Tree Apartments: Concrete Construction on South 1st, $1,190+ 1-Bedrooms (2026) For Rent

When I track apartments across Austin’s 78704 zip code, one thing separates Tree from everything around it: the building material. This is concrete construction. Not wood frame. That distinction matters more than most renters realize, and I’ll explain exactly why in a minute.

Tree sits at 3715 South 1st Street, wedged between the South Congress corridor and South Lamar Boulevard. It’s 335 units managed by Greystar, built in 2013, with 1-bedrooms starting at $1,190. As a licensed apartment locator (TX #679806) who’s toured 500+ Austin communities and watched this stretch of South Austin for years, I can tell you the listing sites will show you the pool photos and a price. They won’t tell you about the trash compactor saga, why management turnover matters here, or what Greystar’s fine print means for your actual monthly cost.

Here’s what this review covers that no listing site does.

Quick Facts: Tree Apartments at a Glance

I read through reviews across five platforms to find the patterns. Google’s 3.7 skews lower partly because it captures older reviews from previous management teams. ModernMsg’s 4.4 across 585 reviews gives you a bigger, more current picture. ApartmentRatings tags reviews by topic, and the numbers tell you where to pay attention: staff shows up in 85 of 187 reviews, maintenance in 53, location in 42. But security comes up in 21. That last number is the one I want you to notice.

Best For / Skip If

Tree Makes Sense If:

You want concrete construction without paying downtown prices. Most buildings within a mile of Tree are wood frame from the 1970s and 1980s. Concrete is a different animal. Better fire resistance. Fewer ways for bugs to travel between floors. Generally quieter between units. You’d pay $1,800+ for comparable construction quality closer to downtown, and here 1-bedrooms start at $1,190. Fair warning though: concrete doesn’t eliminate all noise. A few reviewers report impact noise (footsteps, doors) carrying between floors. It’s better than wood frame, but it’s not soundproof.

You’re commuting to downtown or South Austin employers and want a central 78704 address. Downtown is about 4.5 miles north. St. Edward’s University is 1.2 miles away. You’re on the CapMetro Route 10 bus line. The South 1st address puts you between two of Austin’s most popular corridors without being directly on either one.

You have a dog under 90 pounds and want in-unit washer/dryer. Some floor plans come with a full-size washer and dryer supplied. Others have connections. Either way, no shared laundry room. The 90 lb weight limit covers most breeds, and the property has a dog walk trail.

You’re looking for long-term stability. Multiple residents in the reviews have lived at Tree for 5, 6, even 10+ years. When people stay that long, it tells you something about what it’s actually like to live there.

Skip Tree If:

You need transparent pricing upfront. Greystar’s own listing note says base rent doesn’t reflect the total monthly cost. Mandatory fees add $100 to $160/month on top. I’ve broken them all down in the pricing section below, but you’ll still want to ask the leasing office for their full cost sheet before you compare Tree against anything else.

You’ve had bad experiences with management turnover. Multiple reviewers mention three management changes within two years. The current manager, Aaron, gets consistent praise and is stabilizing the property. But if revolving door leadership has burned you before, that’s worth knowing going in.

You’re sensitive to common area maintenance issues. The trash compactor was broken for months. The parking garage gate has been unreliable. Door handles in common areas were missing or broken. I saw these complaints come up on Google, ModernMsg, and ApartmentRatings over the past year. Things are improving, but “improving” means they were bad recently.

You have a reactive breed. Breed restrictions apply. No aggressive breeds allowed. If your dog is on a commonly restricted breed list, confirm with the leasing office before applying.

Wondering if Tree fits your situation?

Fill out a quick form and I’ll go over your specifics: income, credit, pets, timeline. I can check whether you’ll likely qualify before you spend $130 on an application. You’ll hear from a real person (me), not an automated system.

Location: What 3715 South 1st Actually Means

What’s Actually Nearby

Tree’s in the Dawson neighborhood, between South Congress Avenue and South Lamar Boulevard. You’re not directly on either corridor, which is a plus (less foot traffic) and a minus (you’ll walk or drive to reach them).

Within a 10 minute walk: Cosmic Coffee + Beer Garden is about half a mile south on Pickle Road. A Valero gas station and a few smaller shops line South 1st. Crux Climbing Center on South Lamar is walkable too.

Within a 5 to 10 minute drive: H-E-B on Oltorf, Torchy’s Tacos, the South Congress retail strip, Zilker Park and Barton Springs Pool, and the South Lamar food corridor (Kerbey Lane, Chuy’s).

You’ll need to drive for: Whole Foods (about 2 miles), Target, and major medical facilities.

Walk Score is 70. That’s “Somewhat Walkable” in practice. You can handle errands on foot if you’re selective, but this is still a car-first location for most daily needs.

