Cantarra Apartments Manor Austin Review: Brand New Construction With Income Caps Most Renters Don’t Know About

Cantarra keeps showing up in searches for new apartments near Austin under $1,100. The photos look great because the building is literally brand new. Built in 2025, quartz counters, in-unit laundry in most floor plans, gated community, 100 lb pet weight limit with no breed restrictions. I track Austin rental pricing daily through ApartmentData.com and calls with leasing offices, and the numbers here stand out. A studio starting at $940 with 6 weeks free? That math gets your attention.

But here’s what every listing site leaves out: Cantarra is an income restricted property. Half the units are capped at 60% of the area median income. The other half cap at 120%. Make too much and you’re disqualified. Make too little and you can’t hit the 2.5x rent requirement. And because it’s income restricted, they don’t accept guarantors. If your income falls outside the window, this property doesn’t work for you, no matter how clean your credit is.

Quick Facts

The 4.5 Google rating from 52 reviews is high for a property that’s been leasing for just about a year. That said, a lot of those reviews read like move-in excitement rather than someone who’s actually lived there for a while. I’ll break down what the patterns actually tell you below.

Best For / Skip If

This Property Fits If…

You earn between $27 and $54 an hour and want brand new construction under $1,100 net effective. The 60% AMI units are capped at $56,460 gross annual income for a single person. The 120% AMI units cap at $112,920. If you’re in that range and need 2.5x the rent in gross monthly income, Cantarra gets you into a 2025 building at prices most new construction in Austin can’t match. A studio running $940 base with 6 weeks free nets out to about $832 a month. That’s hard to beat for anything built after 2020.

You have a large dog or a breed that gets restricted elsewhere. No breed restrictions. No monthly pet rent. 100 lb weight limit. If you’ve got a German Shepherd, a Husky, a Pit Bull, or anything over 75 pounds, most Austin apartments just told you no. Cantarra didn’t. Check our dog friendly apartments in Austin guide for more options like this.

The pet deposit ($350 for one pet, $500 for two) and the non-refundable fee ($250/$500) are paid at move in, not at application. And there’s a pet wash station on site.

You want a gated community in the northeast Austin corridor. Your car gets a sticker that opens the gates automatically, and your guests punch in a code. Multiple residents say they feel safe here. If your last place didn’t have gates, you’ll notice the difference.

You hold a housing voucher. Cantarra accepts vouchers. Because it’s an income restricted property, they have to. If you’ve been turned away at other apartments, this is one of the newer options that works with your voucher.

Skip If…

You can’t show 6 months of income history. Cantarra needs 6 months of work history they can check. If you just started a new job, you’ll need to wait or look at a property with looser requirements. An offer letter alone may not cut it here.

Your income exceeds the caps. If you’re a single person making over $56,460 for a 60% AMI unit or over $112,920 for a 120% AMI unit, you’re disqualified regardless of everything else. And this is gross income, not net. The caps increase with household size, but they’re hard limits.

You need a guarantor to qualify. Cantarra doesn’t accept guarantors because it’s income restricted. If your income doesn’t hit 2.5x rent on its own (or combined with a co-applicant), you can’t use a third-party guarantee service to close the gap. That takes away an option that works at most other Austin properties.

You have property debt owed to a previous landlord. Their screening rules are clear: if you owe a past landlord or have a judgment on your credit, that’s an automatic denial. No exceptions.

Ready to See If Cantarra Fits Your Situation?

I can tell you whether your income and background match what this property needs before you spend the $50 application fee. If it doesn’t work, I know which nearby properties in the northeast Austin corridor will.

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Location Deep Dive

What’s Actually Nearby

Cantarra sits on East Howard Lane in Manor, just south of US 290. The address says Manor, but you’re really on the border between Manor and far northeast Austin/Pflugerville. Car required for everything.

The closest grocery is the H-E-B at 13100 FM 973 in Manor, about 3 miles south (5-7 minutes). It opened in October 2025 and it’s a full-size store, not one of the smaller ones. There’s also a Walmart Supercenter at Tech Ridge roughly 6 miles southwest. For quick errands, you’ve got a Dollar General and a few fast food spots along 290, but this is not a walkable neighborhood. Zillow confirms a Walk Score of 9.

Dining out means driving. Stone Hill Town Center in Pflugerville is about 5 miles west and has chain restaurants plus a few local spots. Tech Ridge (I-35 and Parmer) is about 6 miles southwest and offers more variety. Downtown Manor has a handful of small local restaurants and taquerias.

Parks: Manor Park is about 2 miles south. Lake Pflugerville is roughly 7 miles west for trails and lake access. Walter E. Long Metropolitan Park and lake is about 6 miles southwest.

