What we seek in Northern Virginia renters
In Northern Virginia, Nesbitt Realty likes to work with reasonable tenants. Here are some of the traits we seek out.
- A tenant pays the rent on time every time. This means paying on or before the first, rather than at 5 pm on the 5th.
- A tenant is honest. A tenant does not sneak in a co-renter or pet.
- A tenant is fussy about cleanliness. A tenant does not attract pests like rodents and bugs.
- A tenant does not overwork the property or its systems.
- A renter is courteous and pleasant to get along with. A renter understands the difference between a property manager and a hotel concierge.
- A tenant doesn't annoy neighbors.
- A tenant complains at appropriate times. Renters that don't report maintenance issues cost landlords money and cause head-aches for property managers.
- A tenant doesn't complain when it's not appropriate. This means that a renter doesn't demand to replace functioning systems. A tenant doesn't expect more than the lease provides. A tenant doesn't complain that an appliance doesn't work when the renter doesn't know how to operate the appliance.
- A renter does not smoke in the rental.
- A renter is looking for a rental term that is as long as the property owner wants to rent the rental.
So this is what we're looking for in a tenant, but how do we find renters who measure up to this ideal? Experience has taught us that difficult renters can appear as polite, nicely-dress, well educated people with jobs. We have a nose for sniffing out troublesome renters.
Our Five Step Process
Fair Housing Laws and our conscience dictates that we do not judge applicants in Northern Virginia based upon appearance. Experience has taught us that appearances can be very decieving. We do however assess people based upon their history and their actions. If a applicant is rude to us from the start, they will probably be troublesome as tenants. If a is caught fabricating facts, we will expect them to be dishonest as a renter. If a has difficulty finding certified fundsfor background fees and the first month of rent, we will expect that same potential tenant will have problems while they are in the rental.
But even when every statement initially is promising we still vet every potential tenant with a full background check. Every person and occupant must submit a government-issue photo identification. From there, as property managers we start our vetting process.
How we protect the landlord’s interests in Northern Virginia:
Northern Virginia Property Management Resources
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Basics
Fundamental info regarding rental managment in Northern Virginia.
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Getting Started
Learn more about getting started with rental property management
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Find A Tenant
Market your property to rent to find a dependable tenant in Northern Virginia fast.
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Accounting
How does Nesbitt Realty keep track of income and expenses for property owners?
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Cost
A list of fees associated with rental management services in Northern Virginia
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Vetting
How Nesbitt Realty checks the backgrounds of renters for our clients.
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Reserves
What is a contingency reserve account?
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Territory
Where does Nesbitt Realty manage rental property?
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Clients
Who uses Nesbitt Realty management services?
Landlord Reference
a useful source for rental investors in Northern Virginia
- Before you lease out your rental in Northern Virginia
- Collections and evictions
- Communications with the tenant
- During tenancy
- End of tenancy and what happens when a renter breaks the lease
- How does the owner get paid?
- How your management company handles the association and your community
- How your property management company handles utilities
- How Nesbitt Management finds renters
- Insurance matters for owners using our property management
- How Nesbitt Management handles keys
- Northern Virginia rental investor responsibilities
- Maintenance, repairs & inspections for your rental investment in Northern Virginia
- The move-in inspection
- Property management information form
- Selling a 1031 tax exchange & more
- Starting our management of your rental investment
- When property owners don't yet know their new address
- Vetting tenants in Northern Virginia
More Information About Northern Virginia
Our recommendation
After the background check is reviewed we make a recommendation to the owner based upon our experience as property managers in Northern Virginia and the information that we have verified. Ultimately the landlord decides if the risk is worth taking, but they make that decision based upon facts and our expert advice.
Do you need understand more about the community?
Our Guide to Real Estate is a handy tool for anyone who needs to learn more about Northern Virginia and nearby communities. The Guide to Real Estate has information about what has sold and what is currently listed, and a couple of surprising facts that you may not be aware of. Also, our Guide spotlights some elements of life in Northern Virginia. Of course, most of this is useful for purchasers and sellers, but owners and tenants should also find these resources to be very enlightening.
Our Broker Will Nesbitt

"I am by nature a trusting person, but this business has taught me to verify every statement that a tenant makes. Scammers and bad tenants can sometimes give every appearance of being trustworthy and upright people. We never cut corners on background checks." ~ Will Nesbitt
Julie Nesbitt

I like tenants that pay on time. Late paying tenants cause extra work and unnecessary stress for landlords and property managers. ~ Julie Nesbitt