Commute Math

Route notes: South 1st feeds directly onto Ben White Boulevard (Hwy 71) heading east or west. MoPac is accessible via Ben White. I-35 is about 2 miles east. Northbound rush hour on South 1st into downtown gets congested, but it’s a shorter crawl than most corridors.

The Neighborhood Vibe

South 1st in this stretch is more residential than commercial. You’re south of the trendy South 1st District restaurants and north of St. Elmo. Older apartments, small homes, a few commercial lots. Not flashy. Several reviewers note South 1st traffic noise and early morning (4 AM) trash pickup trucks. But upper floors get partial downtown skyline views, and multiple residents call that out as a selling point.

Pricing and True Cost

Floor Plans and Base Rent

1-Bedroom / 1-Bath:

2-Bedroom / 2-Bath:

The price range within individual floor plans is wide. A Hickory 1BR can run anywhere from $1,270 to $2,015 depending on the specific unit, floor level, and view. Ask the leasing team which units are actually available at the price point you’re targeting.

Pay attention to the W/D column. “Supplied” means a washer and dryer come with the unit. “Connection” means you’ll need to buy or rent your own machines. That’s a $50 to $80/month difference in real cost if you’re renting equipment.

Net Effective Rent Calculation

Current special: $500 off first month’s base rent on a 12-month lease.

Let’s use a Hickory 1BR at $1,290 as the example:

• Base rent: $1,290 x 12 months = $15,480
• Minus $500 off first month: $15,480 – $500 = $14,980
• Divided by 12 months = $1,248/month net effective
• Monthly savings: $42

I’ll be direct: $500 off first month is a modest concession by current Austin standards. Many Class A properties in this submarket are offering 6 to 8 weeks free right now. Tree’s $42/month savings is real but not competitive with what’s available at newer South Austin communities. If concession math is what matters most to you, you’ll want to compare.

All the Fees

Required at application/move-in:

Required monthly fees (on top of base rent):

Optional fees: Pet fee $300/pet (not returned) + $35/month pet rent. Reserved parking $75/month.

The $0 admin fee is notable. Most Austin apartments charge $150 to $400. The $130 application fee is on the high side (Austin averages $50 to $75). For a couple, that’s $260 you won’t get back.

So that’s $41/month in fees you’ll pay no matter what, before your utility bills even hit. Based on comparable Greystar properties, expect water/sewer and electric to add another $60 to $120/month depending on usage. Your real monthly cost is roughly $100 to $160 higher than the base rent you see online.

True Monthly Cost Scenario

Here’s a realistic picture for a renter with one dog in a Hickory 1BR:

• Net effective base rent: $1,248
• Fixed mandatory fees: $41
• Estimated variable utilities (water/sewer/electric): $80 (mid-range estimate)
• Pet rent: $35
• Renter’s insurance: ~$15
• Estimated actual monthly cost: $1,419

Move-in costs:

• First month rent (with $500 off special): ~$790
• Security deposit: $500
• Pet fee: $300
• Application fee: $130
• Estimated upfront total: $1,720

Specials change. What’s listed above was accurate as of June 2026, but I talk to leasing teams regularly, and offers shift fast.

Want to know what’s actually available right now?

I can check current specials, confirm the real monthly cost, and tell you if there’s a better deal than what’s listed.

Screening Criteria: Will You Get Approved?

Income Requirement

Greystar properties require 3x monthly rent in gross household income:

They qualify you on the base rent, not the net effective. Combined household income counts if applying with a roommate.

Credit Expectations

Greystar’s standard screening across their Austin portfolio puts the credit minimum in the 600 to 650 range. Here’s what that looks like:

• 650+: Smooth approval, $500 standard deposit
• 600 – 649: Likely approved, deposit may increase based on screening
• Below 600: Greystar’s Class A properties don’t give you much room here. Higher deposit if you’re lucky, denial if you’re not

If your credit is below 600, I’d want to run your numbers before you spend $130 on the application. There are South Austin properties with more flexible screening that could be a better fit.

What Typically Gets You Denied

Let me be direct about what triggers automatic denial at most Greystar properties:

• Active eviction on record (within past 5 to 7 years)
• Outstanding property debt to any previous landlord
• Felony conviction within lookback period (varies, typically 7 years)
• Income below the required threshold without a qualified co-signer
• Failure to provide required documentation
• Aggressive breed dog (property enforces breed restrictions)

The Application Process

1. Apply online through the Greystar portal. $130 per applicant. That fee is not refunded regardless of the outcome.
2. Screening runs through Greystar’s system. Typical turnaround is 24 to 72 hours.
3. Approval or denial. If approved, you’ll receive lease terms. If denied, the fee is not refunded.
4. Lease signing and scheduling your start date. 12-month lease required for the current special.

