The Abali Apartments Austin Review: $497/Month for a 1BR Built in 2021. Here’s the Catch.

A one bedroom apartment built in 2021 for $497 a month. That’s the net effective rent at The Abali right now after you factor in their current special. In Austin. In 2026.

I track rental pricing across 1,000+ Austin properties through ApartmentData.com and direct community contacts. A number like that gets my attention. It got yours too, which is why you’re reading this instead of just clicking “apply” on Apartments.com.

But here’s what the listing sites won’t tell you: The Abali is a Low Income Housing Tax Credit property. That means income caps, not just income minimums. And the Google reviews paint a picture of a building that’s aging faster than a five year old property should. Pest control that stopped because management didn’t pay the vendor. An elevator that breaks regularly — in a building with disabled residents on upper floors. Water that smelled so bad residents posted about it.

This review breaks down every dollar, every screening rule, and every uncomfortable truth so you can decide if the math is worth the trade-offs.

Quick Facts

Pet policy note: Some listing sites show pets as allowed (2 max, 100 lbs, breed restrictions). But the qualifying rules posted on the property’s own website (effective February 2026) say “No pets are allowed.” The only exception is service or assistance animals with a doctor’s note. Go with the posted rules on this one. If you have a pet, this property won’t work.

That 3.1 Google rating on 55 reviews tells part of the story. RentCafe’s 6 verified resident reviews average 3.5, with the noise score at 2.0 out of 5 (the lowest category). The single ApartmentRatings review is 1 star from a resident who lived there 2021–2024. I’ll break down what’s driving those numbers and why the pattern matters more than the score in the sections below.

Best For

You qualify under LIHTC income limits and want new construction. This is the main draw. A 2021 build with granite counters, vinyl flooring, stainless appliances, and in-unit washer/dryer connections at tax credit pricing. Most income restricted properties in Austin are 1980s renovations. The Abali is the exception. If your household income is at or below 60% of Area Median Income (roughly $49,080 for one person, $56,100 for two), you qualify.

You’re working but don’t earn enough to clear 3x rent at most Austin properties. Here’s where The Abali’s 2.5x income requirement matters. On the 1BR at $625, you need $1,563/month in income (about $9/hour full time) instead of $1,875 at a standard property. That lower bar opens the door for renters who’d get denied at most of Austin’s inventory. And if you don’t have credit history at all (fewer than five accounts or less than 18 months of credit), you still get approved.

You need I-35 corridor access. The property sits right off I-35 at Rundberg. North-south commutes are straightforward. Mueller retail center is less than half a mile. Downtown is 15 minutes off-peak. If your job is anywhere along the I-35 corridor, the commute math works.

You have a Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher. As an LIHTC property, The Abali is required to accept vouchers. That’s not optional for them. If you have a voucher and want a building that was built in this decade, it’s worth a look.

Skip If

You earn above the income cap. There’s no flexibility here. LIHTC rules set hard ceilings on household income. A single person earning over $49,080 annually, or a two person household over $56,100, won’t qualify for the affordable units. There are a small number of market rate units (about 9% of the building), but they rarely open up.

Elevator reliability matters to you. Multiple Google reviews mention the elevator breaking down regularly. One talks about a resident in a wheelchair who got placed on the second floor with an elevator that keeps failing. That’s not a minor gripe. If you have mobility concerns, this is a real problem.

You need responsive office communication. The pattern in the reviews is clear: residents can’t reach the office. Calls go unanswered. Application status updates take weeks. This shows up on Google, ForRent, and ApartmentHomeLiving. If you need a management team that picks up the phone, you’ll be frustrated here.

You’re sensitive to pest issues. At least two Google reviews specifically mention roaches. One resident said pest control services stopped entirely because management owed the vendor money. In a building built in 2021, that’s a management failure, not a construction issue.

You get a lot of packages delivered. A RentCafe verified resident said they had 6+ packages stolen in their first 5 months. A ForRent review says packages “hardly ever get delivered to the correct location.” If you count on delivery, ask about the package situation before you sign anything.

Wondering if The Abali fits your situation?

