The Element Apartments Manor  Austin Review: New Construction at $1,099, But There’s an Income Cap

A 2024 build with quartz counters, a $17 app fee, and rent starting at $1,099 for a one bedroom. That math doesn’t work in Austin’s market rate world. I’ve tracked apartment pricing across 1,000+ properties as a licensed Texas REALTOR (TX #679806), and when a brand new property charges 30-40% less than everything around it, there’s always a reason.

At The Element, the reason is income restrictions. This is a Low-Income Housing Tax Credit property. You don’t just need to make enough money to qualify. You also can’t make too much.

Your household income has to fall under 70% of the area median income, and those caps change every year. Most listing sites bury that detail or skip it entirely.

Here’s what this review covers that listing sites won’t: the actual income caps by household size, what the 8 weeks free special does to your net effective rent, and the towing and vehicle security problems that keep coming up. I’ll tell you whether this property makes sense for your specific situation.

Quick Facts

The 4.3 Google rating is solid for a property this new. But 41 of those 119 reviews specifically tag “helpful staff.” That tells me most of the positive feedback came early, when the leasing team was actively filling the building. The negative stuff is worth looking at too, and I’ll get into that below.

Best For

Your household income falls under the 70% AMI cap and you want new construction. This is the core audience. If a single person earning $60,000 a year wants a brand new one bedroom with quartz counters and high ceilings, The Element is one of the few places where that’s possible at $1,099 base rent. A comparable market rate unit nearby costs $1,375-$2,450 at properties like The Vaughan and Hillside on Parmer.

You’re relocating to work at Dell, Samsung, or Applied Materials. NRP Group built this property for people who work at the Northeast Austin tech campuses. Dell’s Round Rock campus is roughly 15 minutes north. Samsung’s plant is about 10-12 minutes east. If you’re earning in the $40,000-$65,000 range at one of these employers, the income cap works in your favor and the commute is short.

You have a Section 8 voucher. The Element accepts Housing Choice Vouchers and follows Section 8 rules for income screening. That’s stated directly in their rental policies. Tax credit properties are generally more voucher friendly than market rate communities. I track income based apartments with no waiting list across the Austin metro.

You need a larger unit and income restrictions help you. Four bedroom apartments at $1,599 in a 2024 build don’t exist on the market rate side. A family of five earning under $101,220 can qualify here and get 1,304 square feet with brand new finishes. That’s real value.

Skip If

Your household income exceeds the 70% AMI limits. If you’re a single person making over $65,590 or a household of four earning above $93,660, you’re ineligible. Period. No amount of good credit or rental history changes that. The income ceiling is a hard federal requirement, not a guideline.

You can’t live without walkable amenities. Walk Score: 10. That’s not a typo. You need a car for groceries, dining, errands, everything. The closest H-E-B is about 3 miles away by car. There’s no walkable restaurant cluster, no coffee shop within walking distance, and no transit service worth mentioning.

Vehicle security is a top concern. Three separate incidents show up in the Google reviews. One person had their car stolen in January 2025. Another had their vehicle taken while visiting. A third had their car broken into on a weekend night and said security had disappeared. At a property with 300 units, three vehicle incidents is enough to pay attention to.

Ready to See If The Element Fits Your Situation?

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Location Deep Dive

What’s Actually Nearby

The Element sits on E Howard Lane in Manor, just off TX-130 and TX-45. Far northeast edge of Austin. The mailing address says Manor, TX 78653, but the property is technically in Travis County.

The closest full grocery store is the H-E-B in Manor at 13100 FM 973, which opened in October 2025. Big store. 101,000 square feet with pharmacy, curbside pickup, and a fuel station. It’s roughly 3 miles east on US-290. There’s also an H-E-B on East Parmer Lane about 3 miles southwest and a Walmart Supercenter roughly 4 miles away on TX-130.

For quick stops, you’ve got a Dollar General and a few gas station convenience stores within a couple miles. But nothing within walking distance.

For food, the Tech Ridge shopping area is about 5-6 miles west with chain restaurants like Chick-fil-A, Red Robin, and Panera. The Shops at Tech Ridge added a Fresh International Market if you want a different grocery store. For anything beyond chains, you’re driving 15-20 minutes toward Pflugerville or central Austin.

Walnut Creek Metropolitan Park is about 7 miles southwest with hiking and biking trails. Walter E. Long Park and its lake are roughly 6 miles south with fishing and picnic areas.

