Lirica Apartments Austin Review: The Real Cost Behind East Austin’s Newest Build

Lirica advertises studios starting at $1,109. That number is real, but it’s also incomplete. Once you add the $229–$249 in mandatory monthly fees that don’t show up on listing sites, that studio actually costs $1,338–$1,358 per month before utilities. And that’s before we talk about what the 2.5 months free concession actually does to your bottom line.

I’ve tracked over 1,000 Austin apartment communities and toured 500+ properties since I started placing renters here. Lirica is one of the newest builds in East Austin’s 78702 corridor, and it’s generating a lot of search traffic right now. I get it. Brand new construction, rooftop skyline views, live/work floor plans, aggressive move-in specials. The marketing writes itself.

But here’s what listing sites won’t tell you: the gap between Lirica’s advertised rent and your actual monthly cost is one of the widest I’ve seen in this submarket. That doesn’t make it a bad deal. It just means you need to run the math before you sign anything.

Quick Facts

Two things stand out in that table. First, the mandatory monthly fees. At $229–$249, that’s higher than most East Austin competitors. Cable ($65/mo), internet ($65/mo), valet trash ($25/mo), amenity fee ($25/mo), garage parking ($25/mo), pest control ($5/mo), and a security deposit alternative ($19–$39/mo). You don’t get a choice on any of those. They’re in your lease whether you want them or not.

Second, the affordable housing angle. Lirica participates in Austin’s SMART Housing program, which means some units are available at reduced rents for income qualified renters. You don’t see that often at a brand new Class A property.

Who Lirica Works For (And Who It Doesn’t)

This property makes sense if you:

• Need a brand new apartment in 78702 with live/work floor plans for a home business. Lirica is one of the only East Austin communities offering dedicated live/work layouts with separate workspace entries.
• Want a rooftop sky lounge, pool, and coworking space without downtown pricing. At least 6 Google reviews call out the sky lounge and rooftop terrace by name, and the pool area gets praised almost as often.
• Qualify for SMART Housing income limits and want new construction at below market rents. The affordable S2.6 studio starts at $1,259 before the 2.5 months free special.
• Work remotely and value coworking space, strong internet (it’s bundled anyway), and walkability to East 7th Street dining.

Skip this property if you:

• Already pay for your own internet and cable. You can’t opt out of the bundled $130/month for cable and internet. If you’re already paying for a streaming setup and your own provider, that’s money wasted.
• Want a predictable all in monthly cost. Between usage based utilities for water, electric, gas, stormwater, trash hauling, and common area utilities on top of the $229–$249 fixed fees, your bill is going to move around month to month.
• Have screening challenges. This is a 2025 Class A build managed by RPM Living. Expect strict screening standards. If you have a broken lease, eviction, or credit below 600, this property will likely decline your application.
• Need a 3 bedroom. The only 3BR floor plan ($2,799 at 1,401 sq ft) shows unavailable. Don’t count on it.

Not Sure If Lirica Fits Your Situation?

I pre-screen renters against community criteria before you spend a single dollar on application fees. If Lirica’s screening is too strict for your profile, I’ll tell you which nearby East Austin properties have more flexibility.

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Location: What’s Actually Around Lirica

Lirica sits on East 7th Street between Airport Boulevard and Springdale Road in the Govalle neighborhood. That puts you about 2 miles east of I-35, right in the middle of East Austin’s newer development corridor.

What’s within walking distance:

The immediate stretch of East 7th has been adding restaurants and retail as new construction fills in, but this isn’t the walkable East 6th scene. For groceries, the closest full H-E-B is on East 7th near Pleasant Valley (about 1.5 miles west). The Whole Foods at 901 E 5th Street in the Saltillo development is about 2 miles west. Day to day errands will involve a short drive or a solid bike ride.

The East Austin restaurant and bar scene that people picture, places like Whisler’s, Zilker Brewing, and the East 6th corridor, sits about 1.5–2 miles west. You’re not walking there regularly, but it’s a quick drive or rideshare.

Commute times from Lirica:

Neighborhood reality:

Govalle is transitioning. Fast. Four brand new apartment communities sit within spitting distance: Lenox 7th (0.18 miles), Nexus East (0.21 miles), Eastpoint (0.26 miles), and Trailhead East (0.58 miles). Mix those in with older single family homes and you’ve got a corridor that looks different every six months. That’s part of the appeal and part of the trade-off. You’re getting new construction pricing in a neighborhood that’s still filling in around you.

