Springdale Gardens Apartments Austin Review: $0 Fees, Included Utilities, and the Trade-Offs Nobody Mentions

Springdale Gardens charges $0 to apply. $0 admin fee. $0 security deposit. And the property covers your cable, gas, and water bill. In a market where move-in costs regularly hit $2,000+ before you even get your keys, those numbers stop you mid-scroll. They stopped me too.

But here’s the part that listing sites completely miss: Springdale Gardens is a Section 8 Project-Based Rental Assistance property. The $1,353–$1,951 rents you see online? Those are maximums. What you’d actually pay is 30% of your income. For renters who qualify under the Area Median Income limits, this is one of the most affordable addresses in the 78721 zip code. Period.

I’ve tracked East Austin pricing across 500+ apartment tours over the past 14 years as a licensed Texas REALTOR (TX #679806). And here’s what listing sites won’t tell you. This 1966 property carries a 3.3 Google rating with 87+ reviews, and the complaints aren’t about slow wifi or a small gym. They’re about water leaking through ceilings, mold growing inside apartments, and a child hospitalized for asthma. That’s a different category of concern.

This review breaks down the real numbers, the review patterns, and whether the subsidy is worth the trade-offs.

Quick Facts: Springdale Gardens at a Glance

A 3.3 Google rating from 87 reviews doesn’t tell you much on its own. A handful of residents praise the quiet grounds. But the negative reviews describe things like mold, water damage, and a child’s asthma attack. I’ll break down what’s actually driving those numbers below.

Fair warning: this property is at 100% occupancy with zero available units and likely a waitlist. If you’re reading this to plan ahead, pay close attention to the review patterns below.

Best For / Skip If

This Property Could Work If…

You need subsidized rent in East Austin. Section 8 PBRA means you pay based on what you earn, not what the listing says. Someone making $30,000/year? Roughly $750/month. Compare that to market-rate one bedrooms in the 78721 corridor at $1,100–$1,400. You’d save $350–$650/month.

You need rock-bottom move-in costs. $0 application fee, $0 admin fee, and $0 security deposit is almost unheard of in Austin. Most properties charge $50–$75 to apply, $150–$400 in admin fees, and $200–$1,500 in deposits. At Springdale Gardens, your initial cost is one month’s subsidized rent. That’s it.

You need a three bedroom in East Austin with subsidized rent. A subsidized three bedroom in the 78721 zip code is hard to find. Most three bedrooms in East Austin start above $2,200 at standard communities. Here, you’d pay 30% of your income regardless of bedroom count. If you need the space and qualify, this is one of very few options.

You don’t have pets. No pets means no pet deposits, no pet rent, no breed restriction headaches. One fewer monthly fee to worry about.

Skip This Property If…

You earn above the income limits. Section 8 PBRA properties have income ceilings, not income floors. A single person earning above $40,900/year (50% AMI) may not qualify. This is the opposite of a typical apartment where higher income helps you. Here, higher income disqualifies you.

You have any pet at all. No dogs, no cats. The property’s policy is no pets. If you need a reasonable accommodation for an assistance animal, talk to the property directly about that.

Maintenance response time matters to you. Multiple Google reviewers describe months-long waits for basic repairs. One resident wrote about water leaking through the ceiling for months with mold growing in the apartment. Not a one-off complaint.

You have respiratory sensitivities. The mold complaints aren’t vague. One reviewer’s daughter was hospitalized for an asthma attack connected to mold in the unit. If anyone in your household has breathing issues, the risk here is real.

You own a car you care about. Residents across Google and ApartmentRatings describe aggressive towing, with vehicles towed even when following posted rules. Retrieval fees run $200+ each time.

Wondering If Springdale Gardens Fits Your Situation?

Fill out a quick form and I’ll reach out to go over your specifics: income, credit, timeline. I can check whether you’d likely qualify before you spend time applying, and I’ll share any availability info that might not be listed online. You’ll hear from a real person (me), not an automated system.

