When Morgan Colon, environmental science senior, moved into her new apartment at The Junction, a rent-by-the-room apartment complex located on West Avenue, her unit was dirty and in the midst of reconstruction.

According to Colon, the initial unit she moved into this year was infested with roaches, had appliances out of order and a fire alarm uninstalled with wires hanging from the ceiling. Colon said she stayed with her uncle in Wimberley instead of moving in and is staying at a friend’s apartment currently.

“[One of the managers] showed me this new unit, it was not nearly as bad as the other one, but it was still dirty,” Colon said. “Then I opened the vents, and I was like, this is not going to work.”

Colon suspected mold in the vents, and lab tests at Assured Bio Labs confirmed it as Cladosporium mold. The CDC notes that Cladosporium is a common indoor mold, and exposure can lead to symptoms like sore throat and coughing.

Residents also filed complaints against The Junction regarding mold growing in apartments’ air vents in 2023.

Campus Realty Advisors (CRA), a real estate company based in Atlanta, purchased The Junction and secured financing for improvements of the complex on June 24, according to a press release from Bellwether Enterprise Real Estate Capital.

CRA also plans to change the name of The Junction to “One09 West,” according to Founder of CRA Randy Herron in a written email statement to The University Star.

“Prior to our purchase, there had been some deferred maintenance that had led to a poor living environment,” Herron wrote. “[Before] the start of this fall semester, we were able to fix most of those past issues in the residents’ units while completing other unit interior enhancements.”

Herron wrote new kitchen appliances, backsplashes, plank-style flooring in all bedrooms, new plumbing, lighting fixtures and a full repainting of all unit interiors were some of the planned renovations.

“We recognize that our residents’ daily routines can be disrupted a bit during the few days that renovations take place in any individual apartment. We have committed to completing the improvements as quickly and efficiently as possible while keeping our residents informed along the way,” Herron wrote.

Jillian Martinez, history graduate student currently living at The Junction and a previous tenant in 2022, said she was surprised by the condition of her new unit, which was dirty when she moved in. She ended up cleaning parts of it herself.

“When I came back this year it’s under new property management and I kind of wanted to give them hope, and they’ve fallen flat,” Martinez said.

Regarding the advertised apartment renovations, Martinez said the carpeting was removed in the bedrooms and a backsplash was added to the kitchen. She also said her living room floors had visible cosmetic damage such as paint splatter.

“I filled out multiple [maintenance requests] letting them know the issues in my bathroom, kitchen, in my room [during the first week of move-in], and they told me that the following week they would start working on those work orders, and nothing has been done,” Martinez said.

In an interview with The Star in February, Ethan Chou, a staff attorney at the Attorney for Students Office, said there aren’t many options for students who want to break a lease after it’s been signed.

“[Students] could try to negotiate some sort of termination, usually with the corporate office,” Chou said. “Especially in situations that are compelling from a human perspective.”

The Junction is also listed as a featured apartment on Texas State’s Off-Campus Housing Marketplace website.

In a written interview with The Star, Executive Director of Housing and Residential Life Bill Mattera said Texas State works with an outside provider to run the off-campus apartment website.

Mattera added that DHRL started a new process to review apartment applications for the website, and it will now include a representative from Student Government.

“Apartment complexes with five or more unresolved complaints during an academic year may be delisted,” Mattera wrote. “Unresolved complaints indicate that student issues have not been suitably addressed.”

There hasn’t been a formal removal process for apartment complexes in place prior to this year, according to Mattera.

“Students are encouraged to provide issues to the Off-Campus Living office, which will contact the property to encourage resolution,” Mattera said.

Chou said landlords are only required to make diligent efforts to repair conditions that affect the physical health or safety of a tenant in Texas. He said what falls under a health and safety issue is complicated.

“I also went to the student attorney and they helped a lot too and just kind of told me what to do,” Colon said. “The only thing I can kind of nail them on now is the mold.”

After getting the lab results back from the mold, Colon said that she didn’t have to pay rent for October or utilities for the past two months and has received a move-out statement in her resident portal.

According to Colon, management has not responded to her emails, and she has yet to get an official indication that her lease is terminated.

“I refuse to move in. I refuse to take those keys,” Colon said.