If you’re an individual who rents in Austin, Texas, and owns a pet you’ve probably been asked “What breed?”, when looking for a new place to rent. It’s not that property managers or apartment communities hate dogs or animals, it’s that for the safety of others there are certain animals who are generally considered unsafe. If a dangerous animal isn’t allowed in an area there is a far less likely chance there will be an attack. Pretty simple stuff really.

There are a couple of reasons your dog/pet may be denied when applying for a residency somewhere. First, some municipalities and regions have enacted breed-specific rules banning certain breeds from even entering certain cities. The second reason could be that insurance companies have identified that breed as dangerous ultimately barring the insured from accepting your pet. Another reason your breed may be banned is that the landlord/community has the ultimate say in what pets are allowed in their complex.

Common Restricted Breeds

Curious if your Austin landlord will accept your dog? Below are some of the common breeds that find themselves near the top of the 'bad' list.

• Pit bulls
• Rottweilers
• Alaskan Mal...

As one of the more well-known areas of Austin, Texas, Barton Hills is a community that boasts a love for nature and the outdoors.

Some of the biggest attractions in the area are greater Austin staples. In the photo below you get a glimpse of Barton Springs and the type of foot traffic it can experience on one of those Texas’ summer days. Not even that, the spring is a year round attraction with the temperature a steady 68-74°F. Don’t mind a dip in the spring in the winter months? The spring offers free admission from November thru March!

The next big thing Barton Hills offers residents of Austin is Zilker Park! If you own a dog, have a friend who owns a dog, or are just fans of dogs in general you’ve probably been to Zilker Park. Zilker marks the beginning of the several miles of lush green belt that run through Barton Hills. It’s pretty important to state that Zilker Park also hosts Austin’s annual Austin City Limits...

Like anything in life, the things that are worth it are worth the work. You may own rental properties and real estate may be your passion so you don’t have any issues with dedicating the time and effort to try on all the different hats required to run a profitable rental portfolio. If you’re one of the many owners who doesn’t have this kind of time or if your portfolio is so large keeping up with everything would be impossible then deciding to partner with a professional property manager, like Stone Oak Management.

A great property management company dedicates 100% of its time to ensuring your property performs as well as it should. Effective and data-driven marketing of upcoming and vacant properties as well as thorough screening by Stone Oak ensures your property spends fewer days on the market and more days with a rent-paying tenant occupying the residence. We use professionally structured leases that establish guidelines that protect you as a landlord if there is ever a conflict with a tenant.

The lifeline of your property is the tenants and the rental income the produce for you. For this reason, renewals are an owner’s best friend. As Austin’s most responsive property management team, we make it our go...

How to Find Renters

This may be a common question if you own rental properties, even more so if you self-manage those properties. So, how do you find tenants for your properties? Partnering with a property management company can be a wise move, especially in a market like Austin’s. I’m sure if you do have a property manager you probably quizzed them on their marketing efforts and what they do to find tenants for your property when you first signed up.

We’ll try our hand at guessing the usual spiel – We use our website, we list in on the MLS, we syndicate out to all the major sites, etc. Most managers stop there, trying to put as many lines in the water as they can until they get a bite. A decent approach until the every avenue is exhausted and overcrowded with competition. Stone Oak Property Management is different. In a world where 2.5 quintillion bytes of data are created every single day, Stone Oak recognized there has to be a piece of pie somewhere in there for property managers and rental home owners. Our Austin property management team now partners with several information partners allowing us more direct avenues to the end consumer - rent-paying, high quality tenants.

9 Tips to Improve Your Rental Property

System - Thursday, September 28, 2017

A common theme with rental properties is that individuals don’t consider them as home-y as your owning their own home.

Of course, when you live in one location year after year you’ll grow accustomed to it and consider that home. So what do you do when own a rental home and you want your tenants to feel at home during their lease? Here are 9 tips to make your rental feel more like home for your tenants.

Add Smart Home Technology

Adding trendy tech and helpful gadgets can go a long way with tenant satisfaction. You can install digital thermostats to save them money, Google Home or Amazon Alexa’s to give your tenants their own personal assistant in their home, you could install smart locks – something that feels like a complete upgrade for the tenant.

Install a Bar

No, you don’t have to keep it stocked with alcohol. A bar in a house allows your tenants to have a great place for them and their guests to gather around. A bar has plenty of uses in a home!

Add a Backsplash to the Kitchen

Judging appeal alone, a kitchen looks much better and can be better received by guests when it features a fitting backsplash. Installation can be easy and you can have your tenant&...

According to the National Association of Realtors, within the next 7 years 5 to 6 million new renter households will be created. Americans are in no rush to buy it seems. Despite the access to funds in our economy to purchase such an asset most renters are staying put. The infographic below sheds light on the recent change in attitudes toward buying v. renting.

Just because you don’t own the home you’re currently living in doesn’t mean you have no control over your home’s energy use!

Here are some quick tips to increase your efficiency and minimize your carbon footprint. Allowing you to save money on your monthly bills!

Install a Programmable Thermostat

Using a programmable thermostat to take control of your heat and cooling levels will lower your monthly costs and energy use. A good one can be purchase for around ~$35 and installed in no time!

DIY: Install a Programmable Thermostat

Install Gaskets to Prevent Leaks

Put your hand next to the outlets in your home. Can you feel air flowing through? If so you should consider installing these gaskets to prevent heat and cooling loss when it’s most important!

DIY: Insulate Outlets & Switches

Seal Windows and Doors

It’s pretty likely your rental features single pane windows and these usually are affected by old or missing caulk. You can combat these types of airleaks by insuring you’ve re-caulked and sealed any windows or doors that may need some attention!

Power Strips

If you’re like most, you just lea...

Preparing Your Home for the Cooler Season

As the end of the year approaches so does the cooler weather of the later months. Another summer of Texas heat has almost been defeated by all of us here in Central Texas. As this cooler weather approaches keep these tips in mind to prepare your home for the cooler season.

Your HVAC system

Most homes in Texas center around forced-air systems for both their cooling and heating. If you’re not properly maintaining this equipment it can have a big effect on how efficiently your home’s HVAC equipment performs. Additionally, understanding how well your home holds its heat can help you save with a programmable thermostat.

Replacing Your Air Filter

Clogged air filters can restrict the air flow of your heating system, but also reduce the system’s efficiency and lifespan. Disposable air filters are more likely to buckle when they become clogged and can wind up circulating all the dust and dirt it’s collected back into your home.

To be on the safe side be sure to change your air filter every three months.

Cleaning and Maintaining Your Furnace

Dust, dirt and other debris tend to collect around your furnace’s blower compartments if your system is leaky or clogged. An inspection can be performed by turning off both the thermostat and system’s breaker on your main fuse box.

Once you’re in ...

As dedicated Austin property managers..