Austin Tenants Council

I needed help understanding whether I had the right to request my landlord make some repairs to my home on damage that was caused due to their negligence (dead tree branches that they neglected for years). If you look up 211 Texas and look for legal assistance for Landlord/​Tenant Disputes, you can find Austin Tenants Council telephone counseling.
When you call, be prepared to have time to keep trying for hours because it’s constantly busy. I explained my situation to the young woman who answered, only for her to tell me that she couldn’t give me legal advice. I said that I got their info from the Legal Assistance section of 211 Texas. I explained that I was only asking for whether the landlord was responsible for the damage according to our property laws. She again said she couldn’t give me legal advice. I told her I was confused and asked what service she did provide. She said that she can only give me legal information. I wasn’t asking her what to do, only what my landlord’s liabilities are in my situation, and she told me that she didn’t know because she didn’t know what my landlord’s response to me would be if I took them to court. She told me that I could get legal advice elsewhere. At the end she added that I could go to small claims court if I was asking for less than $ 10,000.
I found them to be almost completely useless and a waste of time. I realize that this may be an unfair negative review of the entire organization based on one experience, but what else are we gonna base it on? I’m sure they also get good reviews based on one experience. I also realize that the problem could possibly lie with a lack of understanding on my part about what they can offer, because I still feel perplexed that the woman could give me no useful information.

I was in a very sticky situation with a lease that the management insisted I complete even though I had a break in and a traumatic assault inside my apartment, complete with hospital and police records, and was truly incapable of completing my lease. I couldn’t believe that they wouldn’t let me out of my lease given the situation. (The Zone at East End was the property and I have a review of them available also.)
I don’t remember how I even came across the Austin Tenants’ Council but they were truly a life save, or at least a sanity saver. Once I contacted ATC they helped walk me through how to move into a safer environment without penalty. They were wonderful, compassionate, organized, informed and available every step of the way. They could not have been more helpful.

I had a question about my building manager’s practices. I called and received a a very rude, short «no» to my question. I asked for more information and was told, «It’s just the way it is. Sorry.» I was better off just googling my question.

I find it surprising that the negative reviews were not recommended. I have had to seek out other advice because Austin Tenants’ Council has treated me I feel unfairly. They seem very dispassionate accept when being critical. They are funded by the City of Austin and Housing and Urban Development. I do not see how they can treat tenants the way they do. I was really surprise at the tone the administrator of their face book wall used when dealing with me. Right now I am blocked and I can not even send them a private face book email. I am not sure about their regular email address. However, I found their behavior unprofessional from the standpoint that they are getting funding to do a job and should not be so thin skinned. Someone else stated that they do not have an email address. I really do not know what function on face book they served unless it is to answer questions that only the Texas Property Code knows the answer to. They are not sympathetic and give out again dispassionate answers. Let me say one more thing a lot of us unfortunately may be renting apartments for the rest of our lives and we need a Tenant Council that can be compassionate and give out correct information. This administrator on face-​book is not doing his/​her job. I might add thathe Better Business Bureau has been more help than the Austin Tenants Council.
I might add that my coming into their office cost me around $ 50 + in cab fare. I thought I could get back and forth quicker but it didn’t work. That was my choice but the tenants council was not close to where I lived and is in East Austin. However, I was given the impression that they could help when they couldn’t. and so it goes.
One of the things they told me was that a rental company that has a tax credit does not have to give a reason for letting a renter go. However, that information is not completely correct they have let Section 8 renters go if they can not maintain or did not keep the property clean or somehow damage the property. And some of these properties are old and run down. So they can let anyone go I guess if they want to. I would have liked to know so that maybe in the future I could avoid the problem But, keeping these apartments completely in tip top shape is no small feat. And so it goes. And if they charge you for cleaning, than that is probably the reason. So, probably giving you a reason is not that helpful. The landlords or rental company have all the power. ‘And the Austin Tenant council is a dispassionate bunch of bureaucrats. The reason that some renters let tenants go after a few years so they can make them responsible for the repairs, like painting, new carpet. If you stay somen where 10 years they probably can not get you to pay to renovate their apartment.

I was having problems with my landlord, when a friend recommended I give the Austin Tenant’s Council a call. She warned me ahead of time that the agency is usually swamped with people needing help. According to her, you can expect to wait 45 minutes on the phone to speak with someone and then they must limit their phone time with you to 5 minutes to be able to help as many people as possible.
I’ve never had to wait more than 5 minutes on hold (and if my 5 minutes were up, I would just call again later). Although, on some occasions, I did have difficulty getting through because the phone lines were busy.
With low expectations in mind, I found this resource very, very helpful. I’ve called about six different times, and spoken with different advisers each time. Some of them have been more than willing to listen and stay on the phone with me for a long amount of time, and others seemed to want to get me off the phone in a hurry. Either way, every time I’ve called they’ve helped talk me through the issue I was having. THE most helpful part to me was when they gave me advice about multiple letters I was having to write. I asked them to give me an example of how to word the letters, and they did. I wrote their suggestions down word for word. It was extremely valuable because otherwise I would have had 0 idea how to word things legally.
As my problem with my landlord became more complex, I eventually called to schedule a 30 minute, in person appointment. I brought all the documentation, and I was so eager that I arrived way too early. On top of me being early, the adviser was running late and I waited for almost an hour to get in. However, once I was inside her office, she was able to review my lease documents and take into consideration all the facets of the problem. She gave me specific and helpful advice (and also some general ‘good to know’ stuff). The appointment was also free because I made under a certain amount of income. If you are above that amount, or if you are unable to prove your income, it is $ 15 for a 30 minute appointment.
My experience with this organization was not perfect, but as a non-​paying customer dealing with a government-​type agency, I felt their help was much more than adequate.
My suggestion to you: If you are going to try the telephone counseling, make sure to bullet point a list of questions you have before calling. It helped me use my time efficiently and also helped make sure I was fully informed before hanging up the phone (especially in the cases where the adviser seems rushed).

I owe these folks an update. Last summer I was having some pretty extreme issues with a landlady who was independently renting half of her duplex to me. Instead of dealing with the phone line, I just asked the Tenants Council for an appointment with a counselor. In person, they’re wonderful. The front desk staff was friendly, they have tons of great literature explaining your rights and also listings of apartments with ratings. The counselor I spoke to was very understanding and very thorough and provided me with lots of good info (ammunition). They’re not lawyers, but they are fantastic educators. I’m glad I gave them another chance.