Commute Math

The northeast commute is the easiest from this location. If you work anywhere along the Parmer Lane tech corridor or in Round Rock, you’re in solid shape. Downtown is a different story. Rush hour on I-35 or 183 can push that 25-minute drive past 50 minutes on bad days.

Neighborhood Vibe

This isn’t a neighborhood with a personality yet. East of TX-130, the Howard Lane corridor is still developing. New subdivisions, open land, and construction alongside the apartment clusters. Manor itself has a small town downtown area about 3 miles east, but it’s not a walkable destination from this property.

The upside is space. Free parking, low density compared to central Austin, and quiet streets. The downside is isolation. If you value being able to walk to a coffee shop or grab dinner without getting in your car, this location doesn’t deliver that.

Pricing and True Cost

Floor Plans

All units have fullsize washer/dryer connections (you buy or rent the machines), walk-in closets, patios, quartz countertops, vinyl flooring, high ceilings, and gas appliances.

A pricing note: ForRent.com shows the 1BR starting at $979, which is lower than the $1,099 in the pricing I pulled. Different listing sites pull different numbers depending on lease term and unit. Call the leasing office to get the real number for units available right now.

Net Effective Rent Calculation

Here’s something to watch: the current special is listed differently depending on which site you check. Zillow and Apartment List both show 8 weeks free, which lines up. Apartments.com shows “2 months free,” which is close to the same thing. ForRent shows “1 month free,” which looks like outdated data.

The expiration date has shifted too. Apartment List previously showed 6/15, and Zillow now shows 8/31/2026. That means the property has extended this deal at least once. I’m using the 8 weeks free figure for the net effective math below. Call the leasing office at (512) 883-0644 to confirm it’s still running before you apply.

Here’s the math on a 1BR at $1,099:

• 8 weeks free = 56 days
• 12-month lease = 365 days
• Daily multiplier: (365 – 56) / 365 = 0.8466
• Net effective rent: $1,099 × 0.8466 = $930/month
• Monthly savings: $1,099 – $930 = $169/month
• Total savings over 12 months: $2,023

That $930 net effective for a brand new one bedroom is hard to beat anywhere in the Austin metro. Even at nearby Creekside on Parmer Lane (built 2018), one bedrooms start at $968 before concessions. You’re getting newer construction for less.

Fee Breakdown

Required Fees (everyone pays):

Optional Fees:

The $17 application fee is among the lowest in Austin. Most properties charge $50-75. And the $0 admin fee? Almost unheard of. Most communities charge $150-300 just to process your lease paperwork. So your upfront costs here are way lower than a typical Austin apartment.

Utility responsibility: The property pays trash. You pay everything else: electric, water, gas, internet. Utilities are not included in rent. Budget $100-200/month on top of rent for utilities depending on unit size and season.

True Monthly Cost Scenario

A renter in a 1BR with one dog, no special parking:

The gap between advertised rent ($1,099) and rent plus pet fee ($1,114) is only $15/month. That’s one of the smallest gaps I’ve seen. Most Austin apartments add $50-150 in mandatory monthly charges on top of advertised rent.

But don’t forget utilities. You’re paying electric, water, gas, and internet on your own here. Factor $100-200/month depending on the season and your unit size.

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

I track pricing across every Northeast Austin property. I can show you how The Element stacks up against Creekside on Parmer, Hillside on Parmer, The Vaughan, and other communities in the 78653 corridor. Browse all our Austin apartment reviews by location to compare.

Get started here

Screening Criteria

This is where The Element works differently from a regular apartment. You have to qualify two ways: the tax credit income caps AND the standard screening process.

Income Caps (Maximum Household Income at 70% AMI)

You can’t earn MORE than these amounts:

These numbers come from 2026 HUD data for the Austin area. They update every year. Gross income means everything: wages, salaries, interest, rental income, all of it before deductions or taxes.

Income Minimums (Minimum to Qualify)

You also need to earn ENOUGH to cover rent. At most tax credit properties I’ve worked with in Austin, the income requirement is 2x-2.5x the monthly rent. That’s lower than the 3x standard at market rate apartments. Call the leasing office to confirm The Element’s exact number.

So for a 1BR, you need to earn at least roughly $26,000-$33,000 per year but no more than $65,590. That’s the qualifying window.

