# Build to Rent Homes Austin | New Austin Apartment Team > New build-to-rent homes and townhomes in the Austin metro priced the same way as apartments: base rent, the special, required fees, and year two. URL: https://newapartmentsaustin.com/build-to-rent-homes/ Build-to-rent homes and townhomes # New Build-to-Rent Homes Around Austin, Priced on True Monthly Last updated: October 27, 2026 Prices pulled Oct 25, 2026 at 6:14 AM CT · Travis · Williamson · Hays · Bastrop · Caldwell New detached homes and townhomes leased like apartments, priced the same way: net effective plus required fees, electric, and water. - Free to you, and your rent is the same either way - 144 new communities tracked (as of Oct 25, 2026) - Prices pulled every morning Get my shortlist [#get-shortlist →](#get-shortlist) Decode a special [#special-decoder →](#special-decoder) ![Row of new build-to-rent homes with small yards in a Central Texas community](/images/misc/row-of-new-limestone-and-sage-single-story-build-t.webp) Illustrative photo. Renderings on the board are labeled as renderings. - Licensed Texas brokerage Spirit Real Estate Group, LLC, TREC #562021 - Free to renters Communities pay the brokerage. Your rent is the same either way. - Prices pulled every morning Every card shows the date and time it was pulled - Score can't be bought Commission rates never affect score, sort, placement, or picks From the board ## Build-to-Rent: what each card shows Cards render server-side from the daily feed. Pulled Oct 25, 2026 at 6:14 AM CT. Stale prices hide; unconfirmed specials don't publish. On this view - Build-to-rent communities priced on true monthly - Yard care, garage, and HOA-style fees itemized - Electric and water setup by address 144 Communities tracked Board, Oct 25, 2026 10.8 weeks Median special Board, Oct 25, 2026 $120.50 Median required fee n=12 buildings, Oct 25, 2026 +26% Year-two jump At median special, same base Rent math tool True Monthly Cost Calculator Add required fees, electric, water, parking, and pet rent to net effective. Open the calculator [/tools/true-monthly-cost-calculator/ →](/tools/true-monthly-cost-calculator/) ## What are build-to-rent homes? Build-to-rent communities are new detached homes or townhomes built to be leased, not sold. You get a private yard, often an attached garage, and a front door with no shared hallway, but you lease through a community office like an apartment. If you want a single-family rental without buying, these are the newest options around Austin, often in places like Hutto, Georgetown, and the Leander ISD area. Because yards, garages, and HOA-style fees change the monthly number, we price them exactly the way we price new apartments across Austin [/ →](/) : net effective plus required fees, electric, and water. ## How do build-to-rent homes compare with apartments? | Factor | Build-to-rent home | New apartment | | --- | --- | --- | | Space | Detached or townhome, often 2-4 bedrooms | Studio to 3 bedrooms | | Outdoor space | Private yard, sometimes fenced | Balcony or patio; shared courtyard | | Parking | Attached or detached garage, driveway | Garage, reserved, or surface spots | | Amenities | Fewer; some have a pool or park | Pool, gym, clubhouse, package lockers | | Utilities | Often a separate water bill and larger electric load | Property-billed water is common | | Fees | Yard maintenance fee, community fee, trash | Tech package, valet trash, pest | The right choice depends on your true monthly and your commute, not the format. Our build-to-rent vs. apartment [/guides/build-to-rent-vs-apartment/ →](/guides/build-to-rent-vs-apartment/) guide walks through the comparison step by step. ## What fees do build-to-rent communities charge? Expect some combination of: - **Yard maintenance fee** when lawn care is included - **HOA-style community fee** covering common areas or a pool - **Trash and recycling** billed by the community - **Pet rent** per pet, plus a pet deposit or fee - **Smart home package** fees at some communities We get the written fee sheet for each home on your list and add the required items into true monthly. Austin’s fee ordinance No. 20260528-045 applies within city limits; many build-to-rent communities sit outside them, so the written fee sheet matters even more. ## Which utilities serve build-to-rent homes? Outer-ring communities often sit in Pedernales Electric Cooperative or Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative territory, and some are inside a municipal utility district for water. A single-story rental home has more square footage to cool than a one-bedroom apartment, so the electric estimate is usually higher. A 12-month letter of credit from your current utility can waive the deposit at PEC (up to $150). We’ll help you set it up before move-in. ## When does a build-to-rent home make sense? It tends to fit when you need a yard for pets, want a garage for storage or an EV, or need more bedrooms than most apartments offer. It may not fit if you want resort-style amenities, a short walk to transit, or the lowest true monthly in a given area. We’d compare at least one apartment and one build-to-rent home on the same true-monthly basis before you decide. Our what is build-to-rent [/guides/what-is-build-to-rent/ →](/guides/what-is-build-to-rent/) guide covers how leasing works, and renting with pets [/guides/renting-new-apartment-with-pets/ →](/guides/renting-new-apartment-with-pets/) covers pet rent and rules. What we check ## What we check at a build-to-rent community Garage and yard: who maintains it HOA-style community fees itemized Smart home package and finishes Separate water bill and electric provider Photos are illustrative of what we check on tours. Renderings are labeled; community photos appear only with permission and credit. Why it goes wrong ## Why a rental home's monthly number runs higher than the listing Problem 1 ### Yard care isn't always included Some communities include lawn care in a required fee; others leave mowing and irrigation to you. Both change the monthly number. Problem 2 ### Utilities bill differently A house often has its own water bill and a larger electric load. Pedernales or Bluebonnet may serve the address instead of Austin Energy. Problem 3 ### Community fees stack up HOA-style community fees, trash, and amenity charges can sit outside base rent, just like