The Bowie Fire
If the September 17 fire knocked you out of your apartment at The Bowie, you have three jobs right now.
I'm an Austin REALTOR® and I live in Old West Austin, a few minutes from the building. I wrote this because displaced renters get a lot of advice and very little of it is organized. Take what's useful.
What happened on September 17
According to the Austin Fire Department report, the fire started in a utility room at 311 Bowie Street, linked to overheated wiring or equipment, and the sprinklers kept it contained. Residents have since shared photos of water standing in the corridors. The report notes that management needed to arrange housing for displaced residents and handle restoration.
It also wasn't the building's first electrical fire. An earlier electrical-room fire, reported by KXAN, caused a large power outage and sent one person to the hospital with minor burns.
The single most useful thing to get from management is a written estimate of when your unit will be livable again. That date shapes every decision below.
Sources: AFD report via Bowie Tenants Union · KXAN
Why repairs often run longer than the first estimate
The sprinklers did their job, but fire damage is only part of the repair. Water from sprinklers and firefighting soaks into drywall, insulation, and flooring, and in a high-rise it can travel to floors below. Each step waits on the one before it:
- Water removalWet drywall, insulation, and flooring come out.
- Drying & testingTrapped moisture can turn into mold.
- Electrical repairsThe source of the fire gets fixed.
- InspectionsRepairs need city sign-off.
- Insurance approvalsCan add time at any stage.
Plan for weeks to months, not days, and treat any return date as an estimate until it's confirmed in writing.
First steps this week
- Keep every written notice. Save emails, texts, and letters from management about lodging, reimbursement, and repairs. Screenshot portal messages; they can disappear.
- Log every expense with a receipt. Hotel folios, meals, mileage, parking, laundry, pet boarding, replaced essentials. The Bowie Tenants Union built a free expense log that exports a CSV and a receipt PDF. Using it does not submit anything; you still send your records to management yourself.
- Call your renters insurance company. Most renters policies include "loss of use" or "additional living expenses" coverage, which can pay for temporary housing and the extra cost of eating out. Ask what your policy covers and how to file.
- Read before you sign anything. If you're handed a lease cancellation, a release, or a reimbursement agreement, have it reviewed first. A broad release can waive claims you didn't know you had.
- Photograph your unit the next time you're allowed in, especially any water or smoke damage to your belongings.
Don't assume reimbursement covers everything
I spent years in property management, and displacement reimbursement is rarely a blank check. Many owners and management companies cap it, often at an amount tied to your monthly rent, and each expense has to be approved before it's paid. So some of what you spend may not come back.
Ask management to answer these in writing:
- Is there a cap on reimbursement, and how is it calculated?
- Which expenses are eligible (lodging, meals, mileage, pet boarding)?
- Who approves claims, and how long does approval take?
- Will you be paid in cash, direct payment, or a rent credit?
Whatever falls outside the cap is exactly what renters insurance loss-of-use coverage is for. You can usually file with both, as long as you're not paid twice for the same expense.
Your lease options under Texas law
Texas Property Code §92.054 covers what happens when a fire or other casualty damages a rental. Here's the general shape of it.
Either you or the landlord can end the lease with written notice any time before repairs are finished. You'd be owed a prorated rent refund from the day you moved out, plus your deposit under the normal rules.
You may be entitled to reduced rent, but the statute routes that through a court rather than an automatic discount.
The landlord can terminate too. If you want to stay, say so in writing early.
This is not legal advice, and your lease may add its own terms.
Before you send a termination notice or accept one, talk to a tenant attorney or legal aid. The Bowie Tenants Union keeps a list of tenant resources and legal aid, and Texas RioGrande Legal Aid serves eligible Austin renters for free.
If you decide to move: what to ask before you lease another high-rise
You now know which questions matter. Ask every building you tour:
When was the last fire inspection, and were there any open violations? Are sprinklers and alarms in every unit and corridor?
Is there a backup generator, and what does it run: elevators, water pumps, corridor lights?
How many unplanned water shutoffs happened in the last 12 months?
How many serve residents, and how often has one been out for more than a day?
If the building becomes unlivable, what does management cover in writing, and how fast?
Is there a reasonable early-termination option if conditions change?
Concessions: Downtown buildings often offer move-in specials. Get the net effective rent in writing, not only the headline discount. And search the building's name with "fire", "water shutoff", and "tenants" before you sign. Ten minutes of searching tells you more than any tour.
Free relocation help
Let me take the search off your plate
You're already juggling a hotel, receipts, insurance calls, and a return date that keeps moving. You shouldn't also have to spend your evenings scrolling listings and driving to tours. If you decide not to wait it out, I'll handle the apartment search at no cost to you. In Texas, apartment communities typically pay the locating agent's fee, not the renter.
Wait it out, move temporarily, or move for good. You decide; I'll lay out each path.
Budget, pets, parking, commute, and the safety questions above, already asked.
I'll walk units and send video so you don't have to leave work or the hotel.
Move-in dates lined up with your lease so you aren't paying double rent.
I'll push for move-in specials and keep the paperwork moving.
Furnished or short-term places if you need somewhere to land while you decide.
Some people use a move like this to decide whether buying makes more sense. I'm glad to help with that too, whenever you're ready. I'm not your lawyer or your insurance adjuster, so I'll point you to the right people for those questions.
Email BryceA disclosure: I previously worked for RPM Living, the company that manages The Bowie. I don't work for them now. Nothing in this post comes from inside information; it's all from public sources linked here. This post is based on publicly reported facts and general information. It isn't meant to criticize The Bowie, RPM Living, or anyone who works there.
Bryce Low, REALTOR® · Realty Texas LLC
585-596-9766·
bryce-low.realtytexas.com ·
@atxrealtorbrycelow
Sources
- Bowie Tenants Union: Fire & Displacement Resources
- Bowie Tenants Union: Tenant Resources
- KXAN: Electrical fire at The Bowie
- Texas Property Code §92.054
Texas Real Estate Commission Information About Brokerage Services · Texas Real Estate Commission Consumer Protection Notice
Leave a Comment