Commute Math

The northbound commute toward Round Rock or Georgetown is reasonable. Going south or west into central Austin during rush hour is where things get painful. SH-130 toll road is your best friend if you’re heading toward the airport or south Austin. US 290 westbound into Austin bogs down during rush hour.

Neighborhood Context

Manor has grown fast. What used to be a small town 15 miles northeast of Austin now has new construction going up in every direction. The area around Cantarra on Howard Lane is a mix of new houses and apartments and some older rural stretches. It’s quiet. Residents bring that up a lot in reviews.

The school district is Pflugerville ISD, not Manor ISD. Some listing sites still show Manor ISD schools, but the property’s own FAQ, Apartments.com, and Zillow all confirm PISD: Dessau Elementary (GreatSchools 3/10), Dessau Middle (GreatSchools 3/10), and Weiss High School (TEA rating: B). PISD’s boundaries include parts of Manor, which is why the address says Manor but the schools are Pflugerville.

Pricing and True Cost

Floor Plans

The rent ranges vary because of the income tiers. A 60% AMI unit rents for less than a 120% AMI unit in the same floor plan. Ask the leasing office which tier you’re applying for. The unit tier sets both your rent and your income cap.

Net Effective Rent (6 Weeks Free on 12-Month Lease)

Here’s how the current special works using the daily multiplier method:

Example: 1BR/1BA at $1,023 base rent

• Lease term: 12 months = 365 days
• Free rent: 6 weeks = 42 days
• Days paying rent: 365 – 42 = 323 days
• Daily multiplier: 323 ÷ 365 = 0.8849
• Net effective rent: $1,023 × 0.8849 = $905/month
• Monthly savings: $1,023 – $905 = $118/month

Example: Studio at $940 base rent

• $940 × 0.8849 = $832/month
• Monthly savings: $108/month

Example: 2BR/2BA at $1,357 base rent

• $1,357 × 0.8849 = $1,201/month
• Monthly savings: $156/month

The 6 weeks are spread across the lease term, not given upfront. They qualify you against the base rent ($1,023), not the net effective ($905).

Required Fees (Everyone Pays)

Optional Fees

True Monthly Cost Scenario

A renter in a 1BR at $1,023 base rent with one pet and covered parking:

The gap between the advertised $1,023 and the actual $1,103 is $80/month, or $960 per year. That’s before the one-time costs at move in: $50 app fee + $150 admin + $400 deposit + $350 pet deposit + $250 pet fee + $25 pet screening = $1,225 upfront.

Water is billed separately and shows up on your rent bill each month. Electricity goes through City of Austin and you’ll get a separate bill for that.

Want to Compare This Property’s True Cost to Nearby Options?

I can run the same breakdown on Grassdale at Manor, High Point Preserve, or any other northeast Austin property and show you which one actually costs less when you add the fees.

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Screening Criteria

Income Requirements

You need at least 2.5x the base rent in gross monthly income. That’s lower than the standard 3x most Austin properties ask for. But Cantarra adds a twist: you also can’t make more than the income cap for your unit tier.

60% AMI Units (income caps):

120% AMI Units (income caps):

Income qualification for common floor plans (2.5x minimum):

At $14.76 an hour, you can qualify for a 1BR. That’s lower than most new construction in Austin, where 3x income requirements push the minimum hourly wage closer to $18-19 for the same rent. If you want to run your own numbers, our rent affordability calculator shows you what you need to make at different types of apartments.

Credit and Background

Cantarra doesn’t publish a hard credit score minimum. They want at least 75% of your current credit accounts in good standing. If your credit is weaker, they may approve you with a higher deposit. Bankruptcies that haven’t been discharged will get you denied.

Background check: They run a nationwide criminal search on everyone 18 and older. Here’s what can get you denied:

• Felonies or deferred adjudication for violent crimes or crimes against a person
• Theft felonies or misdemeanors
• Any non-violent felony or deferred adjudication from the past 10 years (if this applies to you, our felony approved apartments guide covers properties with more flexibility)
• Misdemeanors involving firearms, drugs, prostitution, arson, or burglary

Rental history: No previous landlord debt. Period. If you owe a past landlord money or have a judgment from a previous apartment, that’s an automatic decline. Late payments or lease violations on your record? You might still get approved, but expect a higher deposit. No rental history at all could also mean a bigger deposit.

Employment: You need 6 months of income you can prove. Bring your two most recent months of paystubs or income statements when you apply.

Application Process

1. Apply online or in person at the leasing office
2. Pay $50 app fee + $150 admin fee + security deposit ($400 or $500) at the time of application
3. Screening runs (criminal, credit, rental history, employment verification)
4. You’ll get one of three answers: approved, approved with a higher deposit, or denied

One thing to watch: the security deposit is due when you apply, not when you move in. A few reviewers said they were confused by this. You do get the deposit back if you’re denied, but the clock on that refund starts the day you turn in your application, and they give themselves 30 days.

