Glenhaven at Star Ranch Apartments Austin Review: Full Second-Chance Screening in a 2009 Build (Honest Review)

Most second chance properties in the Austin metro look the part. Older buildings, stuff that hasn’t been fixed in years, limited amenities. That’s the trade-off renters with screening challenges expect and usually accept.

Glenhaven at Star Ranch breaks that pattern. I’ve tracked this property through multiple management changes and rent cycles, and it keeps showing up in my client searches for one reason: the combination. Evictions, felonies, broken leases, bankruptcies, foreclosure. All accepted. And you’re not living in a rundown 1985 build to get that flexibility. This is a 2009 property with townhome options, golf course views, and a pool that actually gets maintained. As a licensed Texas REALTOR (TX #679806) who works with second-chance renters daily, I can tell you that combination is rare.

But here’s what no listing site will tell you: mold complaints keep surfacing in recent reviews, the gym is small enough to get crowded fast, and you’re in Hutto. That last part matters more than you think.

Quick Facts

The 4.3 Google rating is strong for a property with this much screening flexibility. Most communities that approve this many background issues sit in the 3.0–3.8 range. But the picture changes on other platforms: ApartmentRatings gives it a 3.2 with a 1/5 maintenance rating, and only 72% of renters surveyed on RentersVoice would recommend it. I’ll break down why those numbers don’t match up in the reviews section below.

Best For

You have a tough rental history and don’t want to live in a property that feels like your last resort. This is the core reason Glenhaven keeps showing up in my client matches. The property accepts evictions, broken leases, felonies, misdemeanors, bankruptcies, and foreclosure. That’s the full list. And you’re getting a 2009 build with upgraded interiors, elevator access, and a golf course view from select units. Most properties that accept this much were built in the 1980s or early 1990s.

You need space and a townhome layout. Glenhaven offers four bedroom townhomes up to 1,910 square feet. That’s hard to find in apartment communities at all, and nearly impossible to find at a property that works with renters who have a rough history. If you have a family and screening issues, your options in the Austin metro are extremely limited. This is one of them.

You’re working in the Samsung/Round Rock/Pflugerville corridor and want to keep rent under $1,200 for a one bedroom. Hutto pricing undercuts Round Rock by 15–20% on comparable units. The trade-off is the commute into Austin proper, but if your job is north of 183, the math works.

You have pets. Two pets allowed, no weight limit published beyond the Pit Bull breed restriction. The $250 deposit plus $250 fee plus $20/month per pet is pretty normal for this price range. The property has an on-site dog park and a one-mile jogging trail, which gives you actual outdoor space with your dog beyond a patch of grass by the parking lot.

Skip If

You’re sensitive to moisture or mold. Mold has been an issue in recent years, serious enough in some units to require hotel stays and furniture replacement. One resident dealt with mold growth bad enough to force them out of their unit entirely. This isn’t a pattern I’d ignore if you have respiratory concerns or allergies.

You need walkability. Hutto is car-dependent. Period. There’s no real public transit, sidewalks outside the complex are spotty, and most errands require a car. If you’re moving from a walkable Austin neighborhood, the adjustment is real.

You need a serious gym. The fitness center is small. It gets crowded when more than a few people are using it at the same time. If daily gym access matters to you, plan on a membership somewhere else.

Golf course noise bothers you. The Golf Club at Star Ranch sits right next to the property. Golfers bring loud speakers and boomboxes on the course, and the golf club doesn’t enforce noise levels. If you’re considering a unit facing the course, know that the “golf course view” comes with golf course sound.

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Location Deep Dive

What’s Actually Nearby

Glenhaven sits on Winterfield Drive in the Star Ranch master-planned community in Hutto. The area around it is mostly houses and a few shopping centers.

Groceries: H-E-B is about 1 mile away on US-79. Costco is a short drive farther on 130. Those two cover most of your regular shopping. Beyond that, you’re looking at the Commons at Star Ranch shopping center (1.4 miles), which has a mix of fast food and basic retail. Stone Hill Town Center in Pflugerville is about 6 miles south and has more restaurant variety.

The Golf Club at Star Ranch is next door. Meadow Lake Park and Settlement Park are both close for outdoor space. Dell Diamond (Round Rock Express minor league baseball) is about 8 miles away in Round Rock. Round Rock Premium Outlets are roughly a 20 minute drive. The property is zoned for Hutto ISD schools, including Nadine Johnson Elementary, Farley Middle School, and Hutto High School.