apartment fees. So we price every build-to-rent home on true monthly, with yard care and utilities itemized before you tour. The Special Decoder ## Turn 'weeks free' into the number you'll pay each month Same formula we use on every building. Gift cards stay out of net effective, and year two is shown beside every special. $1,269 Net effective $1,389 With fees $1,620 Year two +17% Renewal jump Free rent value $2,769 Discount off base 15.4% Lease total after special $15,231 Fees per year $1,440 8 weeks free on a $1,500 apartment works out to about $1,269 a month across 12 months. Add $120 in fees and you're at $1,389, and year two starts at $1,620 if the base holds. Estimates only. The community sets rent, fees, and approval. We confirm them in writing before you sign. Gift cards are shown separately and are not part of net effective. See this math on every building → [/contact/ →](/contact/) How we do the math [/how-we-do-the-math/ →](/how-we-do-the-math/) The concierge ## How we help with build-to-rent 1. 1 Shortlist We confirm the home, the special, and the written fee sheet, including yard care. 2. 2 Compare True monthly side by side with apartments you're weighing. 3. 3 Tour Up to four tours in one routed afternoon across build-to-rent and apartment options. 4. 4 Move in Electric and water start, with deposit-waiver letters where they apply. **When something goes wrong:** If the special is missing from the ledger, a fee wasn't disclosed, or move-in slips, we take it up with the community in writing and report back. The 60-second form ## Tell us what you need. We make the calls. You don't have time to call 20 leasing offices. We do, and confirm the unit, the special, and the written fee sheet the same day during hours. 1. 1 Same day We call or text during hours with a shortlist plan. 2. 2 In writing Unit, special, end date, and fee sheet confirmed before you tour. 3. 3 Year two shown Every pick shows year two at 0% and +3%, plus a 24-month total. Prefer to talk? Call or text 512-000-000 [tel:+1512000000 →](tel:+1512000000) , Mon-Fri 8 AM-8 PM · Sat 9 AM-6 PM · Sun 12-5 PM. Free, same day during hours ## Get my shortlist Step 1 of 3 ### Thanks, we have your details. We'll call or text the same day during hours with your shortlist plan. Straight answers ## Build-to-Rent: questions renters ask Direct answer first, then the source and date. If your question isn't here, ask us on the form or by text. ### What is a build-to-rent home? A new detached home or townhome built to be leased, not sold, and managed like an apartment community. You sign a lease with the community, and many offer lease-up specials. ### Do build-to-rent homes offer move-in specials? Many do during lease-up. We decode them to net effective and year two the same way we do for apartments. ### Who mows the yard? It varies. Some communities include lawn care in a required fee, and some leave it to you. We confirm who maintains the yard before you tour. ### Which electric provider serves build-to-rent homes around Austin? It depends on the address. Many outer-ring communities sit in Pedernales Electric Cooperative or Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative territory. We'll help you set it up before move-in. ### Is a build-to-rent home more expensive than an apartment? Compare true monthly, not base rent. Yard fees, a separate water bill, and electric for more square footage often move the number. Our comparison guide shows the math side by side. ### Are pets easier in a build-to-rent home? Often, because of the yard, but pet rent and breed or weight rules still apply. We confirm the per-pet amounts in writing. ### Can you guarantee a price or approval? No. The community sets both price and approval. We confirm them in writing before you sign. Guides ## Guides for build-to-rent ![Row of new build-to-rent homes with small yards in a Central Texas community](/images/featured/row-of-new-limestone-and-sage-build-to-rent-homes-.webp) Explainer ### What Is a Build-to-Rent Home? Build-to-rent homes are new detached homes or townhomes leased like apartments. How leasing works, who maintains the yard, fees, and specials. Read the guide → [What Is a Build-to-Rent Home? →](/guides/what-is-build-to-rent/) ![New build-to-rent townhome and a new mid-rise apartment building](/images/featured/new-build-to-rent-townhome-and-a-new-mid-rise-apar.webp) Decision guide ### Build-to-Rent Home vs. New Apartment: How to Decide Compare true monthly side by side, plus space, garage, and yard against amenities, utilities, and commute. Read the guide → [Build-to-Rent Home vs. New Apartment: How to Decide →](/guides/build-to-rent-vs-apartment/) Related guides ## Every Build-to-Rent guide - ExplainerWhat Is a Build-to-Rent Home?→ [/guides/what-is-build-to-rent/ →](/guides/what-is-build-to-rent/) - Decision guideBuild-to-Rent Home vs. New Apartment: How to Decide→ [/guides/build-to-rent-vs-apartment/ →](/guides/build-to-rent-vs-apartment/) Related pages ## Related board views Board view ### New Build Board Every in-scope community on one map, with base rent, the special, net effective, true monthly, and year two pulled every morning. Open New Build Board→ [/new-construction-apartments/ →](/new-construction-apartments/) Board view ### Lease-Ups Buildings already open and filling, sorted by stage and fill estimate, with what's finished and what the special does to your monthly cost. Open Lease-Ups→ [/lease-up-apartments/ →](/lease-up-apartments/) Board view ### Moving to Austin A remote shortlist for renters relocating to the metro: five-county overview, electric by area, tolls, and live video walks of the actual unit. Open Moving to Austin→ [/moving-to-austin/ →](/moving-to-austin/) ![](/images/misc/dusk-view-of-new-limestone-and-glass-apartment-tow.webp) Free to you, and your rent is the same either way ## You don't have time to call 20 leasing offices. We do. Send us your move date and all-in budget. We confirm the unit, the special, and the written fee sheet the same day during hours, then show you year two before you tour. Get my shortlist → [/contact/ →](/contact/) See the New Build Board [/new-construction-apartments/ →](/new-construction-apartments/) Call or text 512-000-000 [tel:+1512000000 →](tel:+1512000000) We don't guarantee pricing or approval. The community sets both, and we confirm them before you sign.