The school district is Austin ISD, feeding into Govalle Elementary, Martin Middle School, and Eastside Memorial High School. If school ratings are a priority, research the current scores on the Austin ISD website before committing.

For transit, CapMetro bus routes run along East 7th, but plan on driving for most daily stuff. The Plaza Saltillo MetroRail station is about 4 miles west if you need the Red Line into downtown.

Pricing and True Cost

Lirica’s advertised rents look competitive for a 2025 build in 78702. The catch? Your actual monthly cost after mandatory fees tells a different story.

Floor Plans and Net Effective Rent

The current special is 2.5 months free on a 12 month lease. Using the daily multiplier method (75 free days on a 365 day lease = 0.7945 multiplier):

Net Effective Rent Calculation

Let me walk through the math on the most popular floor plan, a 1BR A2 at $1,874 base rent:

• Base rent: $1,874/month
• Lease term: 12 months (365 days)
• Concession: 2.5 months free (75 days)
• Daily multiplier: (365 – 75) ÷ 365 = 0.7945
• Net effective rent: $1,874 × 0.7945 = $1,489/month
• Monthly savings vs. base rent: $385/month

That $385 monthly savings sounds great. But now add back the mandatory fees.

Fee Breakdown

Required Fees (Everyone Pays These):

Optional Fees:

True Monthly Cost: What You’ll Actually Pay

So what does a real month at Lirica actually cost? Here’s a scenario for a 1BR renter with one dog:

• Net effective rent (A2 plan): $1,489
• Fixed mandatory fees: $229
• Estimated usage based utilities (electric, water, gas, stormwater, trash, common area): ~$120–$160
• Pet rent: $20
• Total monthly cost: approximately $1,858–$1,898

Compare that to the advertised $1,874 base rent. After the concession and mandatory fees, you’re paying roughly the same as the listed price. The 2.5 months free covers the fee hit during year one. That’s it. Year two, when the concession is gone and the fees remain, you’ll feel the full weight.

Move in costs for this scenario: $50 app fee + $250 admin + $500 deposit + $40 amenity setup + $400 pet fee + $20 pet screening = $1,260 before first month’s rent.

Fair warning: specials change. What I listed above was accurate as of June 2026, but concessions shift as units fill. I talk to leasing teams regularly and can confirm what’s currently available.

Want to Know What Specials Are Actually Available Right Now?

Rents at new lease-up properties like Lirica move fast. I track real time availability across East Austin and can tell you if the 2.5 months free deal is still running or if something better has come along.

Get Current Pricing →

Screening: What It Takes to Get Approved

Lirica doesn’t publish specific screening thresholds on its website. That’s common for RPM Living properties during lease-up. RPM Living’s corporate FAQ says most of their apartments require income of 2.5–3x monthly rent. I also pulled screening criteria from other RPM-affiliated properties to fill in the credit and background gaps.

Income Requirements

As a 2025 Class A build, expect 3x monthly rent. Here’s what that looks like across floor plans:

Note: SMART Housing affordable units have income caps, not just minimums. You must earn below the Median Family Income threshold for your household size to qualify for the S2.6 and S3.6 plans. Check the City of Austin Income & Rent Limits page for current thresholds.

Credit Expectations

No published credit minimum on Lirica’s website. Based on RPM-affiliated screening criteria, here’s how it usually shakes out:

• 600+ credit: You’re in. Standard deposit, no extra hoops.
• 550–599: You might get approved, but expect a bigger deposit.
• 500–549: Possible, but they’ll want a larger deposit to offset the risk.
• Below 500: Probably a no.

For a brand new Class A property like Lirica, the practical bar probably sits closer to 620–650 for smooth approval without conditions. If your credit is below 600, I’d recommend looking at East Austin apartments with more flexible screening before spending $50 on an application here. The Avenir review covers one nearby option with different standards.