Fill out a quick form and I’ll reach out to go over your specifics: income, credit, move-in timeline. I can check whether you’ll likely qualify before you spend $35 on an application, and I’ll share any current specials 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

The Abali sits at 4611 N Interstate Highway 35 in the 78722 zip code, right at the edge of the Mueller development area. Mueller Regional Retail Center is about 0.4 miles away with Home Depot, Best Buy, Old Navy, Marshalls, and a handful of restaurants. The H-E-B is at the Mueller Market District, also within walking distance. That’s a 2 minute drive or an 8 minute walk to the retail center.

Bartholomew District Park is roughly a mile south with a pool, sports courts, and a playground. The Thinkery children’s museum is about 1.5 miles away in Mueller proper. For groceries beyond H-E-B, there’s a Fiesta Mart about a mile north on I-35.

The honest reality: you need a car. The address is on the I-35 frontage road, which means highway noise is constant and walkability is limited to Mueller retail. There’s a CapMetro bus stop nearby, but don’t count on it for your daily routine. If you’re considering the broader East Austin apartment market, properties closer to the Plaza Saltillo corridor offer much better walkability at higher prices.

Commute Math

Route notes: You’re on I-35, so northbound and southbound commutes are direct but you’re dealing with Austin’s worst traffic corridor. Eastbound to Mueller is painless. Westbound toward Mopac takes 10–15 minutes off-peak. If you work along the North Austin tech corridor, properties closer to Metric Boulevard or Tech Ridge would cut your commute, but they won’t touch The Abali’s pricing.

Neighborhood Vibe

This stretch of I-35 near Rundberg has a mixed reputation. It’s not Mueller proper (the master planned community with the food hall and Aldrich Street shops). It’s the I-35 frontage road adjacent to Mueller. Google reviews mention homeless people on the property. Highway noise is a given. The area is changing as Mueller’s development pushes north, but the area right around the property still feels like the older North I-35 strip. Convenient? Yes. Affordable? Absolutely. But you’ll hear the highway. That’s the deal.

If you’re a remote worker considering Mueller for its walkability and fiber internet access, The Abali gives you the zip code without the walkable lifestyle. The price difference reflects that.

Pricing and True Cost

Floor Plans

*With current special (2.5 months free on 12 month lease). All units include washer/dryer connections. Pricing confirmed July 2026.

Net Effective Rent Calculation

Let me walk through the math on the 1BR, since that’s the most popular floor plan.

Current special: 2.5 months free on a 12 month lease

Using the daily multiplier method (Austin market standard):

• 12 month lease = 365 days
• 2.5 months free = 75 days
• Daily multiplier = (365 – 75) ÷ 365 = 0.7945

1BR at $625 base rent: $625 × 0.7945 = $497/month net effective

That’s $128/month in savings, or $1,536 over the full lease term. A 1BR in a 2021 building for under $500 a month. Even in Austin’s current renter friendly market, that’s an outlier.

2BR at $1,299 base rent: $1,299 × 0.7945 = $1,032/month net effective

That’s $267/month in savings, or $3,204 over the full lease.

Important context: These are LIHTC rents, set below market rate by design. But here’s the catch: they check your income against the base (listed) rent, not the net effective number. So you need to qualify at $625 for the 1BR, not $497.

All the Fees

No pets allowed. The property’s own posted rules (effective February 2026) don’t allow pets. Only service or assistance animals with a doctor’s note. So there are no pet fees to account for.

The application fee is one of the lowest in Austin. Most properties charge $50–75. The $0 admin fee is genuinely rare. Free parking. I couldn’t find any mandatory monthly utility fees on any listing site or in the property’s own rules. Residents pay electricity, gas, and water directly to their providers. The fee structure here is about as lean as you’ll find.

True Monthly Cost Scenario

Here’s what a 1BR renter would actually pay each month:

Move-in costs (estimated):

Renewal reality: That 2.5 months free goes away at renewal. Your rent jumps back to the full $625. Budget for the listed price long term, and treat the concession as year-one savings.

Want to know what specials are actually available right now?

Specials change. What’s listed above was accurate as of July 2026, but offers shift. I talk to leasing teams weekly. Fill out a quick form and I’ll confirm current pricing and availability for your specific move-in date.

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Screening Criteria

Income Requirements: It’s a Cap, Not a Floor

This is where The Abali works differently than most Austin apartments.

At a typical market rate property, you need to earn at least 3x the rent to qualify. The Abali flips that. Here, you need to earn less than the income cap. It’s a ceiling, not a floor. The government sets these caps based on Area Median Income (AMI) for the Austin area, and The Abali has units at three different levels: 30%, 50%, and 60% of AMI. Most of the affordable units fall at 60%, which is what the table below shows.

