Inside Austin’s luxury new ‘influencer apartment’ building as it’s hit with accusations of being ‘filthy’

A luxury new skyrise in Austin, Texas, which has been branded as the city’s first ‘influencer building,’ has found itself in hot water – as its residents have alleged that the property is ‘filthy’ and that the dog park was covered in animal urine.

The scathing new report comes out of Texas Monthly, as allegations about the lavish building have continued to mount over the past few months across social media.

The 48-story building in question, called Paseo, is located on Rainey Street in Austin’s downtown area, with one-bedroom units starting at $3,160, while the penthouse units go for over $26,000.

The skyrise boasts an array of amenities like saunas, cold plunges, a red light therapy studio and even a Mediterranean restaurant on its 12th floor, and has worked to attract TikTok stars, influencers, University of Texas football players and finance bros.

According to the outlet, the building offers large discounts on rent to those with a large following in exchange for social media posts, and is home to stars like Ken Eurich, a lifestyle influencer with over 1.8 million followers. 

The building even has its own hashtag, as those who live there often tag ‘#paseocreator’ in their viral clips showcasing the property. 

While on first glance it may seem like the coolest place to live, some have claimed that the building is far from the luxurious haven it advertises itself as.

According to residents who spoke to Texas Monthly, the dog park on the 11th floor of the building is ‘covered in feces and poop bags.’

They also alleged that the area has a ‘foul-smelling river’ of dog urine that travels all the way to the parking garage on the same floor, as well as the elevator bank. 

Residents claimed that there were no barriers between the dog park and the parking garage for quite some time – and only now are they in the process of getting built.

The alleged urine problem was also documented on TikTok by user Elizabeth Swenson, who shared video of what she called the ‘dog pee river.’ 

The clip went viral nearly overnight.  

She claimed that when you first step foot onto the 11th floor, you step directly onto a ‘sopping wet mat filled with dog pee.’ She also said there was a 15-foot long ‘river of pee’ leading from the mat, which ‘stinks.’

But that’s not all.

Per Texas Monthly, other residents have raised questions about the building’s safety due to high concierge turnover, as they claimed an unhoused man was able to enter Paseo and travel all the way up to the 12th floor, where their ‘wellness center’ is located. 

Multiple occupants also alleged that their glass shower doors shattered when they closed, while others said they found hairs in the cold plunges.

In addition, some complained of weak windows in their units, claiming wind had cracked them. 

Plus, residents also alleged that the ‘cardboard rooms’ in the building, where people dispose of their garbage and recyclables, were a mess, claiming that rotted trash and food sit there for weeks.

Texas Monthly obtained photos of trash on the floor in the space, which included things like orange peels and used wax strips scattered about.

Residents have complained to management, the publication said, but allegedly, nothing has been done.  

A representative from LV Collective, the management company that owns Paseo, told the Daily Mail that ‘improvements to the pet relief area’ were underway before the article was published. 

In a statement, the representative said: ‘Since opening, Paseo has welcomed a vibrant community of residents from across Austin and beyond. As one of Austin’s most talked-about residential communities, we’ve experienced both tremendous interest and heightened scrutiny.

‘Like any new community, we’ve experienced operational challenges and have taken decisive action to address them. We recently assumed day-to-day management of the property because we believe the resident experience is too important not to manage directly.

‘Improvements to the pet relief area have been underway prior to the article being published, as part of an ongoing project to enhance drainage, sanitation and safety. 

‘Since work began, we’ve completed significant milestones and expect the pet relief area to reopen by the end of the week. We’ll continue providing residents with regular updates until the project is complete.

‘Our focus remains on building an exceptional residential community and contributing positively to downtown Austin. Paseo supports local businesses, brings new residents to the Rainey Street district and creates opportunities for people to connect, create and experience the city. 

‘We’re committed to listening, continuously improving, and earning our residents’ trust every day.

‘We believe our story will ultimately be defined by how we respond, the experience our residents have, and the community we’re building for the future.’

According to the magazine, Paseo has received over 123 million views on Instagram and TikTok combined, and $7 million in ‘creator-driven media value,’ stats which were given to the outlet by LV Collective.

The building has reportedly recruited lifestyle influencers, as well as fitness influencers, to live in their residences.