Harris Branch Senior Apartments Austin Review: $895 for a 2BR in a 2017 Building. Here’s the Catch.

A two bedroom apartment for $895 a month. In a building that’s less than 10 years old. That’s what Harris Branch Senior is advertising right now on Dessau Road in Northeast Austin. I track pricing across this corridor daily through ApartmentData.com and direct property contacts, and that number stands out. Nova North next door starts at $918 for a one bedroom. That building is from 2008. Altair Tech Ridge starts at $995.

So what’s the catch? There are actually three.

First, this is a tax credit property. The low rent is real, but you have to earn under the income cap to qualify. Second, it’s 55+ senior housing, so at least one person in your household needs to be 55 or older. And third? The most recent reviews are about a German roach infestation that multiple residents say management hasn’t fixed.

This review covers all of it: the pricing tiers, the income caps, what the reviews actually say, and whether the math still makes sense despite the problems. This is the honest breakdown no listing site will give you.

Quick Facts: Harris Branch Senior

The 3.5 Google rating tells part of the story. The review count is small enough that a few recent 1-star reviews about roaches and a broken elevator are dragging the number down fast. I’ll break down what’s driving those numbers below.

Best For

You’re a senior on a fixed income looking for newer construction. Most income restricted senior housing in Austin is in older buildings. Harris Branch was built in 2017. That means modern kitchens, wood floors, walk-in showers, elevators, and full size washer/dryer connections. If you’re comparing it to senior properties built in the 1980s or 1990s, the building is a big step up.

You qualify for the lower income tiers. The two bedroom units at $895 to $900 are the whole reason this property is worth looking at. That’s the 30% or 40% AMI tier, and if your income falls in that range, you’re getting 2017 construction at a rent that barely exists anywhere else in the Austin metro. For comparison, nearby properties in the Dessau corridor charge $1,000+ for older two bedrooms.

You have a pet under 45 pounds. Many senior and income restricted properties either ban pets entirely or limit you to one small animal. Harris Branch allows two pets. The 45 lb weight limit rules out large breeds, but it covers most medium dogs and all cats. Budget $300 per pet upfront ($150 deposit + $150 fee, with the deposit refundable and the fee not refundable) plus $25/month in pet rent.

You want to be near the Tech Ridge corridor. Shops at Tech Ridge, H-E-B, multiple medical offices, and Capital Metro bus routes are all within a few minutes. If someone else in the household works in the Parmer Lane tech corridor, the commute is short.

Skip If

You can’t tolerate pest problems. I’m going to be direct: five of the most recent Google reviews mention German roaches. Not one vague mention. Five separate people describing roaches in hallways, elevators, laundry rooms, and inside their units. If pest issues are a hard no for you, this property has a real problem right now.

You expect a building with only seniors. Multiple residents have reported that a lot of the people living there aren’t seniors. One resident put it at “only 20% seniors.” Another mentioned young people and children. By law, 55+ communities have to keep at least 80% of their units filled with people who are 55 or older. From what residents are saying, the 55+ rule isn’t being followed the way you’d expect. If a quiet, seniors-only building matters to you, ask the leasing office what percentage of residents are actually 55+ before you apply.

The elevator matters to you and you’re above the first floor. Harris Branch is a four story building with one elevator per building. At least five reviews on different sites mention the elevator being broken for weeks at a time. One resident counted four outages in 14 months. If you have mobility issues and live on the third or fourth floor, that’s a serious problem.

You need a building that feels secure. Multiple reviewers say police show up here often, that the security gates don’t work, and that people who don’t live here get into the building. One reviewer said police were there “every other night.” If you’re looking for a secure, quiet senior building, ask hard questions about the current security setup before you apply.

Ready to See If Harris Branch Senior Fits Your Situation?

I can tell you whether your income qualifies for this property’s tax credit tiers before you spend the $22 application fee. If it doesn’t, I know which other senior and income restricted communities in the Austin area will work better.

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Location Deep Dive

What’s Actually Nearby

Harris Branch Senior sits on Dessau Road just south of Parmer Lane, in Northeast Austin’s 78754 zip code. Retail and restaurants have filled in along this stretch over the past few years. You won’t need to drive far for daily errands.

Groceries: H-E-B on Tech Ridge Blvd is about 1.5 miles south (5 minute drive). Walmart Supercenter on Parmer Lane is roughly 2 miles west. For quick trips, there are convenience stores within half a mile.

Medical: St. David’s North Austin Medical Center is about 7 miles south (15 to 20 minutes). There are urgent care clinics and doctors’ offices in the Tech Ridge area, all within 2 miles. CVS and Walgreens are both on Parmer Lane, also within 2 miles.

Dining and retail: Shops at Tech Ridge is about 1.5 miles south with chain restaurants, a movie theater, and retail. Not walkable, but a quick drive.