Current income caps (60% AMI tier):

Some units are set at 30% and 50% AMI, which means even lower income caps and lower rents. About 9% of units are market rate with no income restriction. These numbers change every year based on HUD guidelines, so confirm the current caps with the leasing office before applying.

What this means in practice: If you’re a single person earning $55,000 a year, you’re over the 60% AMI cap and won’t qualify for the affordable units. You’d need one of the limited market rate units. If you earn $45,000, you’re in. The property will check your income through pay stubs, tax returns, or a letter from your employer. The state audits these numbers, so there’s no flexibility on the caps.

Credit and Background

The property’s posted qualifying rules (effective February 2026) lay out the screening criteria pretty clearly. Here’s something that surprised me: they don’t use your FICO score. They run a third-party screening service with its own scoring model. It looks at your rent to income ratio, payment history, criminal history, and rental history all at once and spits out a single number.

Credit score thresholds:

Automatic denial triggers:

• Outstanding debt to a previous landlord
• Outstanding balance to a utility company
• Prior eviction (any timeframe)
• Lifetime sex offender registration
• Drug manufacturing or meth conviction
• Falsified application

Criminal history lookback periods:

• Violent, sexual, or property crimes: 10 years from when you finished your sentence
• All other felony convictions: 3 years from when you finished your sentence
• If they turn you down on criminal history, you can push back with proof of rehabilitation or other factors in your favor

Rental history requirement: At least 6 months of verifiable rental or mortgage history in the past 24 months. No rental history at all? You’ll need an additional deposit equal to the security deposit, but you won’t be denied. Renting from a relative doesn’t count as verifiable history.

If you have a more complicated situation involving evictions, broken leases, or background issues, our second chance apartments guide breaks down which Austin properties work with specific situations. The Abali’s automatic eviction denial means it won’t work for renters with any eviction on record.

Application Process

1. Contact the leasing office (M–F 8:00 AM–5:30 PM, Saturdays 10 AM–4 PM)
2. Provide income documents to prove you qualify under LIHTC rules
3. Complete application ($35 fee per person, non-refundable)
4. Screening and income check (timeline varies)

Fair warning based on reviews: Multiple residents say they can’t get through to the leasing office by phone. If you call and can’t reach anyone, try visiting in person during office hours.

What I Can Do at This Property

I pre-screen your situation before you apply. For a tax credit property like The Abali, that means checking whether your income falls within the caps and making sure they actually have units open in your bedroom size. I’ll also check what the screening looks like for your situation before you spend a dime. That $35 app fee is low, but it’s still $35 you don’t get back on a denial. My service is free to you.

Resident Reviews Decoded

Review Pattern Analysis

Two names keep coming up in the positive reviews. Manuel got called out by name in several Google reviews for turning things around during his time at the property. One resident wrote that things had been “quite bad” for months until Manuel arrived, and they noticed “exponential changes because he actually cares.” On RentCafe, a verified resident praised Deandrea (a previous manager) and maintenance worker Juan for being responsive and quick to act.

Here’s what that tells me: when The Abali has good staff on site, residents notice immediately. When those staff members leave, the problems come back. That’s not a people problem. That’s a management company problem.

And it started early. One RentCafe verified resident from December 2021 (just months after the building opened) said they had 6+ packages stolen in 5 months and neighbor altercations that brought APD to the property. The same review mentioned an elevator that “breaks down every week” and an access door that kept breaking. That’s a lot of problems for a brand new building in its first year.

How Management Responds to Reviews

Accolade responds to most Google reviews within a few weeks. The responses are almost entirely template language. “We’re thrilled to hear…” for positive reviews. “We sincerely apologize…” for negative ones.

One response stood out. A reviewer complained about roaches, and management replied that they had “no record of you as a resident.” That’s a bad look.

Real follow through is thin. And that matters, because the way a company handles public reviews tells you how they’ll handle your maintenance request. You’ll get the acknowledgment. Actually fixing the problem? That’s where things fall apart based on what residents are saying.

The Uncomfortable Truth

No listing site will write this section.

