How do you rent a new Austin apartment before you arrive?
If you’re moving from out of town, you can’t tour 20 buildings, and you shouldn’t have to. We tracked 144 new Austin apartment communities across five counties on Oct 25, 2026. We make the calls, confirm the unit, the special, and the written fee sheet, and run a live video walk of the actual unit, not the model.
Remote leasing in Texas usually runs on e-signing through the property’s portal on a Texas Apartment Association (TAA) lease. We read the lease addenda with you before you sign, so nothing in the concession or fee pages surprises you after you land.
What does the Austin metro look like for a new arrival?
| County | Examples of where new buildings sit | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Travis County | Far North, Northeast, Far East, Southeast Austin | Austin Energy serves most city addresses; Austin Water in the city |
| Williamson County | Round Rock, Georgetown, Hutto, Leander, Taylor | Mixed providers; Round Rock ISD, Leander ISD, and others |
| Hays County | San Marcos, Kyle, Buda | I-35 commute to Austin; Hays CISD and San Marcos CISD |
| Bastrop County | Bastrop, Elgin edge | SH-71 toward SpaceX Bastrop; Bluebonnet territory |
| Caldwell County | Lockhart edge | SH-130 corridor south |
ISDs are listed as facts with their district names, such as Round Rock ISD, Manor ISD, and Hays CISD, never as ratings. Our areas page shows where we track the most new buildings.
Which utilities will you set up?
Electric depends on the address. Across 144 board buildings: Austin Energy 83, Pedernales Electric Cooperative 28, Bluebonnet 13, Georgetown Utility Systems 3, and Oncor with plan choice 16, where you pick a retail electric provider. Water is Austin Water in the city, or billed by the property in many buildings.
A 12-month letter of credit from your current utility can waive the utility deposit at Austin Energy ($200), PEC (up to $150), and Georgetown ($250). Request it before you leave. We’ll help you set it up before move-in. See the deposit waiver guide and Austin Energy vs. PEC vs. Bluebonnet.
What do tolls add to your commute?
The 183A Toll Road, SH-130, and SH-45 connect many new buildings to employer anchors. Most are run by the Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority or TxDOT. A TxTag is cheaper than pay-by-mail. We estimate your monthly toll bill and add it to true monthly so a cheaper apartment farther out doesn’t hide a larger commute cost. The toll roads guide has the formula.
How do you avoid scams when leasing remotely?
Fake listings around new construction often reuse developer renderings and ask for a deposit before a tour. Pay only through the property’s official portal after confirming the leasing office through the property website. Spirit Real Estate Group, LLC is a licensed Texas brokerage (TREC #562021); you can check any agent’s license on the TREC lookup. Our rental scams guide lists the warning signs, and leasing sight unseen explains the safe way to sign remotely.
What we do for a relocation shortlist
- You send your move date, all-in budget, size, and where you’ll work.
- We call the communities and confirm units, specials, and written fee sheets the same day during hours.
- We compare true monthly with tolls and year two, then share our top two picks and the tradeoff.
- We run live video walks of the actual units on your shortlist.
- We pre-check approval, read the addenda with you, and set up electric and water before move-in.
