Fall is here!
It is officially fall in Austin! Yes, fall in Texas is short-lived but there are plenty of fun Fall activities to do in Austin!
It is a good idea to get out your calendar and start making plans for the next few months. Whether you are watching the game, touring haunted houses with your kids, or snapping cute pictures with your four-legged friends, it’s best to plan early (Some of the most popular fall activities will sell out!)
The first of two solar eclipses in Central Texas is happening in October. See the details below in this post because you don’t want to miss this!
Thinking of visiting a pumpkin patch? Here is a list of the best pumpkin patches in Austin.
Visit a Haunted House. Here is a list of 7 spooky houses.
Maybe a haunted house isn’t your thing? Check out Boo at the Zoo for some fun with the smaller bunch. You will want tickets for this, click here to reserve yours today.
Celebrating Oktoberfest - no arrangements are needed for this one! Just show up to almost any Austin craft brewery.
Let’s not forget Live Music! Austin City Limits Festival is one of the very best things to do in Austin in the fall. ACL features over 100 bands, you do not want to miss this one!
If you prefer some solitude, take a day trip and immerse yourself in nature. There are plenty of places to camp around Austin. There is sure to be something for everyone to do in Austin this fall.
September Hail Storm 2023
As you are all aware, we had a pretty intense hail event on the evening of September 24th, with hail ranging in size from 1 inch to 3 inches and some reports of even larger hail. If your property received any storm-related damage, please submit a maintenance request via your tenant portal with pictures so our dedicated team of maintenance professionals can have someone assess the situation.
Watch out for Hail Scammers
When we get storms like this contractors will go door to door offering to check out the roof or your car and give a price. Since you’re a tenant obviously the roof repair is not something you need to deal with, but if they tell you that the roof is damaged ask them to show it to you if it’s visible from the ground so you can report it to us. Do not go up on the roof or allow unknown solicitors, or anyone for that matter, to get on the roof.
Scams and opportunists are inevitable when disasters strike. This article is from two years ago but has some good tips. The second article goes a bit more in-depth about how to avoid scams.
Stone Oak's Holiday Hours
As we enter the last few months of the year we want to remind everyone of our upcoming office closures You can find our updated holiday schedule at this link.
In observance of the Indigenous Peoples holiday, Stone Oak's offices will be closed on Monday, October 9th. We hope you have an amazing holiday weekend!
Nature Is Bringing Two Spectacular Shows to Central Texas
In October 2023 and April 2024, there will be two solar events that aren’t to be missed. If you’ve never witnessed a solar eclipse then you should certainly make it a point to try to catch one, if not both of these.
In October there will be an annular solar eclipse, which is where the moon is slightly smaller than the sun thus creating a “ring of fire” at the peak of the event. This link provides more info about the October event along with a map of the path. 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 one or both of these, 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 these.
We have free solar eclipse glasses available for pickup for tenants in the properties we manage. If you’d like a pair please contact your property manager to arrange a time to pick some up. We are happy to provide one pair per person listed on the lease.
Emergency Preparedness Events
We’ve made it through the hottest part of summer, but there are still wildfire dangers and seasonal threats like severe storms. The City of Austin is putting on Pop-Up events with very useful information and resources about being prepared. You can find the event calendar here, or their website that provides good information about preparing for emergencies. You can also sign up for emergency alerts here so you will be informed if a disaster may impact you.
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