Here’s what separates working with a locator from applying blind: I can tell you whether you’re likely to qualify before you spend $130 finding out. If Tree’s screening looks tight for your situation, I know which nearby properties have more flexibility and which ones will definitely deny you. That pre-screening alone can save you hundreds in wasted application fees.

Resident Reviews Decoded

Here’s where the raw numbers actually mean something. I went through 188 Google reviews, 187 ApartmentRatings reviews, 585 ModernMsg reviews, 73 Yelp reviews, and 275 Birdeye aggregated reviews. Individual complaints don’t tell you much. Repeated themes across platforms do.

Review Pattern Analysis

What Residents Consistently Praise

The current staff gets called out by name across every platform. Aaron (community manager), Ryan and Dyllan (leasing), OJ and Julio (maintenance). When a maintenance tech gets named by 10+ residents across different months, that’s not a fluke.

And it’s not just recent move-ins saying nice things. Residents who’ve been there 3 to 10+ years specifically credit the current team with turning the property around. The maintenance crew in particular gets praise for same-day responses and genuine follow-through. One long-term resident summed it up: great location, good terms on renewal, staff that actually helps. In an apartment market where maintenance is the most common complaint, that matters.

What Residents Consistently Criticize

Security gaps. ApartmentRatings tags 21 of 187 reviews under “security.” Multiple residents report car break-ins in the garage. One ModernMsg reviewer reported four break-ins across two cars in a single year. Package theft after hours keeps coming up despite an Amazon Hub on site. The property has gated access and security patrol, but the garage gate has been unreliable, which undermines that gated security.

Trash infrastructure. The compactor was broken for months. Trash piled up in hallways and outside chute rooms. Residents posted photos on Google. Management acknowledged the issue and installed a new compactor, but the timeline from broken to fixed stretched long enough to frustrate residents. This is an infrastructure problem, not a staff problem.

Noise between units. Here’s the catch with the concrete construction selling point. At least two ApartmentRatings reviewers describe noise traveling through walls and floors. One wrote that you can hear downstairs neighbors walking around and slamming doors. Another posted in all caps about extreme noise and wanting a lawyer to break their lease. Concrete cuts down on airborne sound compared to wood frame, but impact noise (footsteps, doors) still carries through the slabs. If you’re noise sensitive, tour a middle-floor unit on a weekday to get an honest read.

Communication gaps. Several reviewers describe unanswered emails, slow follow-up, and having to chase the office for responses. One resident mentioned a door handle in the parking garage broken for months with no repair. Another described five unanswered emails. This is getting better under current management, but it was a real problem recently enough that I’d mention it.

Renewal pricing. One resident reported paying $300/month more than a neighbor in the same floor plan. Greystar is a national company that prices units based on market algorithms. Your renewal offer may not reflect what new residents are paying. This isn’t unique to Tree, but it’s worth knowing.

How Management Responds

Tree’s management responds to nearly every review on ModernMsg and Google. The responses are personalized, not template jobs. Aaron frequently responds to negative reviews with specific solutions (fob access, unit transfers, direct phone numbers). That tells you the team is paying attention.

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.

Your True Monthly Cost Is $100 to $160 Higher Than Advertised

Greystar’s listing shows base rent. Your actual bill includes $41/month in fixed mandatory fees (valet trash, pest control, stormwater, trash admin) plus variable charges for water, sewer, and electric. Based on comparable Greystar properties in Austin, expect those variable costs to add another $60 to $120/month. So a 1BR listed at $1,290 actually costs roughly $1,390 to $1,450/month before pet rent, insurance, or parking. Any comparison you run against Tree on a listing site is apples to oranges unless you’re using total monthly costs. I’ve laid out the exact fee breakdown in the pricing section above.

Three Management Companies in Two Years

Multiple reviewers mention this. Every time the front office turns over, institutional knowledge walks out the door. The current team under Aaron has clearly turned things around. Reviews from the past 8 to 10 months are much more positive. But “stabilizing” means it was unstable recently. If you sign a 12-month lease, you’re betting this team stays.

The $130 Application Fee Is a Gamble

Most Austin apartments charge $50 to $75 per applicant. Tree charges $130. For a couple, that’s $260. And you don’t get it back whether you’re approved or not. If you’re applying to multiple properties (as most renters do), those fees stack fast. This is one place where working with a locator genuinely saves money: I can pre-screen your profile against Tree’s likely criteria before you spend that $130.

