# What do I pay when I apply for a West Campus apartment?

An application fee pays for screening and is generally nonrefundable; an application deposit has different refund rules. Get the written selection criteria and a payment-by-payment schedule before you pay to apply.

[Compare housing near UT](https://utaustin.guide/housing)

![A West Campus street lined with mid-rise student apartment buildings, with a cyclist crossing](https://utaustin.guide/photos/campus/west-campus.webp)[Vuemobi](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:West-campus-college-student-apartments-neighborhood.jpg) · [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)

**In this guide**

1. The word deposit can describe different payments
2. The selection criteria come before the fee
3. Four listed charges add about $554 to the move-in budget
4. A delayed answer needs a dated paper trail
5. The receipt needs the terms beside it
6. Sources

## In this guide

1. The word deposit can describe different payments
2. The selection criteria come before the fee
3. Four listed charges add about $554 to the move-in budget
4. A delayed answer needs a dated paper trail
5. The receipt needs the terms beside it
6. Sources

## The word deposit can describe different payments

[The State Law Library’s explanation](https://guides.sll.texas.gov/landlord-tenant-law/security-deposits) describes an application fee as a nonrefundable screening payment and an application deposit as money refundable when the applicant is rejected. A [security deposit](https://guides.sll.texas.gov/landlord-tenant-law/security-deposits) instead secures obligations under an agreed lease. Ask the property to name the payment and explain what happens if you’re rejected, approved, or decide not to continue.

Three payments to label before applying

**The word deposit can describe different payments**

| Payment | What it does | Question for your budget |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Application fee | Pays for screening | Could I lose this if I’m rejected? |
| Application deposit | Accompanies the application; refundable if rejected | What happens after approval or withdrawal? |
| Security deposit | Secures performance under the lease | When is it due, and what deductions may apply? |

## The selection criteria come before the fee

[Section 92.3515](https://tcss.legis.texas.gov/docs/PR/htm/PR.92.htm#92.3515) requires printed selection criteria to be available with the application. Read the credit, income, rental-history, criminal-history, and information requirements before paying.

A missing guarantor, missing U.S. credit history, and missing SSN can require different answers. The [guarantor comparison](https://sulayman-bowles.dev/research/texas/ut-housing-without-us-guarantor) explains published routes; get the current route for your application in writing.

Ask who needs a separate application and fee when you’re applying with roommates. Also ask whether approval secures the requested bedroom, roommate group, and move-in date, or whether those requests are still pending.

## Four listed charges add about $554 to the move-in budget

[Rambler’s FAQ](https://www.rambleratx.com/faq/) lists a $75 nonrefundable application fee due at submission, a $200 nonrefundable administration fee, and a $200 refundable security deposit. It also lists an annual utility-registration charge of about $79, due at move-in. These four charges require about $554 in cash, including the $200 deposit.

That subtotal leaves out rent, insurance, and any pet or parking charges. Put every required payment on the calendar before deciding whether you can fund the move.

Rambler’s published example, checked November 3, 2026

**Four listed charges add about $554 to the move-in budget**

| Charge | Amount | Treatment and timing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Application | $75 | Nonrefundable; due with the application |
| Administration | $200 | Nonrefundable; due at move-in |
| Security deposit | $200 | Refundable subject to applicable deductions; due at move-in |
| Utility registration | About $79 | Nonrefundable annual charge; due at move-in |

The utility charge and $554 subtotal are rounded to whole dollars. These are one property’s stated charges; rent and other applicable payments are additional.

## A delayed answer needs a dated paper trail

[Section 92.352](https://tcss.legis.texas.gov/docs/PR/htm/PR.92.htm#92.352) generally treats an application as rejected when acceptance isn’t given by the seventh day after a completed landlord-provided form is submitted. If no form is furnished, the clock starts when the landlord accepts the application deposit. Section 92.353 allows timely telephone notice or postmarked mail and extends deadlines falling on weekends or holidays. Keep those communications as well as email; an empty inbox doesn’t settle the result.

[Section 92.3515](https://tcss.legis.texas.gov/docs/PR/htm/PR.92.htm#92.3515) requires the application fee and any application deposit returned when a rejected applicant wasn’t given the required selection-criteria notice. For disputed money or dates, the [State Law Library’s resources](https://guides.sll.texas.gov/landlord-tenant-law/security-deposits) link the applicable rules and available help.

## The receipt needs the terms beside it

Save the application, criteria notice, fee and refund terms, payment receipt, approval messages, and proposed lease. Before another charge is due, check the exact room, dates, payment count, and the point at which you become committed.

If losing the screening fee would strain your budget, settle the application requirements first. A cheap advertised room is little help when the money needed before the keys is more than you can produce.

## Sources

The Texas Property Code, State Law Library guide, and operator FAQ were checked November 3, 2026. The approximately $554 subtotal uses four Rambler charges; the FAQ’s utility-registration amount is rounded for display, and other payments are excluded; it doesn’t establish an available room or an applicant’s approval. A security deposit isn’t a guaranteed refund. Your documents, dates, and the applicable legal provisions determine any disputed refund or obligation.

**Sources and dates**

1. [Texas Property Code: application fees, deposits, criteria, and notice](https://tcss.legis.texas.gov/docs/PR/htm/PR.92.htm)2026-11-03
2. [Texas State Law Library: deposit distinctions and resources](https://guides.sll.texas.gov/landlord-tenant-law/security-deposits)2026-11-03
3. [Rambler: fees and payment timing](https://www.rambleratx.com/faq/)2026-11-03

By [Sulayman Bowles](https://sulayman-bowles.dev/about) · Checked against the linked regulator, legal, and property sources.

---
Source: https://utaustin.guide/ut/housing/application-fees-deposits · Field Guide: UT Austin