Here’s what separates working with a locator from applying blind: I can tell you whether your income, credit, and rental history are likely to pass Cantarra’s screening before you spend $50 finding out. If Cantarra looks tight for your situation, I know which nearby communities have more flexibility.

Resident Reviews Decoded

I checked every platform: Google, ApartmentRatings, Yelp, Apartments.com, ApartmentFinder, ApartmentGuide, Zillow, Facebook, Birdeye, ModernMsg, VeryApt, ForRent, and ApartmentHomeLiving. Google is the only one with reviews. Every other platform either has no page for Cantarra or shows zero reviews. That’s normal for a property that’s been leasing for about a year, but it means everything in this review comes from one place: 52 Google reviews with a 4.5 average. Take it for what it is. These reviews lean heavily toward first-year excitement, and there’s nothing on any other site to check the patterns against.

Review Pattern Analysis

What People Like

Staff is the clear winner. Dominic gets called out by name in at least 5 reviews for being patient and actually helpful when people are trying to get moved in. Daniela (sometimes spelled Daniella) shows up in 4+ reviews with the same kind of praise. Katie and Eve also get named. When people keep naming specific staff across dozens of reviews, that’s usually a sign the leasing team is actually good, not just going through the motions.

Residents like the units. People talk about the high ceilings, quartz counters, in-unit laundry, and open layouts. One reviewer compared the space to neighboring properties and said Cantarra gives you more room for the money. The vinyl flooring throughout (no carpet) is a plus, especially if you have pets.

The gated access matters to residents. Several reviews mention feeling safe. The property is clean and kept up. For a building this new, that’s expected, but the fact that residents keep bringing it up is still worth knowing.

What Concerns People

The noise complaints are early but worth watching. One resident described floor vibrations from upstairs neighbors. Management told them it was outside of restriction hours. That response tells you the walls and floors might be thinner than you’d expect from a building this new. Only 2 reviews mention it so far. But noise is the kind of issue that grows as more units fill up.

A few people had problems with the application process. One reviewer said they got denied for “excess income” (which makes sense given the income caps, but wasn’t clearly explained to them). Another said it was slow. A third had issues with the deposit refund timeline.

One resident said the EV charging is expensive. If you drive electric, ask the leasing office how much they charge before you assume it’s a perk.

Management does respond to almost every review. Some responses are personal and mention the reviewer’s name. Others are the same template pasted across ten different reviews. When the reviews are negative, the responses read more like a PR team than a property manager talking to a real person.

Management company context: JCI Residential (Journeyman Group) is an Austin developer with 20+ years in the market. They build and manage their own properties, so the people running Cantarra work for the same company that built it. They also run Matador, a 285 unit community on South Congress. I didn’t find the same problems popping up at their other properties. That’s a decent sign for a company running a brand new lease-up. But it’s still early.

The Uncomfortable Truth

No listing site will write this section.

Income Caps Are a Real Screening Layer That Can Reject You for Making Too Much

Most renters are used to being denied for making too little. Cantarra can deny you for making too much. One Google reviewer was denied for “excess income.” That actually makes sense given the income caps, but nobody explained it to them before they applied.

The caps at 60% and 120% AMI are hard ceilings. Get a raise or a promotion that pushes you over the limit during your lease, and your renewal could get complicated. Most renters have never been told “you make too much money” on an apartment application. At Cantarra, that’s a real possibility.

No Guarantors Means Your Application Has to Stand on Its Own

At most Austin apartments, if your income or credit is borderline, a third-party guarantee service can bridge the gap. That option doesn’t exist at Cantarra. Their FAQ says it flat out: because they’re income restricted, guarantors aren’t accepted. If you can’t hit 2.5x rent on your own documented income, you’re out. No workaround. If you’re in that situation, our second chance apartments guide covers which Austin properties do accept guarantors.

The Location Is More Isolated Than the Marketing Suggests

Cantarra’s website calls it near Pflugerville and “close to central Austin destinations.” The reality: you’re on East Howard Lane in Manor. Nearest grocery is a 5-7 minute drive. Walk Score is 9 out of 100. If you’re relocating from somewhere walkable, adjust those expectations. Downtown Austin is 35 to 50 minutes in rush hour, and SH-130 toll road helps heading south but costs money every trip.

The Special Changes Depending on Where You Look

The property website banner says 6 weeks free. The contact page says up to 12 weeks free plus $1,000 off your first full month. Redfin and ApartmentList both show the 12 week number.