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Location Deep Dive

What’s Actually Nearby

Springdale Gardens sits on Springdale Road in the Govalle neighborhood of East Austin, about four miles east of downtown. It’s mostly residential around here with a few commercial lots mixed in.

Walking distance (under 10 minutes): Anyday Grocery (convenience store at 919 Springdale Rd, about a block north), Givens District Park and Recreation Center (just south of the property), and a few taco trucks and food trailers along Springdale Road.

Short drive (5–10 minutes): The Eastland Plaza shopping center at Airport and MLK has a Walgreens and several fast food options. H-E-B on East 7th Street is about 1.5 miles west. The Thinkery children’s museum and Boggy Creek Greenbelt are both within a 10 minute drive.

You’ll need to drive for: Full grocery runs, most sit-down dining, medical offices, and anything downtown. This is a car-dependent area. The MLK MetroRail station is 1.6 miles away, which helps if you commute north toward the tech corridor. But for daily errands? You need a car.

The Commute Math

Route note: You’ll use Springdale Road south to Airport Boulevard or MLK to access I-35 for most destinations. Morning southbound I-35 toward the airport moves well. Northbound toward the Domain during rush hour is where things slow down.

Neighborhood Vibe

The Govalle/East Austin area around Springdale Road is in transition. Older homes and apartments sit next to newer development. Pearl Springdale and The Goodwin are both new construction communities within a half-mile, and they represent where the neighborhood is heading: higher density, higher rents, gentrification pressure on properties like this one.

Right now, this stretch of Springdale doesn’t have walkable nightlife or trendy restaurant rows. It’s quiet, residential, and still affordable compared to the 78702 zip code just west. Short commute to downtown and UT. But if walkability to bars, coffee shops, and grocery stores matters to you, this isn’t where you’ll find it.

Pricing and True Cost

Floor Plans

All units unavailable as of June 2026. Property is at 100% occupancy.

Net Effective Rent

Here’s where Springdale Gardens breaks from every other property review I write. The $1,353–$1,951 rents listed above? Those are maximum allowable rents under the Section 8 PBRA program. Not what most tenants actually pay.

Under the PBRA subsidy, you pay 30% of your adjusted gross income. Household earns $2,000/month? Your rent is roughly $600. Earn $3,000? About $900. The federal subsidy covers the gap between your share and the maximum rent.

No concession math to calculate here. No “6 weeks free” promotional game. The subsidy is the deal, and unlike a market-rate concession, it doesn’t expire after year one. As long as you remain income-eligible and in good standing, your portion stays the same.

All the Fees

The $0/$0/$0 fee structure is the standout here. Application, admin, and deposit all zero. In Austin, admin fees alone typically run $150–$400. Application fees usually cost $50–$75 per person. Security deposits run $200–$1,500. Springdale Gardens charges none of it.

I didn’t find any additional mandatory monthly fees. And with cable, gas, and water rolled into rent, your only utility bill is electricity (and internet, if you want something beyond what the cable package covers).

True Monthly Cost: What You’d Actually Pay

Scenario: 1BR, household income of $2,500/month ($30,000/year)

Cable, gas, and water are covered. No pet rent (no pets allowed). No valet trash. No security deposit. No app or admin fees.

Compare that to a standard apartment at $1,353 where you’d also pay $50+ for water/sewer, $30–$60 for gas, $50–$100 for internet, and $25 for valet trash. You’d be looking at $1,500+/month before electric. The Section 8 subsidy here saves you $600–$700/month compared to that same unit at market rate. That’s real money.

Move-in cost estimate:

That’s it. No deposit. No app fee. No admin fee. If you earn $2,500/month, your move-in cost is roughly $750. I can’t think of another property in Austin where it costs this little to walk in the door.

Want to Know What’s Actually Available Right Now?

