally move in day is two days before school starts and I never got to move in early. I'm not sure why considering my room was not even in that great condition: clogged shower, bedroom ceiling light out and ceiling fan hanging from the roof. Also, our ceiling was leaking and this is before all the nonsense with Hurricane Harvey happened. And it took forever to get dealt with. At the beginning it seemed like a nice place to live, but I've been here a couple months and the place is literally falling apart. Our leaking ceiling situation took forever and they left a big gaping hole with dust coming out of it (many of my roommates have asthma), water heater breaking down, lights in my bathroom went out (showering in the dark for the past five days, whoohoo!), a dishwasher that only works half the time, and most recently... our lock for our front door stopped working and they said they couldn't handle that right now because they were handling a pipe burst situation. So our house can't be locked. Also, they have a pipe burst somewhere on the complex ever week or so, and therefore have to shut off the water everywhere. Which is so awesome if you're waking up and would love to use the restroom, wash your hands, take a morning shower, etc. Neighbors are always throwing a party and because our walls are paper thin I can join the party too when I'm trying to sleep before my 8 am! The staff and management is no help whatsoever and are always so rude. We are paying up the butt for a four bedroom townhome (679 + basic utilities, + approx $45 per person for electric) and now they want us to resign for a monthly $700 price. YEAH I don't think so! Do not live her or even come near this place. read more

My son has lived her for 2 years and it has been a NIGHTMARE!! Shaq has no backbone! We had complaints the 1st year and considered it an isolated incident. We reigned due to my son's roommates wanted to live there this year. BIG MISTAKE!! The management thinks of every way possible to fine you add service charges and now TOW your car in the middle of the day while doing a favor for a friend! It does no good to complain, they make excuses how they can screw you over and take more of your money, while you are overpaying for substandard student housing! DO NOT LET YOUR SON OR DAUGHTER LIVE HERE! American Campuses is the management company and when you call the Austin home office, they NEVER answer the phone. Believe me I've tried!! Oh, by the way, the towing company has a contract with the apartment complex, the office denied it! We called the towing company and the confirmed they have a contract!! read more

It's nice property, it's close to campus and has great pool/amenities area. Make sure you know who you rent with and understand that if one violates, they all get fined. Our son has lived there three years with a few issues and daughter moves in this summer. Hoping things get better so I can update and give better review. Office staff is nice - Chantel is outstanding. read more

At first glance, the property and houses are beautiful. Once you step inside, it's a train wreck. The houses are poorly put together. There's always something needing to be fixed --- and we were the first to live in it --- no reason for there needing to be repairs. The pool, their main attraction, is the biggest let down of the entire thing. They will shut it down for weeks at a time for "cleaning". It's currently been closed for two weeks and they say at least two more week until it's open. IT'S SUMMERTIME... so ridiculous that they chose now to do this. Their cardio center is good for the most part, if there's a machine out of order, don't expect it to be fixed within that month. The weight center, half of the machines are broken --- and have been broken for the entire time I've been there. Now, to the worst part, the office. The people are completely rude and very inconsiderate. The management doesn't care about you at all, as long as they're making money. Avoid going in there at all costs and don't expect much help on the phone either. Pros: - Close to campus - Tram pickup/drop off - Spacious house Cons: - Trash all over the yard - Dog poop all over the greenspace - No parking - They tow residents (rarely, but happened twice to me) - Little visitor parking - Trash bins are always filthy, smelly and full - Mail is always late - Maintenance is useless - Thin walls in the houses - Pool is always trashed - Again, the office workers suck read more

If you can help it, don't live here. The complex itself is party central. Parties, screaming, broken glass bottles, vomit, and trash everywhere every weekend. Parking always sucks. And the management is awful. They are rude and never helpful. Especially the "book keeper". She called me today (I don't live there anymore) and said I had a $378 balance due. When I called back someone else looked up my account and said I had a positive balance of $40!!! The units were not bad. A few scraped walls and little stains on carpet was the worst i had. The only problem I ever had with my unit were non working kitchen light and it took the maintenance guys 3 weeks to come fix it. They are slooowwwww. It's not the worst place to live, but good luck trying to get help from anyone. read more