Credit, Background, and Rental History

The property doesn’t publish credit score minimums, eviction lookback periods, or background check rules anywhere online. Their website just says “other restrictions may apply, contact us for additional details.” That’s all you get publicly.

If you’ve had previous rental issues, our eviction friendly apartments guide covers which Austin properties offer the most flexibility.

Here’s what I tell clients about income restricted properties after working with dozens of tax credit communities across Austin: these properties screen differently than market rate buildings. The income verification is more thorough because the federal tax credit program requires it. You’ll need W-2s, tax returns, pay stubs, and sometimes bank statements. Self employed renters: get your tax documentation organized before you even walk into the leasing office.

The income check happens every year at renewal too. If your income goes above the cap during your lease, you’re usually allowed to finish the current term. But when renewal comes up, they check your income again and you might not qualify.

Application Process

1. Apply online or at the leasing office
2. Pay the $17 application fee (per person)
3. Income verification and screening (expect more paperwork than a standard apartment)
4. Approval, conditional approval, or denial

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 The Element’s screening before you spend $17 finding out. If this property looks tight for your situation, I know which Northeast Austin communities have more flexibility. Got screening challenges? Our second chance apartments guide covers the properties with the most flexible criteria. Call 512-320-4599.

Resident Reviews Decoded

Before writing this section, I checked Google, Apartments.com, ApartmentRatings, Yelp, ForRent, ApartmentHomeLiving, Birdeye, ModernMsg, and VeryApt. Nine platforms. Google is the only one with actual resident reviews. Apartments.com has zero. ApartmentRatings doesn’t even have a listing for this property. Yelp? Nothing.

That’s normal for a 2024 build. But it means the analysis below comes from one source, not the five or six I’d prefer.

Review Pattern Analysis (Google, 119 reviews)

What’s Working

The leasing team gets consistent praise. LaShawn (referenced in 10+ reviews) is the name that comes up most often. She’s responsive, patient, and goes above and beyond during the application and leasing process. Mercedes (María Mercedes Olmedo) handles leasing in English and Spanish, which matters at a property where a large share of residents are Spanish speakers. Aria N. (the onsite manager) and Yuneisi (Yune) also get called out by name regularly.

Maintenance was fast during the property’s first year. Work orders got quick turnaround.

What’s Not Working

Vehicle security is the biggest red flag. Three residents have had vehicle incidents here: a car stolen in January 2025, another vehicle taken while visiting, and someone’s car broken into on a weekend night. The person whose car got broken into also said security had disappeared. For a 300-unit property with open lot parking, no gates, no cameras, and no patrol that I can find, this is worth paying attention to.

One person called the towing service “predatory.” And there are only 8 visitor parking spots for the entire 300-unit property. If your guest parks in the wrong spot, they’re getting towed. That’s a real problem when you have people over.

Management Response Pattern

Management replies to almost every review, but the responses are copy-paste templates. Positive reviews get “Thank you for the high star rating!” Negative reviews get “We’re sorry to hear about your experience” and an invitation to call the office. I didn’t see a single response that dealt with the actual complaint or offered a real fix.

The Uncomfortable Truth

No listing site will write this section. But I want you to know what you’re signing up for before you apply.

The Income Qualification Is More Complicated Than It Looks

You’re not just proving you make enough money. You’re proving you don’t make too much. Every person living in the unit counts toward household income. Got a roommate? Their income counts. Got a spouse working part-time? That counts too.

And you’ll need to prove it all with documentation. Tax returns, W-2s, pay stubs, bank statements. It’s more paperwork than most renters expect. The verification happens again every year when you renew.

If your income jumps during your lease (a raise, a promotion, a new job), you could lose eligibility at renewal. That’s not a maybe. It’s built into how the program works.

The Location Is Genuinely Isolated

A Walk Score of 10 means this property is car dependent for everything. No bus service worth using. No grocery store you can walk to. No walkable dining. The nearest real shopping cluster (Tech Ridge) is 5-6 miles west. If your car breaks down, your daily life gets very difficult very quickly.

The marketing says The Element is close to The Domain and downtown Austin’s “cultural scene.” The Domain is 18+ minutes away in no traffic. Downtown is 25-55 minutes depending on rush hour. That’s not close. That’s a commute.