Springdale Gardens is at 100% occupancy, but East Austin inventory shifts. I track availability across the 78721 zip code weekly. Fill out a quick form and I’ll send you current options that fit your budget, with the real numbers, not the marketing ones.

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Screening Criteria

Here’s where everything changes from a typical apartment search. I dug into the affordable housing listings and confirmed Springdale Gardens is a Section 8 Project-Based Rental Assistance (PBRA) property. Qualification works differently here than anywhere else you’ve applied.

How Income Qualification Works Here

At a regular apartment, you need to earn 3x the rent to qualify. Here, it’s flipped. You need to earn below the Area Median Income threshold. And you pay a percentage of what you earn, not the listed price.

The $1,353–$1,951 rents on listing sites are maximums. Earn $2,000/month? You’d pay roughly $600. I covered the full math in the Pricing section above.

Here’s what the income limits look like for the Austin metro (source: AffordableHousingOnline.com):

To be clear: you must earn less than these amounts to qualify. If you’re a single person earning $45,000/year, you’d fall above the 50% AMI threshold but below the 80% AMI threshold.

The Waitlist Reality

Properties like this almost always have waitlists. AffordableHousingOnline forecasts Springdale Gardens as “Likely Long or Closed.” That tracks with the 100% occupancy. You could be waiting months or years. Call the property at (512) 928-3451 to ask whether they’re even accepting new names.

What About Credit and Background?

Section 8 PBRA properties still screen applicants. Springdale Gardens hasn’t published specific credit minimums or background criteria. But based on similar PBRA properties in Austin, here’s what I’d expect:

• Credit scores matter less than at market-rate properties. That said, active collection accounts and money owed to a previous landlord can still create problems.
• Recent evictions will raise flags. How recent and whether there’s a judgment matters.
• HUD guidelines limit how criminal background can be used in screening. Arrest records alone shouldn’t disqualify you.
• Income documentation is the big one. You’ll need pay stubs, tax returns, or benefit letters proving you fall within AMI limits.

The Application Process

1. Contact the property: call (512) 928-3451 or email alopez@amqh.org
2. Ask about waitlist status and estimated wait time
3. Complete application ($0 fee) when your name comes up
4. Income verification and screening by management
5. Lease signing on a 12 month minimum lease

If You Already Have a Voucher

If you currently hold a Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher (a portable voucher you can use at various properties), be aware: at a PBRA property like Springdale Gardens, you’d typically need to give up your portable voucher to move in, because the subsidy is attached to the building, not to you. Big decision. Talk to your housing authority before making that trade.

What a Locator Can Do Here

Let me be direct. Springdale Gardens does not pay locator referral fees. I don’t earn a commission if you move here. I’m writing this review because you deserve the same honest breakdown whether the property pays me or not. If Springdale Gardens fits your situation, go for it. If the review patterns concern you or the waitlist is too long, I know which East Austin communities offer alternatives at similar price points, including other income-restricted properties. That help costs you nothing.

Resident Reviews Decoded

I pulled reviews from every platform I could find. Google (87+ reviews), ApartmentRatings (2), Yelp (1), Superpages (1). Checked Birdeye, ForRent, ApartmentHomeLiving, DexKnows, and Facebook too. Most platforms had nothing. But what’s there reinforces what Google shows. Here are the patterns.

Review Pattern Analysis

What Residents Praise

Two things come up when people say positive things, and both come from longer-term residents. One ApartmentRatings reviewer who moved in during 2006 praised friendly office staff, mature trees, and peaceful surroundings. On Superpages, a visitor called out a staff member named Neil who helped carry groceries for an ill resident.

A visitor also praised the on-site daycare (Nurturing Child Care Center, operating at the 1054 Springdale address), calling the workers “awesome.”

The praise is real, but it’s also old. The positive reviews with actual text mostly date back years. Recent reviews? Almost all negative.

What Residents Criticize

These aren’t complaints about paint colors or a small clubhouse. They’re about whether the apartment is safe to live in.

