Elle West Ave,

300 West Avenue, Austin, TX 78701

"Elle west avenue run by ZRS management is a masterclass of corporate greed and incompetence. I have lived in this complex for almost 4 years, and don’t let the google ratings fool you as many of them are a holdover from when the property was Gables West Avenue. As of writing this review, pretty much every door-gate in the western building does not lock, and the garage door is broken. Anyone walking around downtown can enter the property, but residents paying thousands of dollars a month cannot open the garage. The type of people getting in are the type that would smash open the property's vending machine to steal a handful of change and a soda (pictured). I took that picture in early November, it's now March and that busted machine is still sitting in the laundry room, as handsome as ever. I don't think any parent would take a walk between here and the library at night and think "I am comfortable with that for my daughter/son". But with that said, I actually haven't had an issue with petty theft or break-ins, no yet atleast. The parking garage is regularly broken, for 4+ weeks in late 2023 it was broken in the open position. Both elevators were out of order for the last month or so (you end up losing track). Hidden fees are everywhere. Including mandatory valet trash, and a middle man parcel service that makes it so you cannot even have your packages delivered to the property. Your packages must go to a building in North Austin, who will then deliver it for you. Add at least one extra day to anything you may want delivered. There is now mandatory wifi you must purchase through the property at a rate of 75 / month through some unheard of internet service provider. I won’t provide the name here in case it takes my review down, but if you find it and look up their website, the first question under their FAQ is literally “Why is my wifi not as fast as advertised”. This wifi is shared across everyone in the complex. If you have a remote job that requires secure, reliable internet this may as well be totally unusable. In addition to paying water through the City of Austin, you will pay for the complex's sewage water. Most importantly, however, is the ineffective air conditioning systems that anyone living in Austin knows is a necessity. 74 is the minimum that it can be set to in the summer, which they will claim is functioning fine enough to not require a fix. Maybe if you’re lucky they’ll deploy a tactical shade umbrella (pictured), because the AC units are on the roof and bear the full brunt of the sun’s force everyday. This property was destroyed during the winter storm of 2021 (pictured), it lost power and water for multiple days. The entire first floor flooded and had to move out, along with my neighbors on the topmost floors. The infrastructure of the building is clearly old, and every winter storm is a possibility of your pipes exploding and requiring an immediate move out due to inhabitability. There is good reason Elle has the cheapest rents around downtown. But actually, that’s not as much of a plus as it initially seems to be, because my current release terms (for a 1 bed) are 260+ dollars higher than THE MOST EXPENSIVE 1 bedroom currently listed online, which is 150 square feet bigger. Additionally, ZRS apparently has a “no rent lowering” policy for renewal terms for residents. With rents plummeting around Austin, This place costs a fortune for what you get. You are better served at any one of the neighboring properties like the 404 Rio Grande (just as cheap, better maintained, has a hot tub), the Bowie (32 floor rooftop pool, free luxury gym membership, and concierge entry), the Clark (brand new, clean, all indoor with AC), or the Gables properties. Judging by ZRS’ online history they spend their time trying to flip their properties to some other massive conglomerate to further fleece every resident for a couple hundred dollars more a month. With that said, the office team recently had changes, so things on the property itself may hopefully improve, but I would advise to look elsewhere."

"What a difference I have seen in the last few months, thankful to see such a more positive and safe and cleaner community here at Elle west Ave. I wanna give a big thank you to our new property manager James for all the wonderful changes he has made, he goes over and beyond not only for the property but the residents as well. The property looks better than ever, I see all the hard work day after day by the team, Maintenance is quick to respond and seems to always have a solution for everything. It’s nice to see friendly faces, warm and kind good mornings from the new staff, I’m happy to call this Elle my home. Thank you to James, Jerry and Alex for all you do for."

"Since James Duncan started as our property manager with Elle West Avenue, he's been extremely responsive over the phone and through emails. Even taking the time to walk to our office addressing any questions or concerns we might have. When a maintenance matter occurs, he and Alex promptly handle the situation. Our experience with James has been very professional and helpful, as he's always ready to take care of anything we may need."

"The new leasing manager James at Elle West Avenue has provided exceptional service since day one! He has proven to us that people care about their clients and doing a job well done. In the midst of a significant leak James was efficient in responding with Alex from maintenance who has also been responsive. He was even climbing ladders and helping along with the crew. The follow-up after the leak has also been great. We have leased three connected units for over 15 years at this property. James and this crew have been a wonderful and refreshing change. Thanks James, it should give anyone who is interested living or working here confidence they'll be in good hands."

"This place is in a great location, and I can’t think of much that’s not within walking distance. To put it lightly, things were a bit of a mess when the new management company took over, but the Property Manager James has really stepped up. I can already tell a major difference and improvement to cleanliness, work orders, and just over all response timing. He has been amazing and will actually take the time to sit down and speak us residents. He and his team are so kind and helpful now, so I’ve changed my mind and plan to renew my lease for another year! Thanks James and Elle Team! - TM"