Vehicle and Package Security Is a Real Concern

One resident documented four car break-ins across two vehicles in one year. Others mention the garage gate being unreliable, which lets non-residents walk right in. Package theft after hours keeps coming up even with the Amazon Hub on site. The property has gated access and security patrol on paper. But when the gate doesn’t work, that’s just a sign by the entrance. If you keep expensive gear in your car or get a lot of deliveries, factor this in.

Ready to move forward, or want to compare alternatives?

You’ve seen the full picture. If Tree fits, I can confirm current availability. If not, I know every competing property within a mile.

FAQ

Does Tree Apartments allow pets?

Yes. Tree allows up to 2 pets with a 90 lb weight limit per pet. Expect a $300 non-refundable fee per pet plus $35/month pet rent. Breed restrictions apply for aggressive breeds. They require pet screening through a third party.

What credit score do I need for Tree Apartments?

Tree doesn’t publish a minimum credit score. Based on Greystar’s typical screening for Class A properties, expect 600+ for straightforward approval. Scores in the 580 to 599 range may require a higher deposit. Below 580 will likely face challenges.

What utilities are included at Tree?

The property covers water billing, but you’ll still see water/sewer charges on your monthly bill through a submeter system. Electric is billed separately through a third party. Mandatory monthly fees ($41 in fixed charges) cover valet trash, pest control, and drainage. Ask the leasing office for a complete breakdown of what your total monthly bill looks like before signing.

How much is parking at Tree?

Parking is included at no extra charge. Multiple residents confirm the garage is free to use. Reserved spots cost $75/month. The garage gate has been a recurring issue in reviews, so ask about current gate status when you tour.

What’s the current move-in special?

Two specials are circulating as of June 2026. The listing I pulled shows $500 off first month on a 12-month lease. ApartmentRatings lists 50% off first 2 months’ base rent, which is a much bigger deal. On a 1BR at $1,290, the difference is $42/month vs $107/month in net effective savings. Admin fee is $0 either way. Confirm which offer is active with the leasing office or reach out to me for the latest.

What are the biggest complaints about Tree?

The broken trash compactor (down for months), the garage gate going out repeatedly, management turnover (three teams in two years, now stabilizing), and slow responses from the office. The current team under Aaron gets clearly better reviews than previous leadership.

Is Tree good for commuting?

Downtown Austin is about 4.5 miles north. That’s 10 to 12 minutes without traffic, 20 to 30 minutes during rush hour. You’re on the CapMetro Route 10 bus line. Ben White Boulevard provides east-west highway access. Works well for downtown, South Austin, and airport commutes.

What floor plans does Tree offer?

Tree has 1-bedroom and 2-bedroom layouts from 564 to 1,309 square feet. The smallest 1BR starts at $1,190. The largest 2BR (Post Oak, 1,309 sq ft) tops out at $2,560. Some plans include a den or study. Washer/dryer is supplied or connection-ready depending on the unit.

The Bottom Line: Is Tree Apartments Worth It?

Tree offers something genuinely rare in the 78704 zip code: concrete construction, a Walk Score of 70, and 1-bedroom pricing that starts below $1,200. The current staff is earning real praise from long-term residents, the maintenance team is responsive, and the amenity package — pool, gym with a barbell, coworking space, coffee bar, outdoor kitchen — checks the boxes for daily living.

The trade-off is Greystar’s hidden fee structure. Mandatory fees add $100 to $160/month beyond base rent. The $130 application fee is above market. And while management has clearly improved, the recent history of turnover and neglected common areas (trash, garage gate, door handles) means you’re signing during a recovery period.

This property makes sense if:

• You want concrete construction in 78704 at a price point that starts under $1,200
• Proximity to SoCo, South Lamar, and downtown matters more than being directly on those corridors
• You value an in-unit washer/dryer (supplied on many floor plans)
• You’re comfortable asking the leasing office for the full monthly cost breakdown before comparing

This property doesn’t make sense if:

• Pricing transparency is a requirement for you from the start
• You’re comparing only base rent numbers across properties (Tree’s true cost is higher than advertised)
• You want a long track record of stable management (the current team is new, even if they’re good)
• Your credit is below 600 or you have screening complications that need flexible criteria

My verdict: Tree’s first-year math works for renters who value construction quality and location over concession size. The $500 off first month is modest, but the $0 admin fee offsets some of that. Just make sure you get the full fee breakdown before you commit. If you want help figuring out whether Tree fits, or you’d rather see similar properties without the fee uncertainty, fill out the form below and I’ll text you within a few hours.

Need Help Deciding?

You’ve got everything to evaluate Tree Apartments on your own. But if you want help:

Fill out the form above and I’ll text you to answer questions, check your application situation, share current specials, and coordinate next steps. You’ll talk to me directly, not an AI phone system. The service is free. Apartment communities pay us a referral fee after you move in. It comes out of their marketing budget, not your rent.

Going solo? 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.