Maintenance and repairs: Multiple Google reviewers say maintenance requests go unresolved. One put it bluntly: maintenance “sucks and they don’t fix anything right.” A former resident recommended calling the Austin Tenant Council because management “won’t fix nothing.” On Yelp, a reviewer from February 2020 described tenants showering at gyms and eating fast food because the property wouldn’t resolve a plumbing outage.

Water leaks and mold: The most alarming Google review describes water dripping through the ceiling for months. Management opened the ceiling, found mold throughout the apartment, and then did nothing. That reviewer’s daughter ended up hospitalized for an asthma attack. That’s not an inconvenience. That’s a health hazard.

Pest issues: One ApartmentRatings reviewer describes bed bugs and roach infestation. Single account. But a 1966 building with documented water intrusion creates exactly the conditions where pests thrive. Moisture draws roaches. Older construction has more entry points. The two problems feed each other.

Towing: Google and ApartmentRatings reviewers describe the same thing: cars getting towed even when they followed the rules. Retrieval costs run $200+ each time.

How Management Responds

Short answer: they mostly don’t. I didn’t find consistent public responses to negative reviews on any platform. The ApartmentRatings listing hasn’t been claimed. When a property doesn’t engage with online complaints, it usually means they’re not engaging with the complaints in person either.

The Uncomfortable Truth

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

The Maintenance Situation Isn’t a Speed Problem. It’s an Execution Problem.

Slow maintenance is annoying. Not doing maintenance at all is a different issue. Multiple reviews describe requests that were never completed or were done poorly. One recent reviewer says maintenance “sucks and they don’t fix anything right.” A former resident says the problems were bad enough that she recommends contacting the Austin Tenant Council (512-474-1961). When residents are telling future residents to call tenant advocacy organizations, that’s a signal.

The Mold Problem Is Real

This isn’t “someone smelled something musty.” A resident documented visible mold after the ceiling was opened to address a water leak. Nobody cleaned it up. A child was hospitalized. In a 1966 building, water intrusion usually means aging plumbing that a 2020 renovation didn’t touch. Renovations update countertops, flooring, and fixtures. They don’t replace pipes, roofing, or drainage from 1966. If a unit opens up and you tour, ask about plumbing age and mold remediation history for that specific unit.

Your Car Is Not Safe from Towing

Reviews on both Google and ApartmentRatings describe the same pattern: residents following the rules still get towed. If the towing company has an aggressive contract with the property, your options are limited and retrieval fees stack up fast. Before you sign anything, ask management who handles towing and get the parking rules in writing.

Pest Problems May Come with the Territory

One ApartmentRatings reviewer describes bed bugs and roach infestation. Single account. But here’s the context: a 1966 building with documented water intrusion and mold creates exactly the conditions where pests thrive. Moisture draws roaches. Older construction has more entry points. The two problems feed each other. If you tour, ask about the pest control schedule, when that specific unit was last treated, and whether there have been bed bug reports in that section of the building.

This Is Section 8 Project-Based Housing. Know What That Means.

I’ve covered the financial upside above. Here’s the other side. PBRA properties have waitlists that can stretch for years, and the property’s maintenance funding runs through a different pipeline than conventional apartments. If you currently hold a portable Section 8 voucher, moving here means giving it up because the subsidy is attached to the building, not to you. Worth thinking through carefully before you commit.

Ready to Move Forward, or Want to Explore Alternatives?

You’ve seen the full picture. If Springdale Gardens still interests you, call the property directly. If the maintenance and mold patterns give you pause, I can point you toward East Austin alternatives with stronger track records at similar price points. Either way, you’re making an informed decision now.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Does Springdale Gardens allow pets?

No. No dogs, no cats, no exceptions. If you have an animal, this property won’t work.

What utilities are included at Springdale Gardens?

Cable, gas, and water are included in your rent. You’re responsible for electricity and any additional internet service beyond what the cable package provides. The property also has fiber optic lines available.

