What we seek in Northern Virginia renters
In Northern Virginia, our team wants to deal with reasonable tenants. Here are some of the traits we look for.
- A renter pays the rent when due every month. This means paying on or before the first, rather than at 5 pm on the 5th.
- A tenant has integrity. A tenant does not sneak in a co-renter or pet.
- A tenant is fussy about cleanliness. A renter does not bring pests like rodents and bugs.
- A renter does not misuse the property or its systems.
- A tenant is courteous and easy to work with. A renter understands the difference between a property manager and a hotel concierge.
- A tenant doesn't disturb neighbors.
- A tenant complains when appropriate. Renters that don't report maintenance issues cost landlords money and cause issues for property managers.
- A renter doesn't gripe when it's not appropriate. This means that a tenant doesn't demand to upgrade 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 tenant doesn't know how to operate the appliance.
- A renter does not smoke in the rental.
- A renter is looking for a lease that is as long as the owner wants to rent the home.
So this is what we're looking for in a renter, but how do we find tenants who measure up to this standard? Experience has taught us that unreasonable tenants can appear as polite, nicely-dress, well educated people with jobs. We have a knack for sniffing out bad renters.
Our Five Step Process
Fair Housing Laws and our conscience dictates that we do not judge potential renters in Northern Virginia based upon appearance. Experience has taught us that appearances can be very decieving. We do however judge applicants based upon their reputation and their actions. If a applicant is difficult with us from the outset, they will probably be troublesome as renters. If a is caught fabricating facts, we will expect them to be dishonest as a tenant. If a has troubles finding certified fundsfor background fees and the first month of rent, we will expect that same potential tenant will have problems during the lease.
But even when every appearance initially is good we still check the background of each person with a full background check. Every potential tenant 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 Rental Management Resources
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Basics
Fundamental information about what management services in Northern Virginia.
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Getting Started
Learn more about getting started with property management
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Find A Tenant
List your property to rent to find a dependable renter in Northern Virginia fast.
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Accounting
How does Nesbitt Realty keep track of income and expenses for landlords?
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Cost
A breakdown of prices of rental management in Northern Virginia
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Vetting
How Nesbitt Realty vets tenants for property owners.
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Reserves
What is a contingency reserve account?
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Territory
Where does Nesbitt Realty manage rentals?
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Clients
Who uses Nesbitt Realty management services?
Landlord Reference
a handy archive for property owners in Northern Virginia
- Before you lease out your rental property in Northern Virginia
- Collections and evictions
- Communications with the renter
- During the lease term
- 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 rental manager handles utilities
- How Nesbitt Management finds tenants
- Insurance matters for landlords using our property management
- How Nesbitt Management handles keys
- Northern Virginia landlord 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 owners don't yet know their new address
- Vetting renters in Northern Virginia
More Information About Northern Virginia
Our recommendation
After the background check is finished we make a recommendation to the property owner based upon our experience as rental managers in Northern Virginia and the information that we have verified. Ultimately the property owner decides if the risk is worth taking, but they make that decision based upon facts and our expert advice.
Do you want understand more about our community?
Our Guide to Real Estate is a free resource for everyone who wants to learn more about Northern Virginia and nearby communities. The Guide to Real Estate provides information regarding what has sold and what is currently listed, as well as a few shocking facts that you may not be aware of. And, our Guide spotlights some aspects of residing in Northern Virginia. As a matter of course, all of this is useful for buyers and sellers, but rental investors and renters will probably also find these tools to be very sobering.
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