Honest take: Hutto is growing fast, but dining and entertainment haven’t caught up. There’s not much in the way of restaurants, coffee shops, or nightlife nearby. One resident summed it up: the area could use “more restaurant, coffee, bar, lounge offerings.” That’s accurate.

Commute Math

The commute into Austin proper is the tax you pay for Hutto pricing. If you’re working at Samsung, Dell, or anywhere in the Round Rock/Pflugerville corridor, it’s manageable. Downtown Austin or south of the river means 45–60 minutes each way in rush hour. TX-130 is a toll road.

Neighborhood Vibe

Star Ranch is a master-planned community. Houses, a golf course, and not much else within walking distance. It’s quiet. Noticeably quiet compared to apartment complexes along Lamar or Burnet or any of the commercial corridors in Austin. A few long-term residents specifically cite the quiet as the reason they stay.

Hutto is growing, but commercial development hasn’t caught up yet. If you want three different Thai restaurants within five minutes, you’re in the wrong zip code. But if quiet suburban living with a reasonable drive to north Austin jobs is the priority, Hutto checks the box.

Pricing and True Cost

Floor Plan Overview

Pricing pulled from GlenhavenStarRanch.com as of today. The 2 weeks free special currently shows on select 1BR apartments. Availability and pricing change daily, so call for current numbers on 2BR+ floor plans.

Net Effective Rent Calculation

The current special is 2 weeks free base rent on select 1BR plans. Here’s the math on the A1 ($1,000/month base, 12 month lease):

• Daily multiplier: (365 – 14) / 365 = 0.9616
• Net effective rent: $1,000 x 0.9616 = $962/month
• That saves $38/month, or $456 over the full lease

Two weeks free isn’t aggressive. Properties running 6–8 weeks free save two to three times as much. But at this price point, $456 still matters.

Fee Breakdown: Required Fees

Fee Breakdown: Optional Fees

True Monthly Cost Scenario

A renter in the A1 one bedroom ($1,000 base) with one dog and no carport:

That’s before electricity, internet, and renter’s insurance. The gap between the advertised $1,000 and the true monthly cost is roughly $35–$45. That’s actually tighter than most properties at this price, where pet rent alone can run $35–$50/month.

Move-in costs for this scenario:

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

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Screening Criteria

This is where Glenhaven stands out from the majority of Austin-area apartments.

What the Property Accepts

The property’s screening policy is about as open as it gets in the Austin market. They’re a textbook second chance property and accept applicants across the board:

• Evictions
• Broken leases
• Felony records
• Misdemeanor records
• Bankruptcies
• Foreclosures

That’s an unusually broad acceptance list. Most properties in the Austin metro accept maybe one or two of these categories. Glenhaven accepts all six. If you have combined issues (say, a broken lease and a misdemeanor, or an eviction and bad credit), that matters. Most properties that accept one issue still decline on the others.

Income Requirement

The property requires proof of current income. They’ll accept two recent consecutive pay stubs, bank statements from the past 30 days, a signed offer letter on company letterhead, or proof of alimony, child support, commissions, or tips. The specific income multiplier isn’t published on their website or any listing platform I checked. For a property at this price point with this much screening flexibility, 3x rent is the safe assumption. I’d confirm the exact number during a call before you apply.

Income Qualification Estimates (at 3x rent)

If the multiplier turns out to be 2.5x, those thresholds drop by about 17%. At 2.5x, the A1 only needs $2,500/month income, which is roughly $14.42/hour at 40 hours per week.

Credit Expectations

The property doesn’t publish a minimum credit score. At properties in this price range that accept this much, I typically see 550+ credit with clean income docs get approved. In the 500–549 range, expect a higher deposit or you’ll probably need a third-party guarantee.

What Still Gets You Denied

Even with broad screening acceptance, certain things are automatic declines at virtually every property:

• Active property debt (money owed to a previous landlord that hasn’t been paid)
• Fake or altered application documents (the property uses software that checks every financial document you turn in)
• Sex offender registry status
• Not enough income to cover the rent

If you have active property debt, a third-party guarantee service is likely your only path to approval. I cover how these work in detail on our eviction friendly apartments page.

Application Process

1. Apply online or in the office ($60 application fee per person)
2. Provide income documentation
3. Background and credit screening
4. Decision and lease signing (admin fee $95 + security deposit $1,000 at signing)

The property uses software that catches altered pay stubs, so don’t try it. Fake documents are an automatic decline with no second chance.