What Will Likely Get You Denied

• Active property debt. Money owed to a previous landlord is the fastest way to get declined at any Austin property, and Lirica is no exception.
• Eviction filing within the past 7 years. RPM-affiliated criteria allow dismissed evictions to be evaluated differently, but an active record is a hard stop.
• Felony conviction. Texas law requires individual review, so blanket bans aren’t legal. But Class A properties with RPM-level screening tend to apply stricter standards, especially for recent or violent offenses.
• Insufficient income documentation
• Failed identity verification
• Inaccurate or falsified application information

Application Process

1. Apply online through Lirica’s SecureCafe portal ($50 nonrefundable application fee)
2. Screening runs through RPM Living’s third party service (credit, background, rental history)
3. Approval or denial typically within 24–72 hours
4. If approved, sign the lease and pay admin fee ($250) + security deposit ($500)

Here’s what working with a locator gets you at a property like Lirica: I can tell you whether your credit, income, and rental history are likely to clear screening before you hand over $50 to find out. If Lirica looks tight for your situation, I know which nearby East Austin communities have more flexibility. And I can tell you exactly which ones will work with your specific profile so you’re not playing application fee roulette.

Resident Reviews: What I Found Across Every Platform

I checked Google, Apartments.com, Yelp, ApartmentRatings, RentCafe, HAR.com, and Facebook. Here’s the full picture: Google has 63 reviews at 4.7 stars. Apartments.com has one review at 5.0. Everything else? Zero. For a 338 unit property, that tells you how new this place really is.

One thing caught my eye: RentCafe’s listing for Lirica references “Roscoe Properties” as the management company, not RPM Living. Every other source says RPM Living. Could be a data error, could be a developer handoff situation. Worth watching.

Here’s what actually matters from those 63 Google reviews.

The leasing team is the story. Janine gets called out by name in roughly 15 reviews. Lucero in about 8. Emily (the community manager) in about 8. Mercedes in about 5. That’s not typical. Most apartment reviews mention “the staff” generically. When four specific people get named repeatedly, it usually means the culture is real, not corporate.

But most reviews are tour impressions, not living experiences. And that matters. Lirica opened in 2025. The majority of the 63 reviews come from people who toured the property or just moved in. Long term living reviews are thin. The 4.7 star rating tells you the leasing team is great. It doesn’t tell you what it’s like to actually live here month after month.

The negative reviews are worth reading carefully. Abby F. posted photos of water leaking into her unit, reported constant power and internet outages, and said the parking garage gate doesn’t work. Peter O. described a friend losing power (not a mains issue, a building issue), the parking gate failing closed (the fire department had to come), and called the forced internet “pretty wild.” Joshua Turner reported calling 11 times with no answer.

These are new construction issues. They’re not unusual for a 2025 build still working out kinks. But they’re real.

Management responds to every review. The responses lean heavily on templates. Phrases like “we’re on a mission to ensure you feel heard” and “our team works diligently” repeat across multiple responses. That’s standard RPM Living corporate communication. It doesn’t tell you much about how they actually handle your maintenance request.

The Uncomfortable Truth

No listing site will write this section.

You’re Paying $130/Month for Internet and Cable You Might Not Want

The bundled cable ($65) and internet ($65) are mandatory. You cannot opt out. If you already pay for Netflix, Hulu, and a YouTube TV subscription, that cable package adds zero value. If you prefer a different internet provider with faster speeds, too bad. That’s $1,560 a year baked into your lease whether you use it or not. And I’m not the only one saying this. Erin W. called forced internet “a disgrace and bad for consumers” and said the property lists fees lower on their site than they actually are.

The 4.7 Star Rating Doesn’t Mean What You Think

Google is the only platform where people have actually left reviews. Yelp has zero. ApartmentRatings doesn’t even have a listing. Apartments.com has one. Of the 63 Google reviews that do exist, I’d estimate 40+ are from people who toured but don’t live there. Tour reviews tell you the leasing team is excellent. They don’t tell you how maintenance responds at 11 PM on a Thursday, whether the elevator works reliably, or if the walls are thick enough to block your neighbor’s music. Until Lirica has 6–12 months of resident reviews across multiple platforms, treat the rating as a measure of leasing experience, not living experience.

New Construction Means You’re the Beta Tester

Three separate reviewers mentioned power outages, internet failures, and a parking gate that trapped residents. One reviewer documented water leaking into their unit with photos. These are the kinds of problems that show up in the first year of a brand new building. They usually get resolved. But “usually” doesn’t help when you’re sitting in the dark with no internet and can’t get out of the parking garage.

