What we look for in Northern Virginia renters
In Northern Virginia, Nesbitt Realty prefers to work with reasonable renters. Here are some of the traits we look for.
- A tenant 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 is trustworthy. A renter does not sneak in a co-tenant or pet.
- A renter is reasonably clean. A renter does not bring pests such as rodents and bugs.
- A tenant does not break systems.
- A tenant is courteous and pleasant to get along with. A tenant understands the difference between a property manager and a hotel concierge.
- A tenant doesn't annoy neighbors.
- A tenant complains at appropriate times. tenants that don't report maintenance issues cost real estate investors money and cause problems for property managers.
- A renter doesn't gripe when it's not appropriate. This means that a tenant doesn't ask 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 tenant doesn't know how to operate the appliance.
- A tenant does not smoke in the rental.
- A renter is looking for a rental term that is as long as the owner wants to rent the property.
So this is what we're looking for in a tenant, but how do we find tenants who live up to this ideal? Experience has taught us that unreasonable renters can appear as polite, nicely-dress, well educated people with jobs. We have a knack for sniffing out difficult tenants.
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 assess potential tenants based upon their reputation and their actions. If a applicant is rude to our managers at the beginning, they will probably be troublesome as tenants. If a is dishonest, we can expect them to be untrustworthy as a tenant. If a has a problem finding money for background fees and the first month of rent, we can expect that same applicant will have difficulty during the lease.
But even when every statement initially is promising we still vet every potential tenant with a complete background check. Every applicant and occupant must provide a government-issue photo identification. From there, as rental 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
Basic info regarding property management 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 great tenant in Northern Virginia fast.
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Accounting
How does Nesbitt Realty keep track of income and expenses for real estate investors?
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Cost
A breakdown of prices of property management services in Northern Virginia
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Vetting
How Nesbitt Realty vets renters for landlords.
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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 free source for landlords in Northern Virginia
- Before you rent out your rental property in Northern Virginia
- Collections and evictions
- Communications with the tenant
- During the lease term
- End of lease term and what happens when a tenant breaks the lease
- How does the rental investor get paid?
- How your property manager handles the association and your community
- How your property management company handles utilities
- How Nesbitt Management finds renters
- Insurance matters for property owners using our rental management
- How Nesbitt Management handles keys
- Northern Virginia landlord responsibilities
- Maintenance, repairs & inspections for your rental property 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 tenants in Northern Virginia
More Information About Northern Virginia
Our recommendation
After the background check is reviewed we make a recommendation to the property owner based upon our experience as property managers in Northern Virginia and the information that we have verified. Ultimately the real estate investor decides if the risk is worth taking, but they make that decision based upon facts and our expert advice.
Should you understand more about this local real estate market?
Nesbitt Realty's Guide to Real Estate is a handy resource for everyone who hopes to investigate real estate facts about Northern Virginia and nearby areas. The Guide to Real Estate has facts about what has sold and what is currently listed, and some shocking facts that you may not be aware of. Also, our Guide spotlights some fundamentals of life in Northern Virginia. Definitely, most of this is useful for purchasers and sellers, but owners and tenants will likely also find these resources to be somewhat 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