Those are very different deals. Six weeks free on a $1,023 one bedroom saves you $118/month. Twelve weeks free on the same unit saves you about $236/month. That’s roughly $1,400 more in your pocket over a year depending on which special you actually get. Before you build a budget, call the leasing office at (936) 236-4357 and ask what’s running for your move-in date and floor plan.

Ready to Move Forward, or Want to See Alternatives?

If Cantarra’s income restrictions or location give you pause, I can show you other northeast Austin properties with different screening criteria. If Cantarra looks right, I can help you figure out which income tier and floor plan to target.

Get Started Here

FAQ

Is Cantarra an income restricted apartment?

Yes. About half the units (166 of 325) cap at 60% of the area median income. The other 159 cap at 120% AMI. Both tiers cap out depending on how many people live in your household.

What credit score do you need for Cantarra?

No published minimum. They want 75% of your credit accounts in good standing. Weaker credit might mean a bigger deposit. An open bankruptcy that hasn’t been discharged is a denial.

Does Cantarra accept dogs over 50 pounds?

Yes. The weight limit is 100 pounds per animal with no breed restrictions. Two pets max. No monthly pet rent. You’ll pay a pet deposit and a non-refundable pet fee at move in.

Does Cantarra accept housing vouchers?

Yes. It’s an income restricted LIHTC property, so they have to take vouchers. That’s not optional for them.

What school district is Cantarra in?

Pflugerville ISD: Dessau Elementary (3/10), Dessau Middle (3/10), Weiss High (TEA: B). The address says Manor but this part of Howard Lane is in PISD.

How far is Cantarra from downtown Austin?

About 15 miles northeast. Roughly 20 minutes off-peak, 35 to 50 minutes during rush hour.

Does Cantarra have in-unit washer and dryer?

Most units come with a full-size washer and dryer supplied. Some floor plans have connections only. Confirm which setup your unit has before signing.

Is parking free at Cantarra?

Surface parking is free but not guaranteed. Covered carport: $45/month. Garage: $125/month. One vehicle per leaseholder, must be registered.

Can I use a guarantor at Cantarra?

No. Because it’s income restricted, they don’t take guarantors. Your own income (or combined with someone on the lease) has to hit 2.5x rent on its own.

What are the mandatory monthly fees beyond rent?

Valet trash ($30/month) and pest control ($5/month). Everyone pays those. Water shows up on your rent bill. Electricity goes through City of Austin and comes as a separate bill.

The Bottom Line

Cantarra gives you 2025 construction, quartz counters, in-unit laundry, a gated community, and one of the most generous pet policies in Austin, all at rents that start under $1,000 for a studio. The 2.5x income requirement is lower than what most places ask for. The 6 weeks free pulls that net effective down even further. For renters whose income fits inside the AMI caps, this is one of the best values in the northeast Austin corridor right now.

The trade-off is the income restriction itself. You need to fit inside a specific income window, you can’t use a guarantor, and you need 6 months of work history on paper. The location in Manor means you’re driving everywhere, and the commute into central Austin during rush hour is real. And the property is still too new to have a real track record. The 52 reviews are mostly positive, but one year isn’t long enough to know how maintenance holds up, how management handles renewals, or whether the noise issues get worse as more units fill up.

This property makes sense if:

• Your household income falls within the 60% or 120% AMI caps and you earn at least 2.5x rent
• You work at Samsung, Tesla, or employers along the I-35/SH-130 northeast corridor
• You have a large dog or a breed restricted at other properties and want to avoid monthly pet rent
• You hold a housing voucher (our income based apartments guide covers more options)
• You value new construction finishes and a gated community over walkability

This property doesn’t make sense if:

• Your income exceeds the AMI cap for available units
• You need a guarantor or third-party guarantee service to qualify
• You can’t prove 6 months of steady work
• You need walkable access to groceries, restaurants, or transit
• You have property debt owed to a previous landlord

My honest take: Cantarra is a solid pick for renters who fit the income window and work in the northeast corridor. The math works. The reviews are strong. The pet policy is one of the better ones I’ve seen. But the income restriction is a real gate, and if you don’t fit through it, no amount of good credit or strong rental history will get you in.

Need Help?

If you want to know whether you qualify at Cantarra before you spend the $50 application fee, fill out the form and I’ll check your numbers against what they’re looking for. Takes about 5 minutes.

If Cantarra doesn’t work, I track screening criteria across 1,000+ Austin properties and know which northeast Austin communities accept vouchers, work with 2.5x income, and have flexible pet policies. My service is free. I’m paid a referral fee from the property’s marketing budget, not by you.

If you’d rather go direct, call Cantarra’s leasing office at (936) 236-4357. Just tell them “Ross Quade from Austin Apartment Team” referred you on your tour and application. Text me at 512-360-0852 when you apply so I can make sure everything’s on track.