Transit: Capital Metro bus service runs along Dessau Road and Parmer Lane. The MetroRapid 803 on Parmer connects to the Domain and downtown.

Commute Math

The Parmer Lane tech corridor is the major commute win here. Samsung, Apple, and various tech offices are all within 10 to 15 minutes. Downtown is manageable off-peak but painful during rush hour, especially the I-35 merge south of Parmer.

Neighborhood Vibe

Suburban Northeast Austin. You’ll need a car for most things. The Dessau corridor has gotten busier with new apartment construction, and traffic during morning and evening commutes has gotten worse. It’s a mix of newer apartments and older neighborhoods around here. Quiet at night. No nightlife nearby. The Walnut Creek Greenbelt is a few miles south if you want walking trails and green space.

Pricing and True Cost

Floor Plans

Here’s something that catches most people off guard: the two bedroom units are cheaper than the one bedrooms. That’s not a typo. Tax credit properties assign units to income tiers, and the rent is set by the tier, not the bedroom count.

The B1 and B2 two bedroom plans are the real story here. 969 to 975 square feet at $895 to $900/month, dropping to $821 to $826 after the one month free. Those units sit in a lower income tier. That’s why the rent is so low for a 2017 building.

The one bedrooms at $1,385 to $1,390 are a higher income tier (likely 60% AMI). At that price, you’re competing with regular properties: Altair Tech Ridge (2019) starts at $995 and 1900 Parmer (2024) starts at $915. The one bedrooms only make sense if you specifically need a 55+ community.

Net Effective Rent Calculation

Using the B1 plan as the example:

• Base rent: $895/month
• Special: 1 month free on a 12 month lease
• Multiplier: (365 days – 30 days) / 365 days = 0.9178
• Net effective rent: $895 × 0.9178 = $821/month
• Monthly savings: $895 – $821 = $74/month

Fee Breakdown

Required fees (everyone pays):

Optional fees:

The fee structure is light. $22 application fee is the lowest I see anywhere in Austin. Zero admin fee. $99 deposit with the Look & Lease deal. Most properties in this corridor charge $200 to $500 deposits minimum. And trash and water are included, which saves you $30 to $60/month compared to places that tack utility charges onto your rent.

True Monthly Cost Scenario

A resident in a B1 two bedroom with one pet and garage parking:

Without the extras, your base cost is $895/month with trash and water already covered. Hard to beat on the Dessau corridor for a building this age.

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

I track pricing and fees at every community in this corridor. I can run the numbers side by side so you know where you’re actually getting the best deal.

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Screening Criteria

Tax credit properties screen differently than regular apartments.

Income Caps (Not Income Minimums)

At a regular apartment, you need to earn at least 3x rent to qualify. At Harris Branch Senior, there’s an income ceiling. You need to earn under the cap that goes with the unit you’re applying for.

Harris Branch is part of the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) program, capped at 60% of Area Median Income. Here are the current income limits for the Austin area (updated June 2026, from the City of Austin Housing Department):

If you earn more than the cap for your household size, you don’t qualify. Period. But notice the caps are higher than you might expect for “affordable housing.” A single person earning up to $56,460 qualifies. That covers a lot of retirees on Social Security plus a pension or part-time income.

Income Minimums

Harris Branch Senior doesn’t publish a minimum income requirement. Tax credit properties in Austin usually ask for 2x to 2.5x rent, but it depends on the property. For the B1 at $895, a 2.5x requirement would mean you need about $2,238/month coming in. Call (512) 540-3664 to ask what their actual minimum is before you apply.

Credit and Background

Harris Branch Senior doesn’t publish a credit score minimum or say how far back they check your background. In my experience, tax credit properties tend to be more flexible on credit and background than standard Class A or B properties. They care more about proving your income and checking the paperwork.

The usual stuff that gets you denied at any property still applies here: money owed to a previous landlord, evictions within the past 2 to 3 years, certain felony types, and lying on your application.

If you have credit or background issues on top of the income limits, check out the second chance apartments page. I know which income restricted properties are the most flexible on background.

Age Requirement

At least one household member must be 55 or older. Other household members can be any age. Bring a valid ID to prove your age.

Application Process

You can apply at the leasing office or online. The fee is $22 per person. Bring your income proof: tax returns, W-2s, pay stubs, or Social Security statements. They’ll also verify your age and run a credit and background check. Tax credit applications typically take longer than regular apartments because of the extra paperwork.

Here’s what separates working with a locator from applying blind: I can tell you whether your income and background will work at Harris Branch Senior before you spend $22 finding out. If this property looks tight for your situation, I know which other senior apartments in Austin have openings right now.