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 Glenhaven’s screening before you spend $60 finding out. If Glenhaven looks tight for your situation, I know which nearby communities have more flexibility. My service is free. I’m paid a small referral fee from the property’s advertising budget. Your rent is the same whether you use me or not.

Resident Reviews Decoded

Pattern Analysis

What Residents Praise

Justin in the leasing office gets called out by name in at least seven reviews across Google, Birdeye, and ApartmentRatings. Seven. Leasing agents typically rotate every 12–18 months, so when the same name keeps showing up with positive mentions, it means something. Robin in the office gets mentioned too. Residents say the leasing process was smooth when Justin handled it, and several mention he stayed helpful well after they signed.

Maintenance gets consistent praise on Google. Routine stuff gets fixed same-day or next-day. One resident has lived there 15 years and specifically credits the maintenance team. Agustin, George, and Jon all get called out by name. When the same guys stick around for years, that tells you something good about the operation.

The pool gets positive marks for cleanliness and uses an alternative cleaning system rather than heavy chlorine. Long-term residents (7+ years, 11+ years, 15 years) who’ve stayed through multiple management changes say things got better once Simpson Property Group took over.

What Residents Criticize

The mold issue is the pattern that concerns me most. One ApartmentRatings review from 2025 goes into serious detail: furniture destroyed, hotel stays, four urgent care visits for respiratory problems. That reviewer says management cleaned the HVAC and called it done. A Google review from just two weeks ago describes mildew bad enough to rot the floor around the toilet. These aren’t buried in old reviews. They’re current.

Pests are a recurring problem. One resident found rats in their dryer and under kitchen cabinets. Another says spiders, beetles, and earwigs kept getting worse despite pest control visits. An older complaint mentions a building that had to be closed over roaches. These aren’t happening in every unit, but they’re specific enough and spread across enough years that it’s clearly not a one-off.

You can hear through the walls and floors. Residents talk about hearing everything from the unit above, garage doors slamming at all hours in the townhome units, and neighbor noise carrying through walls. This is separate from the golf course noise. It’s how the building was built.

Golf course noise is specific to units facing The Golf Club at Star Ranch. Players are allowed to bring large speakers and boomboxes onto the course, and nobody enforces noise levels. If you’re touring a unit with a “golf course view,” ask to see it during peak golf hours (weekends, late afternoon) so you know what you’re getting.

Here’s something worth paying attention to: ApartmentRatings gives maintenance a 1 out of 5, while Google reviews consistently praise it. That’s a big gap. My read? Google reviews skew recent and prompted. Management asks for reviews after fixing something, and people leave five stars. ApartmentRatings catches more raw frustration from people who’ve moved out. Reality is probably in the middle. Small fixes get handled fast. Bigger problems like mold and pests don’t get the same urgency.

Management responses on Google follow a template pattern. Positive reviews get generic thank-you responses. Negative reviews get the same “We apologize for any negative experience” reply. That tells you something about whether complaints actually get fixed or just get a canned reply.

The Uncomfortable Truth

No listing site will write this section. I’m not trying to kill the deal. I want you to know what you’re signing up for.

Mold Keeps Coming Back

Two separate 2025 complaints describe mold bad enough to affect daily living. One resident had to throw away furniture. Another had mildew that rotted the floor. For a 2009 build, that kind of recurring pattern points to moisture problems with the building itself. If you tour, check bathroom ceilings, window frames, and the base of walls in lower-floor units. Ask the leasing office directly how they handle mold complaints and how many units have had mold work orders in the past 12 months.

You’re in Hutto, Not Austin

The property’s marketing links it to the Austin area, and that’s technically accurate. But Hutto is Hutto. Your commute to downtown Austin is 30 minutes on a good day and over an hour in rush hour. The closest nightlife, dining variety, and cultural amenities are in Round Rock or Pflugerville, both 10–15 minutes away. If you’re relocating from out of state and expect an Austin urban experience, adjust those expectations now. This is suburban Texas.

The Concession Is Modest

Two weeks free on a 12 month lease saves $38/month on a $1,000 unit ($456 over the year). Real money, but other properties are running 6–8 weeks free right now. If your background qualifies you at stricter properties, run the numbers on those too.

Some Units Need Work on Day One

Some units need work on day one. Paint splatter. Things that should have been fixed before you got the keys. Walk through everything carefully and take photos of every scratch, stain, and loose handle. Your lease gives you a limited window to flag problems, and anything you don’t document becomes yours at checkout.

