2023 Holiday Season Closures
We will be closed on 11/10/23 for Veterans Day. You can find our updated holiday closing schedule at this link.
Election Season
While we don’t want to discuss politics we do want to encourage everyone to vote. Early voting has begun in some areas, and there are quite a few items on the ballot including state, county, and city items depending on where you live. We encourage everyone to take some time to educate themselves on the issues and go vote! The League of Women Voters issues a nonpartisan voters guide and there are many other resources that can be found with info on the ballot items.
Halloween!
With Halloween just days away, here are some last minute Halloween Parties and Events in and around the Austin Area. There is something fun for people of all ages!
Family Friendly Activities:
St. HELLmo Halloween Party 10/28, this party has something for all ages to participate in. Kids can enjoy the costume contest, trick-or-treating, face painting and crafts from noon to 6 PM.
Austin Motel has a sundown, poolside screening of Beetlejuice! For the older kids.
Kalahari Spooktacular Halloween Event, the family can dress up and head to Kalahari for a spooktacular fun-filled night of trick-or-treating, Halloween Build-A-Bear pop-up, hay maze, live music and more
Hotel Viata Boo Bash, this is something a little less scary and spooky for the little ones! This event will have Tinker-Bell giving out sparkly glitter tattoos, Rapunzel will be in the pumpkin patch, and Cinderella will be dancing the night away, you do not want to miss this one!
Also, be sure to check out your local schools and churches for Trunk or Teats that will be happening this coming weekend.
Grown Up Activities:
Moxy Austin has a Pop-Up Bar open all October, they even have “Sunday Scaries” movie night every Sunday, free tarot readings and cocktails for the grown-ups
Moe’s Tavern Pop-Up, East Austin bar, Nickel City, is transforming into The Simpson’s Moe’s Tavern for Halloween, check it out the last weekend it is available.
Ghoul at Azul, How do Halloween drinks at Azul Rooftop sound? They even have a costume party on October 31!
Here are a few safety tips for those participating in one of the most popular holidays in the country.
Make sure adults know where the kids are going. A parent or responsible adult should accompany young children door-to-door.
Only visit homes that have a porch light on. Accept treats at the door – never go inside.
Light the area well so young visitors can see.
Be cautious around animals, especially dogs.
Walk only on the sidewalks, not in the street.
If no sidewalk is available, walk at the edge of the roadway, facing traffic.
Look both ways before crossing the street, and cross only at the corner.
Don’t cut across yards or use alleys.
Don’t cross between parked cars.
Drivers – use extra caution. The youngsters may forget to look both ways before crossing.
Cooler Weather and Your Fireplaces
A cold front is at our doorstep! Please be sure to follow your lease when it comes to fireplace usage and safety.
Why Does My Heater Smell Like It's Burning?
As cooler weather approaches and you first turn on your heater for the season, you will likely get a smell of something burning. This smell is usually the result of accumulated dust on burners, air ducts or other furnace parts, and it should burn off quickly. If the odor lingers, switch the air filter. If the smell still doesn't go away, contact us to have a professional inspect your unit.
Solar Eclipse This Past Weekend & One Still to Take Place
This past Saturday an Annular Solar Eclipse took place and passed just South of San Antonio. Below you can see an image captured of the eclipse through the clouds. Stone Oak passed out solar eclipse glasses to tenants as part of their move-in welcome gift and made them available for pickup to help prepare for viewing this event.
There is still another eclipse scheduled to take place in the upcoming months. In April 2024 there will be a full solar eclipse, and here is a link to the event info and path. If you’re going to try to watch then we strongly suggest going to a location as close to the center of the path as possible to enjoy the best, and longest view. Make sure to track the weather around that time to see where the best place to go will be for clear skies. Here is another link to some info about these events, and there is a lot of info out there as Central Texas gears up for the next major eclipse. Our understanding is that after April 2024 the next full eclipse visible in the US is in 20 years, so you don’t want to miss this if possible!
If you’re interested in getting some glasses for the next solar eclipse in April 2024, please check in with your property manager so we can arrange for you to pick some up.
Thank you for being a resident of a Stone Oak rental property! Please don't hesitate to contact our staff if we can help with anything.
Routine Maintenance Reminders
- Maintenance Requests: We still receive a lot of maintenance requests that state something vague like "washer" or "AC" without any other info about the actual issue. We cannot act on requests like this and will require that you provide more info, so any request like this will only delay a resolution to the issue. Make sure you provide as much info as possible in your request including pics if possible.
- Maintenance Portal: Please make a list of any items you want to submit, and then list all issues together as one request including as much info as possible and attach photos if applicable. We will then evaluate whether they should be split up or not.
- Smoke and CO Alarms: As a reminder don't ever unplug and remove smoke detectors because they are beeping. Change the batteries and if that doesn't work please notify us. We find a lot of tenants unplug them and bury them in a closet or drawer instead of replacing batteries.
- A/C Filters: Make sure to check and change every month or as required by the type of filter. If any HVAC systems in your home have a reusable filter you are still required to clean them periodically, so please make sure they are kept clean.
- Toilets: "Flushable" Wipes CANNOT be flushed. Do not put anything down the drain except water, human waste, and regular toilet paper. Food, toys, feminine products, wipes, towels, wrappers, condoms, and other objects do not break apart and go down the drain. Clogs of the plumbing system may be charged back to you, so it is best to avoid this by not putting anything down any of the drains aside from water and human waste.
- Disposal Systems: This includes using the sink disposal as a garbage chute. These appliances are not meant to dispose of large quantities of food and should only be used as a last resort after all food items are scraped off dishes into a compost bin or trash can.
- Drainage: Shower, bath, and sink drains can get clogged up over time with hair and other organic matter. Do not use Draino-type products as they are extremely acidic and will do more harm than good by damaging the pipes while usually failing to fix the drainage issue. The best way to address this is to use a disposable drain snake that can be obtained from any hardware store for a couple of dollars. Please note that if we send out a vendor for this and it turns out to be this very issue you may be charged back for the cost. Here is a video on how to use those - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aOb4MJ6widg
- Emergency Maintenance: This extension should not be called unless you have an issue involving Flood, Blood, or Fire. Do not call the emergency line to follow up on existing work orders or submit a new request that is not an emergency. In case of an emergency call 911 if needed and then contact us after everyone is safe. Remember that we do not monitor emails after hours, so if you submit something considered an emergency online and do not call we may not know until the next business day.
Other Maintenance Notes:
If you'd like to inquire about, or update an existing request, submit the form at stoneoakmgmt.com/maintenance or call 512-617-6766 ext-5.
Maintenance time frames continue to be extended due to the pandemic. Please allow at least 5 business days before requesting an update from our team unless it is an emergency.
For basic DIY tips and tricks to solve some issues quickly, visit our DIY rental property maintenance page.
Your Tenant Portal & Electronic Statements
The system will generate a statement even if you're moving out, so there is no need to contact us if you receive this and are moving. All charges, including any prorated rent, will be adjusted as needed when the deposit is processed.
If you are not using the portal app that keeps you logged in please take a look at the linked flyer for more info. This can eliminate forgotten passwords, and help with easy updates/access to maintenance requests and all other account details.
AppFolio Tenant Portal Information
