Texas woman moves into ‘luxury’ apartment complex in Austin. Unfortunately for her, she works from home: ‘I’m at a loss for words’

A Texas woman says her new “luxury” apartment in Austin quickly turned into a nightmare. Viewers are encouraging her to take legal action to break her lease.

On Aug. 1, Zyah Angela (@zyahangela) shared her experience with her apartment complex in a video that has amassed over 278,000 views as of this writing.

“I’ve heard of a lot of apartment horror stories, but I never thought I’d be the one to actually experience one,” she said.

What Problems Did She Have With Her ‘Luxury’ Apartment?

She noted that her problems began before she even received her keys. She says that two days before move-in, a leasing agent called her unexpectedly. The tenant said the conversation immediately raised her suspicions. She reports that the leasing agent later told her the apartment was getting a brand-new A/C unit installed before move-in.

“I should have thought that it’s weird that [they’re] installing a brand-new A/C unit the day before I move in,” the TikToker said.

She says the A/C worked during her initial cleaning. However, it stopped working the following day.

She contacted the leasing office, but maintenance did not immediately resolve the issue, she reports. She says her movers eventually arrived while temperatures outside approached 100 degrees.

“I was sitting doing nothing, and I was sweating,” she said. “I felt absolutely horrible.”

The woman says she spent her first two nights at her parents’ house because the apartment had no working A/C. Maintenance eventually installed a window unit as a temporary solution. However, she said the unit only cooled her bedroom.

“It’s big; it’s loud; it’s ugly; it’s in the way,” she said.

The A/C problem also created another headache because the woman works remotely. She said maintenance workers repeatedly arrived without giving her adequate notice. She says that on one Monday morning, the leasing office called to say A/C technicians had arrived.

“I’m actually 20 minutes away from home,” she reported telling them, asking if they could wait until she got there.

She said the leasing employee responded with an attitude and told her the technicians could not wait, despite their arriving at 11 a.m. on a Monday without notice.

According to the TikToker, the A/C technicians eventually discovered a broken coil. However, the complex could not simply replace it because the manufacturer no longer produced that specific part. That meant the complex had to order a new coil, wait for its production, and then schedule another installation.

While she waited, another problem emerged. The woman says she noticed that her dryer filled the apartment with hot, humid air. She says maintenance inspected it and immediately spotted an issue.

“The aluminum vent isn’t connected,” she reports the maintenance worker telling her.

She says she searched online and learned that an improperly vented dryer can create a serious fire hazard. A gas dryer could also create carbon monoxide concerns if it lacks proper ventilation, she said.

The problems continued after maintenance connected the dryer.

Her clothes still would not dry properly, she reports. She says another inspection revealed that the exterior dryer vent had been painted shut. The TikToker says maintenance eventually used a broom to force the vent open.

Meanwhile, the A/C coil finally arrived. She says the complex then took another week to install it. The woman thought her problems had finally ended. Instead, she says the A/C broke again.

She said the apartment temperature reached 76 degrees when it was supposed to be 72, even after workers installed the replacement part.

She also said the constant maintenance visits have stressed her dog, who dislikes strangers entering the apartment. Now, she wants answers from the leasing office.

“I don’t know if I should ask them to break my lease,” she said. “I don’t know what to do.”

Can She Break Her Lease?

The woman may have a legal path to end her lease, but Texas law does not allow tenants to simply walk away because the repairs have been frustrating. Under the Texas Property Code, a tenant can seek to terminate a lease when a condition materially affects an ordinary tenant’s physical health or safety and the landlord fails to make a diligent repair within a reasonable time after receiving proper notice.

Her reported A/C failures and dryer ventilation problems could potentially support that argument, particularly if they created genuine health or safety concerns. However, whether she actually has grounds depends on the facts, her lease, and whether she followed Texas’s required notice procedures.

The Texas Attorney General says tenants generally should provide written notice describing the repairs and give the landlord a reasonable opportunity to fix them. The law presumes seven days as a reasonable repair period in certain circumstances.

If the landlord still fails to make a diligent effort, the tenant may have options, including lease termination, a court-ordered repair, or other remedies. She should not simply stop paying rent or move out without following the required process. The Texas Attorney General recommends consulting an attorney before taking those steps.

AllHipHop reached out to Angela via TikTok direct message and email. We will update this story if she responds.

@zyahangela the dryer part really sealed the deal for me y’all…. like what do I do bc this is crazy and my AC is still broke 🫪 now I think I might have to move bc I think there’s something broken with the unit itself and I JUST moved in I have a feeling they knew it was broken in here but wanted someone to sign the lease so they can get paid… #storytime #apartmenthorrorstory #luxuryapartment #apartmentliving ♬ original sound – Zyah Angela

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