Pest Issues Aren’t Fully Solved

Rats in a dryer. Roaches bad enough to close a building. Spiders, beetles, and earwigs showing up daily. These complaints span several years. Not every unit has these issues, but they keep coming back. Ask the leasing office how often they spray and what they do when it doesn’t work.

The Walls Are Thinner Than You’d Expect for 2009 Construction

You can hear everything. That’s not my opinion. That’s from people who lived there, talking about the units above them, below them, and next to them. Garage doors banging at 2 AM, 4 AM, 5:30 AM in the townhome units. If noise while you’re sleeping is a deal breaker, tour in the evening and listen.

Ready to Move Forward, or Want to See Alternatives?

If Glenhaven fits your situation, I can help you put together a strong application and walk you through what the screening team looks for. Want to compare it against other Hutto and Round Rock properties that work with tough backgrounds? I can put that list together in one phone call.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Glenhaven at Star Ranch accept evictions?

Yes. Evictions are listed as accepted on their website. How far back they look and whether you’ll need a bigger deposit depends on your situation. Confirm with the leasing office or call me and I’ll check before you apply.

Does Glenhaven at Star Ranch accept felonies?

Yes. Felony records are accepted. They likely look at what the charge was and how long ago it happened. Call me and I can check your situation before you spend the application fee.

What’s the income requirement at Glenhaven at Star Ranch?

The property requires proof of current income but doesn’t publish a specific multiplier. Budget for 3x rent to be on the safe side. At $1,000/month rent, that’s $3,000/month gross income, or roughly $17.31/hour at 40 hours per week.

Is Glenhaven at Star Ranch pet friendly?

Yes. Two pets maximum, with a $250 deposit, $250 one-time fee, and $20/month rent per pet. Pit Bulls and Pit Bull mixes are restricted. No published weight limit for other breeds.

How far is Glenhaven at Star Ranch from Austin?

About 30 minutes from downtown Austin without traffic, 45–60 minutes in rush hour. Off US-79 in Hutto with access to TX-130 (toll) and TX-45.

What are the lease term options?

4 to 13 month lease terms. Shorter terms cost more per month. Confirm whether the 2 weeks free special applies to your preferred length.

Was Glenhaven at Star Ranch previously called something else?

Yes. The property was formerly known as Marquis at Star Ranch before rebranding under Simpson Property Group management.

Does Glenhaven at Star Ranch have townhomes?

Yes. Four bedroom townhomes up to 1,910 square feet with attached garages on select homes. Multi-level layouts, not oversized apartments.

The Bottom Line

Glenhaven at Star Ranch covers a gap in the Austin metro market that almost nobody else covers. Real approval flexibility on evictions, felonies, broken leases, and more, in a building that wasn’t built in the 1980s. 2009 construction. Upgraded interiors. Elevator access. Golf course views. Townhome options. That’s way more than most renters with tough backgrounds expect to find. And the 4.3 Google rating across 242 reviews says the community is doing more right than wrong. Justin’s name keeps coming up, which tells me the leasing office actually cares about getting you settled in right.

This property makes sense if:

• You have a rough rental history and want a property that feels normal, not a last resort
• You’re working north of Austin (Samsung, Dell, Round Rock employers) and want Hutto pricing
• You need a larger layout or a townhome and your background limits where you can apply
• You have pets and want actual outdoor amenities beyond a small grass patch

This property doesn’t make sense if:

• You’re sensitive to mold or moisture (the pattern in recent reviews is too consistent to dismiss)
• You need walkability or an urban Austin lifestyle
• You’re commuting to south Austin or downtown every day
• A serious fitness center is a daily priority for you

My honest take: Glenhaven is a solid pick for renters with screening issues who want to live somewhere that doesn’t feel like a compromise. The mold reports concern me, and I’d push any client to inspect carefully and ask hard questions during the tour. But the flexible approvals, the shape the property is in for what it costs, and the Hutto pricing make it worth serious consideration if you’re in the right commute corridor.

Need Help?

If you want to work with a locator: My service is free. The property pays me a referral fee from their marketing budget. Your rent stays the same. I can check your application against Glenhaven’s criteria before you spend $60 on the app fee. If this property isn’t the right fit, I’ll match you with ones that are.

If you want to go solo: Contact Glenhaven at Star Ranch directly at (737) 402-7409 or visit GlenhavenStarRanch.com. 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.