Moving into a Windsor-managed apartment in Austin earlier this year, I expected predictable rent and utilities. Instead, the Minol-managed water and sewage bill jumped month after month until it cleared $1,400. After a lot of back-and-forth they credited me roughly half, but the whole process felt like a roller coaster with no clear explanation.
I am not the only one dealing with it. Random residents I talked to said they also had to advocate constantly with the apartment about these water charges. None of us could find the exact source of the overages, but we agreed something feels weird and the system demands nonstop attention.
They also force everyone to sign up for a gas bill—the water heater—where the actual usage shows as pennies or maybe a dollar, yet there is a fixed $20 administrative fee just to have the account. Paying to pay the bill makes no sense and adds to the frustration.
On top of that, the maintenance portal does not send confirmations. Requests disappear or expire online, so you never know whether anyone saw them. That lack of transparency makes it harder to trust that the charges are legitimate.
I do not have proof of a scam, but big apartment companies need to stop nickel-and-diming tenants and start offering clear breakdowns, automatic confirmations, and honest explanations. Until that happens, I am documenting everything, comparing notes with neighbors, and speaking up whenever the numbers stop making sense.