Vehicle Security Is an Open Question

Three incidents show up in the Google reviews: one stolen car, one vehicle taken while visiting, and one car broken into. Open lot parking. No gates, no cameras, no patrol that I can find. One person said security “no longer” shows up. A property with 300 units, 8 visitor spots, and a towing company on contract doesn’t have the same security setup as a gated community. If you drive a newer car or park on the outer edges of the lot, factor this in.

Ready to Move Forward, or Want to See Alternatives?

I know every income restricted and market rate property in the Northeast Austin corridor. If The Element fits, I can help you get your application together. If it doesn’t, I’ll show you what else works for your income level and your situation.

Get started here

FAQ

Is The Element in Austin or Manor?

The mailing address is Manor, TX 78653, but the property is in Travis County on the Austin/Manor border. NRP Group markets it as part of Northeast Austin. Schools are Manor ISD.

What are the income limits for The Element?

Your household can’t earn more than 70% of the area median income. For 2026, that’s $65,590 for one person, $74,970 for two, $84,350 for three, and $93,660 for four. These limits update every year based on HUD numbers.

Does The Element accept Section 8 vouchers?

Yes. The property accepts Housing Choice Vouchers and follows Section 8 rules for income screening.

Does The Element have washer and dryer in unit?

No machines in the unit. All units have fullsize washer/dryer connections, so you buy or rent your own machines. The property doesn’t provide them.

What’s the current move-in special at The Element?

As of this writing, 8 weeks free on move-ins by 8/31/2026. The property has extended this deadline before, so confirm it’s still active when you call. That drops net effective rent on a 1BR from $1,099 to about $930/month.

Is there a waitlist at The Element?

One thing to know: units that show up as available on the website go to people on the waitlist first. That’s straight from the property’s own RentCafe page. Contact the leasing office at (512) 883-0644 to check current availability and where you’d land on the list.

What are the pet restrictions at The Element?

Maximum 2 pets, 60 lbs each, breed restrictions apply. $150 deposit + $150 non-refundable fee + $15/month pet rent per pet. Dogs and cats allowed. No pet screening required.

How far is The Element from Dell and Samsung?

Dell’s Round Rock campus is roughly 15 minutes away. Samsung’s plant is about 10-12 minutes east. Applied Materials on Parmer Lane is around 12 minutes. The property was built with these commuters in mind.

What school district is The Element in?

Manor Independent School District. Assigned schools are Bluebonnet Trail Elementary, Decker Middle School, and Manor High School.

The Bottom Line

The Element gives you something that basically doesn’t exist in Austin’s market rate inventory: a brand new apartment with quartz counters and high ceilings at $1,099 for a one bedroom. With the current special, that drops to about $930. The $17 application fee and $0 admin fee keep move-in costs lower than almost anything I’ve seen.

The catch is the income cap. You need to earn enough to cover rent but not enough to exceed the 70% AMI threshold.

That qualifying window works well for single earners in the $26,000-$65,000 range and families earning up to $93,000-$123,000 depending on household size. If you’re in that window and you work anywhere along the Parmer Lane or US-290 corridor, the math here is strong.

This property makes sense if:

• Your household income falls within the 70% AMI limits and you want new construction finishes
• You work at Dell, Samsung, Applied Materials, or anywhere in the Northeast Austin tech corridor
• You have a Section 8 voucher and want a 2024 build
• You need a 3 or 4 bedroom unit at below market rate pricing

This property doesn’t make sense if:

• Your household income exceeds the caps (there’s no flexibility on this)
• You need walkable amenities, dining, or transit access
• Vehicle security weighs heavily in your apartment decision
• You commute to downtown Austin or South Austin daily

My honest take: if you qualify under the income limits and you work in Northeast Austin, this is one of the better deals in the metro right now. The building is two years old. The staff gets strong reviews. The fees are minimal. But go in with eyes open about the location isolation and the vehicle security issues.

Need Help?

You’ve got two paths from here.

Work with me. My service is free. I’m paid a small referral fee from the property’s marketing budget, and your rent stays the same either way. I can check your application before you spend the $17, run the income cap numbers for your household, and compare The Element against other income restricted and market rate communities in Northeast Austin. I work with every apartment community type in the area. And tax credit applications need more paperwork than regular apartments. I can walk you through what NRP Group needs before you apply. hours.

Go solo. Call The Element’s leasing office directly at (512) 883-0644. On their website, hours are Monday, Tuesday, and Friday 9am-6pm. Wednesday 10am-7pm. Thursday 9am-1pm. Saturday and Sunday closed. 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.