Election Season
While we don’t want to discuss politics we do want to encourage everyone to vote. Early voting for the Primary Election runs from Tuesday, Feb. 20, through Friday, March 1. We encourage everyone to take some time to educate yourselves 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. The Secretary of State’s online portal for registration, or to check your registration, provides a link with your polling locations in the results when looking yourself up. Your county clerk’s website may also have a voter lookup along with sample ballots. To help you get to the right place you can use these links- Travis County, Williamson County, Hays County, or a quick search for your county clerk’s office will get you started.
Did you know that on average less than 20% of eligible voters participate in the primary elections and make decisions on behalf of the other 80+% of the voting population? In presidential election years the participation is around 25% or less, and in midterm primaries participation has been less than 18% for the last few cycles. Less than a quarter of the voting public are determining who will be on the ballot in 2024.
Lease Reminders
We are heading into the beginning of the busiest time of year. That means more annual inspections. Please note the following important lease reminders:
We have found a number of properties that have either a trampoline or an above ground pool which are not permitted. See section 12 D of your lease. If you have one of these items, please remove them to remain in compliance with your lease.
Something else we are finding are unauthorized pets. Even if your pet is an emotional support animal or service animal, you are required to register your ESA via PetScreening.com. If you find yourself having a pet that has not been added to the lease, we are happy to help with the process of adding your furry friend. The link below will take you to the pet screening site to being the process of adding your additional family member to you lease agreement to ensure you remain in compliance with the requirement of documenting any pets or service animals. The link to begin the process is referenced below if needed.
https://stoneoak.petscreening.com/
Annual inspections reminders
If an annual inspection is scheduled, we do require a minimum 24 hour notice to request cancellation or reschedules. Tenants may be charged a $75 missed appointment fee for cancellations or failing to make the property accessible for any regularly scheduled appointments.
HOA Compliance
Many of you are in an HOA with very strict rules on lawns. Please be sure to keep your lawn mowed, edged, and weeded. Get rid of any dead vegetation that may have died over the winter, trim shrubs away from the house, remove weeds from flower beds, etc. Also, PLEASE bring your trash cans in when it is not your trash day.
Solar Eclipse Right Around The Corner!
There is still another eclipse scheduled to take place in less than two months! In April 2024 there will be a full solar eclipse, and here is a link to the event info and interactive path map. 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 weather around that time to see where the best place to go will be for clear skies. 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 solar eclipse in April 2024, please check in with your property manager so we can arrange for you to pick some up.
Helpful Tips
After Hours Emergency Calls:
Should you have any urgent maintenance requests after hours, please remember, we have an after hours emergency line to help! Our after hours emergency line is 512-617-6766 and select option 1 to be transferred to our after hours emergency call center so that they may assist you. Reporting maintenance emergencies to the landlord directly is not an acceptable method to request emergency assistance.
Landscape Maintenance:
We kindly remind all tenants to maintain their landscapes regularly. This includes lawn care, removing weeds, and addressing any issues that may arise.
Holiday Decorations:
While we appreciate those with a festive spirit, we ask all tenants to be mindful of the duration and nature of holiday decorations. Please promptly remove all holiday decorations if any remain.
Trash Can Storage:
Many properties reside in communities with HOAs that have strict rules on Trash Can Storage. It is essential that trash cans are stored out of view from the common areas to avoid potential warning notices and fines should the trash cans continue to remain in an area that is visible from the street.
Storage Items:
Store all items such as boxes, fertilizer bags, potting tools, etc. out of common area views. These items are to be stored until ready to use.
Oil Stains:
We understand cars leak at times, but please remove all stains from your driveways to include pressuring washing if necessary.
From all of us here at Stone Oak we wish you a Happy New Year and 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