Resident Reviews Decoded

I pulled reviews from Google (46 reviews, 3.5 average), ModernMsg (10, 3.6), After55/Apartments.com (7, 3.0), A Place for Mom (1, 1.0), and Caring.com (1, 5.0). AssistedLivingCenter aggregates 27, mostly from Google. After removing duplicates, the real count is around 60 to 65 unique reviews. The pattern is clear: residents who’ve been there a while are mostly satisfied, but conditions have gotten noticeably worse over the past year.

Review Pattern Table

What residents praise

The staff comes up again and again on every review site. Veronica (office manager), Arlette (front office admin), and maintenance techs Chris and Travis are all named by multiple reviewers. Bernadine Rhone Carter has lived at Harris Branch since it opened in 2017. She wrote a detailed review praising all three by name. On Chris: “He takes care of my issues within 24-48 hours.” Victoria Jones, who lived there almost five years, called the maintenance staff “always on top of things.”

The most positive reviews come from residents who stuck around: Bernadine (since 2017), Carolyn (since 2021), Ron (three years), Victoria (five years). These are people who chose to stay. That matters.

What residents criticize

The pest issue goes beyond just roaches. Seven or more reviewers on different sites talk about German roaches in hallways, elevators, laundry rooms, and units. A Place for Mom’s reviewer also found a mouse. The most recent Google review (two weeks old as of this writing) calls the building a “GERMAN ROACH MOTEL.” Adamaris Hernandez said her parents have lived there four years. The roaches are “everywhere.” And another reviewer tied it to the building’s trash system.

The elevator is the second biggest issue. One detailed review on After55 reported the elevator was down for two weeks and that it was the fourth time in 14 months. The reviewer pointed out that walking stairs “is NOT an option for most elderly residents.” They also called the long hallways plus a single elevator per building a “major fire hazard.” The only review on A Place for Mom says the same thing.

Safety comes up more than I expected for a senior property. One reviewer mentioned police being called “every other night.” Another said they don’t feel safe. Maria on ModernMsg mentioned disrespect from younger adults and kids. Gerard said he doesn’t always feel safe. That’s not one person having a bad day. It’s a pattern.

Parking is a smaller but real complaint. Several reviewers say there aren’t enough spots, especially handicap parking.

Here’s something else I noticed. The positive reviews name different staff depending on the era: Shabe and Rose appear in 2020 to 2022 reviews, Veronica and Arlette in 2023 to 2026 reviews. One anonymous 2022 reviewer said “the office staff has changed twice since I’ve been here.” The current team gets strong reviews. But that turnover means the experience can change depending on who’s running the office at the time.

How Management Responds

Template replies to positive Google reviews. On After55, they replied to a mixed review about visitors and lighting but skipped the roach complaints. The most critical recent Google reviews got no response at all. When management only answers the good ones and ignores the ones about roaches, that says something.

The Uncomfortable Truth

No listing site will write this section. I will.

The Pest Problem Is Worse Than “Minor Issues”

Seven or more reviewers on four different sites talk about German roaches in hallways, elevators, laundry rooms, and units. One reviewer also reported a mouse. The most recent review calls the building a “German roach motel.” German roaches breed fast. Once they get into a 216 unit building with shared walls and plumbing, they’re extremely hard to get rid of. Multiple reviewers blame the trash system. This isn’t just one apartment. If you tour, ask for the dates of the last time they treated the whole building and how often they spray. Look at the hallways, the elevator, and the laundry room yourself.

The 55+ Designation May Not Match Reality

Multiple residents report that the building doesn’t feel like a senior community. One resident estimated only 20% of the population is actually seniors. Others talk about young adults, children, and not feeling safe. The law (Housing for Older Persons Act) says 55+ communities have to keep at least 80% of their units occupied by someone 55 or older. If the building is below that number, you’re not getting what was advertised. Before you apply, ask the leasing office straight up: what percentage of your residents are 55 or older right now?

One Elevator Per Building in a Four Story Senior Property

This goes beyond “the elevator breaks sometimes.” One reviewer said the elevator was down for two weeks and that it was the fourth time in 14 months. They called the single elevator plus long hallways a “major fire hazard” in a building full of seniors with mobility needs. Five or more reviews bring up the elevator. If you’re on the third or fourth floor and rely on the elevator, ask the leasing office how long repairs typically take. Ask for the maintenance history.

Safety Concerns Show Up in the Reviews

Three or more reviewers say police get called out here regularly. One said “cops here every other night.” Others say they don’t feel safe or that people who don’t live there are getting into the building. For a 55+ community, that’s worth asking about. Ask the leasing office what they’re doing about security. Ask whether the access gates are actually working right now. Multiple reviews say they haven’t been.

Tax Credit Pricing Has a Ceiling You Can Hit

The low rent is the draw. If your income goes up after you move in, you might not qualify when your lease comes up for renewal. Tax credit properties check your income every year. A raise, a new benefit, or someone moving in with you could push you over the cap. You’re usually safe through the end of your current lease, but they can deny your renewal if you’re over the limit. Plan for that.