A Building That’s Five Years Old Shouldn’t Have These Problems

The Abali was built in 2021. That’s new construction by any standard. Water leaks, burst pipes, and water that “smelled horrible” are problems you expect in 1970s buildings with aging plumbing. In a building this new, these issues point to construction shortcuts, maintenance that’s been put off, or both. One reviewer put it this way: water just “burst out of nowhere all through” the building. A 2021 build with plumbing issues this early is a red flag for what the next five years might look like.

Pest Control Stopped Because Management Didn’t Pay the Bill

One reviewer said pest control services just stopped. Why? The management company owed the pest control vendor money.

That’s not a building problem. That’s a budget problem. When the company running your building can’t keep up with routine vendor payments, that makes you wonder what else they might be putting off. This isn’t speculation; a resident specifically said they “found out they owed money to the pest control so that’s why they stopped going to the properties.”

The Elevator Is a Safety Concern, Not Just an Inconvenience

A broken elevator in a three story building is annoying for most people. But one reviewer talked about a resident in a wheelchair who got placed on the second floor. For that person, a broken elevator isn’t an inconvenience. It’s a safety hazard.

The elevator is “broken there often,” according to that review. That same resident also had their AC out for over two weeks. LIHTC properties get tax credits partly because they’re supposed to serve people at all income and ability levels. An elevator that’s constantly broken defeats that purpose.

Need an honest take on whether The Abali works for your situation?

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FAQ

Is The Abali an income restricted property?

Yes. It’s a Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) property. About 91% of units have income caps at 30%, 50%, or 60% of Area Median Income. Roughly 9% are market rate with no income restriction.

Does The Abali accept Section 8 vouchers?

They do. As an LIHTC property, they’re required to accept Housing Choice Vouchers.

What’s the pet policy at The Abali?

No pets allowed. The property’s posted rules (February 2026) only allow service or assistance animals with a doctor’s note. Some listing sites still show pets as allowed, but the property’s own rules say otherwise.

How much is the application fee?

$35 per person. Non-refundable. That’s well below Austin’s typical $50–75 range.

What school district serves The Abali?

Austin ISD. Zoned for Maplewood Elementary, Kealing Middle School, and McCallum High School.

Does The Abali have in-unit washers and dryers?

Units have washer/dryer connections (hookups), not in-unit machines. You’d need to provide your own washer and dryer.

Is there parking at The Abali?

Yes. Surface lot parking is free ($0/month). Covered parking is also available. Check with the leasing office on what covered spots cost.

How far is The Abali from downtown Austin?

About 5 miles. That’s 12–15 minutes without traffic, 25–40 minutes during rush hour via I-35.

What are the office hours?

Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:30 PM. Saturdays 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Closed Sundays. Fair warning: multiple reviews mention difficulty reaching the office by phone.

The Bottom Line

The Abali offers something genuinely rare in Austin: a 2021 build at tax credit pricing with a 2.5x income requirement and a screening bar that’s lower than most of the market. A 1BR at $497/month net effective in a building with granite counters, stainless appliances, and fiber optic internet is hard to match anywhere right now. The $35 application fee and $0 admin fee keep your upfront costs low. The Mueller-adjacent location puts retail, dining, and I-35 access within minutes.

The trade-off is a management company that has struggled to keep even basic services running — in a building that’s only five years old.

This property makes sense if:

• You qualify under the LIHTC income limits and you want the newest building in that price range
• Your screening score lands in the 525+ range but you keep getting denied at market rate properties
• You accept Section 8 vouchers and want new construction
• You prioritize monthly savings over management responsiveness

This property doesn’t make sense if:

• Your income exceeds the caps (you won’t qualify for most units)
• You have mobility issues and depend on elevator access
• You need management that answers the phone and follows through on maintenance
• Pest control and water quality are things you won’t budge on

My verdict: The math is real. The problems are also real. If you qualify and can tolerate some management friction, the value here is hard to beat. If responsive maintenance and a building that actually works matter to you, look at the broader Central Austin or East Austin markets where the reviews are stronger, even if the rent is higher.

Need Help?

Work With Me

I’m Ross Quade, a licensed Texas REALTOR® (TX #679806). My service is free. I’m paid by the apartment community, and your rent is the same whether you work with me or not. I can pre-screen your income for tax credit properties like this one, confirm current availability, and make sure you’re not wasting application fees on properties that won’t approve your specific situation.

Go Solo

No pressure. If you tour on your own, 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.