How much is the application fee?

$0. Springdale Gardens charges no application fee and no admin fee. That’s rare for Austin apartments, where combined app and admin fees commonly total $200–$450.

What is parking like at Springdale Gardens?

Surface lot with open parking, included at no extra charge. Be aware that residents have reported aggressive towing. Get the parking rules in writing before you sign.

Is Springdale Gardens a good location for commuting?

About 4.5 miles from downtown Austin: 10 to 15 minutes off-peak, 20 to 30 minutes during rush hour. The MLK MetroRail station is 1.6 miles away. Car dependent for daily errands.

When was Springdale Gardens built and renovated?

Built in 1966, renovated in 2020. The renovation likely updated finishes inside the units, but the plumbing, roofing, and electrical are original.

What are the biggest complaints about Springdale Gardens?

The big ones: maintenance neglect, water leaks, and mold. Those show up across Google, Yelp, and ApartmentRatings. One Yelp reviewer described tenants who couldn’t even shower because the plumbing was down. ApartmentRatings has a report of bed bugs and roaches. Towing and management not responding to requests come up a lot too.

Does Springdale Gardens have a washer and dryer?

Units have full-size washer/dryer connections, meaning you can bring your own machines or purchase them. Machines are not provided by the property. There’s also an on-site laundry room as a backup option. Units include dishwashers, pantry storage, carpet flooring, and private balconies or patios. The three bedroom floor plans are laid out in a townhouse style.

What school district serves Springdale Gardens?

Austin ISD. Zoned schools include Govalle Elementary, IDEA Health Professions (middle), and Eastside Early College High School.

Is Springdale Gardens a Section 8 or income-restricted property?

Yes. Multiple affordable housing databases confirm it’s a Section 8 PBRA property. You’d pay based on income, not list price. To qualify, a single person must earn below $40,900/year (50% AMI). There’s likely a waitlist. Call (512) 928-3451 for current status.

The Bottom Line: Is Springdale Gardens Worth It?

The financial math here is unlike anything else in this zip code. Section 8 PBRA means you pay based on income, not list price. $0 application fee, $0 admin fee, $0 security deposit. Included cable, gas, and water. If you qualify under the AMI limits, the cost of living here is actually affordable in a city where that word has lost most of its meaning. The 2020 renovation brought updated finishes to a 100-unit property in an East Austin zip code that’s rapidly appreciating around it.

The trade-off is serious. Reviews document maintenance failures that cross the line from inconvenience into potential health concerns. Mold, water intrusion, plumbing outages, a hospitalized child. These aren’t typical apartment complaints. And the waitlist may be long.

This property makes sense if:

• You earn below 50% AMI and need subsidized rent in East Austin
• The $0/$0/$0 fee structure (app, admin, deposit) matters because every dollar counts
• You don’t have pets and that won’t change during your lease
• You’re willing to advocate firmly for maintenance issues (document everything in writing, know your rights through the Austin Tenant Council at 512-474-1961)

This property doesn’t make sense if:

• You earn above AMI limits (you won’t qualify)
• You have a pet of any kind
• You or anyone in your household has respiratory sensitivities
• You expect maintenance requests to be handled promptly
• You currently hold a portable Section 8 voucher you don’t want to give up
• You need immediate availability (100% occupied with likely waitlist)

My honest read: the subsidy makes this property worth pursuing for qualifying renters. But the maintenance and habitability complaints are serious enough that I’d recommend touring with eyes wide open. Ask about mold history in the specific unit. Get parking rules in writing. And know your tenant rights before you sign.

Need Help?

You’ve got everything you need to evaluate Springdale Gardens on your own. But if you want help:

Fill out the form and I’ll text you to answer questions, compare nearby options, and help you find the right fit for your budget and situation. You’ll talk to me directly, not an automated system. My service is free to renters.

Going solo? Call the property directly at (512) 928-3451 and ask about waitlist availability. If you end up applying, 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.