Ready to Move Forward, or Want to See Alternatives?

If Harris Branch Senior is the right fit, I can help you move on it. Want to compare it to other senior or income restricted communities? I can lay those out too. The Northeast Austin apartment market has options I know about right now.

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FAQ

Is Harris Branch Senior income restricted?

Yes. It’s a Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) property. Rents are set by the government based on 60% of the Area Median Income. You have to earn under the income cap for your household size. As of June 2026: one person, $56,460. Two persons, $64,560.

Do you have to be 55 to live at Harris Branch Senior?

At least one household member must be 55 or older. Other members of the household can be younger. Ask the leasing office what percentage of residents are actually 55 or older.

Does Harris Branch Senior accept pets?

Yes. Up to two pets, 45 pounds maximum per pet. Dogs and cats are allowed. Aggressive breeds are prohibited. Expect $150 deposit plus $150 fee per pet upfront, and $25 per month per pet in pet rent.

What utilities are included at Harris Branch Senior?

Trash and water/sewer are included. You pay electricity. Every unit has full size washer/dryer connections.

Does Harris Branch Senior have a roach problem?

Based on what residents are writing, yes. At least five reviewers on Google and ModernMsg talk about German roaches in hallways, elevators, laundry rooms, and individual units. Ask the leasing office what they’re doing about it and how often they spray.

What’s the application fee at Harris Branch Senior?

$22 per person. That’s among the lowest in Austin. Admin fee is $0. The current Look & Lease deal brings the deposit down to $99 (available through 12/3/2026).

Is Harris Branch Senior on a bus route?

Yes. Capital Metro runs on Dessau Road and Parmer Lane. The MetroRapid 803 on Parmer connects to the Domain and downtown.

How does Harris Branch Senior compare to other senior apartments in Austin?

It’s newer than most income restricted senior housing in Austin. Two bedroom pricing starting at $895 is hard to beat. The trade-off is the pest and elevator problems that keep showing up in reviews. For other options, check the senior apartments in Austin guide or my reviews of Commons at Manor and Arbor Park.

What is the deposit at Harris Branch Senior?

$99 with the current Look & Lease special (through 12/3/2026). Add the $22 application fee and you’re looking at $121 to get in the door before pet fees.

The Bottom Line

Harris Branch Senior gives you something hard to find in Austin: a 2017 building with tax credit pricing that starts at $895 for a two bedroom. Fees are minimal ($22 app fee, $0 admin, $99 deposit with the current special). And trash and water are included, which knocks another $30 to $60 off what you’d pay at most places nearby.

The trade-off is building conditions that recent reviewers say are getting worse. The pest issue alone shows up in seven or more reviews on four different sites. The elevator has been down repeatedly. Safety concerns, broken security gates, questions about who’s actually living there. It adds up.

But here’s what’s interesting: residents who’ve been there for years (some since the 2017 opening) are still happy. That split tells you something. The apartments themselves are fine. The problems are in the shared spaces and building systems.

This property makes sense if:

• Your income is under the tax credit caps and you want newer construction at rent below market rate
• You’re looking at the two bedroom plans at $895 to $900, where the value is strongest
• You’re comfortable asking the leasing office hard questions about pest control and elevator maintenance before signing
• You need to be in the Dessau/Parmer corridor for work or family

This property doesn’t make sense if:

• Pest issues are a dealbreaker (seven or more reviews on four different sites is too consistent to ignore)
• You need a reliable elevator to reach your unit daily
• You expect a quiet, secure, seniors-only environment (reviews mention police calls, broken gates, and residents of all ages)
• You’re looking at the one bedroom plans at $1,385+, where the pricing loses its advantage against regular apartments nearby

My honest take: the lower tier two bedrooms are the only reason to pick Harris Branch Senior over nearby regular apartments. At $821/month net effective for a 969 square foot two bedroom in a 2017 building, the math is strong. And the residents who’ve stayed for years clearly found something worth staying for.

But you need to go in with your eyes open. Tour the building yourself. Walk the hallways. Check the elevator. Look at the laundry room. Ask about pest control, the security gates, and how many residents are actually 55 or older. If what you see matches the recent reviews, keep looking. If the property has cleaned up since the last round of complaints, the deal is real.

Need Help Finding the Right Senior Apartment?

I’m Ross Quade, a licensed Texas real estate agent (License #679806). My service is free. The property pays me a referral fee from their marketing budget. I can check whether your income qualifies, compare properties, and tell you which communities have openings.

Going direct? Call Harris Branch Senior at (512) 540-3664 or email cm@harrisbranchseniors.com. They’re open Monday through Friday 9:30 to 5:30, Saturday 10 to 5. Closed Sunday. 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.