Want Help Weighing the Trade-Offs?

I’ve placed renters in brand new East Austin communities before, and I know which ones have worked through their early kinks and which ones are still figuring things out. If you’re not sold on moving into a building that’s still in year one, I can point you to nearby properties that have a bit more track record.

Talk to Ross →

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Lirica have affordable housing units?

Yes. Lirica participates in Austin’s SMART Housing program. The S2.6 (520 sq ft studio at $1,259) and S3.6 (552 sq ft studio at $1,309) floor plans are income restricted. You must earn below the Median Family Income threshold for your household size. The City of Austin updates those limits annually.

What’s the actual total monthly cost at Lirica?

Add it all up: base rent plus $229–$249 in mandatory monthly fees, plus usage based utilities (electric, water, gas, stormwater, trash hauling, common area). For a 1BR at $1,874 base rent with the 2.5 months free concession, you’re looking at roughly $1,838–$1,898 per month total.

Are the live/work units worth the premium?

It depends on the floor plan. The S2 Live Work runs $100 more than the standard S2 ($1,629 vs. $1,529). The A2 Live Work adds about $100 over the A2 base. But the B8 and B8 Live Work are both priced at $2,929, so there’s no premium at all on that plan. If you run a home business and need a dedicated workspace layout, compare the specific unit you’re considering. Not all live/work plans cost more than their standard counterparts.

Can I bring my dog to Lirica?

Yes. Two pets maximum, no weight limit, breed restrictions apply. You’ll pay a $400 nonrefundable pet fee per pet, $20/month pet rent per pet, and a $20 pet screening fee. The $400 is a fee, not a deposit. You don’t get it back.

How does Lirica compare to nearby East Austin apartments?

Lenox 7th (0.18 miles, built 2021, $1,399–$3,000), Nexus East (0.21 miles, built 2021, $975–$2,057), and Eastpoint (0.26 miles, built 2024, $1,083–$2,949) are all within a quarter mile. Lirica is the newest but carries the highest mandatory fee load. Check my East Austin apartments guide for a full breakdown. If you’re comparing, calculate total monthly cost, not just base rent.

Is Lirica in a walkable area?

Partially. You can walk to some restaurants and shops on East 7th, but grocery runs and most errands require a car or bike. The nearest full service H-E-B is about 1.5 miles west. This is not a “leave your car for a week” situation.

What are the parking options?

Garage parking ($25/month) is mandatory for all residents. Reserved spots cost an additional $75/month. There’s EV charging too.

Is the rooftop lounge open to all residents?

Yes. The sky lounge with downtown Austin skyline views is open to all residents. It’s the amenity that comes up most in Google reviews, and honestly, the views are the real draw here.

The Bottom Line

Lirica delivers real new construction quality in 78702 with amenities that compete with downtown high-rises: sky lounge, full pool deck, coworking space, live/work floor plans. The leasing team is consistently praised by name, which matters more than most renters realize. And with 2.5 months free on a 12 month lease, the net effective rent brings pricing into range with older buildings nearby.

The trade-off is clear. Mandatory monthly fees of $229–$249 (including bundled cable and internet you can’t opt out of) eat into most of that concession savings. The 4.7 star Google rating reflects tour experiences more than long term living. And as a 2025 build, you’re the one dealing with whatever quirks come with year one of a new building.

This property makes sense if: you want the newest build in the 78702 corridor, you value rooftop views and coworking amenities, you need a live/work layout, or you qualify for SMART Housing income restricted units.

This property doesn’t make sense if: you already pay for your own internet and cable (that’s $130/month going nowhere), you’re not comfortable with new construction growing pains, your credit or rental history has challenges, or you want to know exactly what your bill will be every month.

My verdict: Lirica is a strong option for renters who prioritize new construction finishes and East Austin location over predictable monthly costs. Run the full cost math before you tour. If you’re working remotely and value the coworking space, the bundled internet at least earns part of its keep. And if you want to compare Lirica against the half dozen other new East Austin properties within walking distance, I can save you a lot of time.

Need Help Deciding?

Option 1: Work with me. I’ll pre-screen your application profile against Lirica’s criteria, calculate your true monthly cost based on the floor plan you want, and compare it against nearby options. My service is free to you.

Option 2: Go on your own. Visit Lirica’s website to schedule a tour. When you apply, 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.