What we seek in Northern Virginia tenants
In Northern Virginia, our team prefers to work with reliable renters. Here are a few of the traits we seek out.
- A tenant pays the rent on time every month. This means paying on or before the first, rather than at 5 pm on the 5th.
- A tenant is trustworthy. A tenant does not sneak in a co-renter or pet.
- A tenant is fastidious. A renter does not bring pests such as rodents and bugs.
- A tenant does not misuse the property or its systems.
- A tenant is courteous and nice to get along with. A renter knows the difference between a property manager and a hotel concierge.
- A renter doesn't bother 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 complain when it's not appropriate. This means that a renter doesn't demand to upgrade functioning systems. A renter doesn't expect more than the lease provides. A renter doesn't complain that an appliance doesn't work when the renter doesn't know how to operate the appliance.
- A tenant does not smoke in the property.
- A renter is looking for a rental term that is as long as the property owner wants to rent the home.
So this is what we're looking for in a renter, but how do we find renters who measure up to this ideal? Experience has taught us that tardy tenants can appear as polite, nicely-dress, well educated people with jobs. We have a nose for sniffing out bad 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 judge potential renters based upon their track record and their actions. If a applicant is difficult with our staff at the start, they will probably be difficult as tenants. If a makes false statements, we can expect them to be unreliable as a renter. If a has a problem finding fundsfor background fees and the first month of rent, we will expect that same potential tenant will have problems during the lease.
But even if every statement initially is good we still check the background of every applicant with a full background check. Every potential tenant and occupant must provide 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
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 landlords?
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Cost
An overview of prices of property management services in Northern Virginia
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Vetting
How Nesbitt Realty vets tenants for landlords.
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Reserves
What is a contingency reserve account?
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Territory
Where does Nesbitt Realty manage property?
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Clients
Who uses Nesbitt Realty management services?
Landlord Reference
a useful archive for landlords in Northern Virginia
- Before you move a tenant into your property in Northern Virginia
- Collections and evictions
- Communications with the tenant
- During the lease term
- End of tenancy and what happens when a renter breaks the lease
- How does the rental investor get paid?
- How your property manager handles the association and your community
- How your management company handles utilities
- How Nesbitt Management finds renters
- Insurance matters for property owners using our property management
- How Nesbitt Management handles keys
- Northern Virginia landlord responsibilities
- Maintenance, repairs & inspections for your property in Northern Virginia
- The move-in inspection
- Property management information form
- Selling a 1031 tax exchange & more
- Starting our management of your rental
- 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 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 landlord decides if the risk is worth taking, but they make that decision based upon facts and our expert advice.
Do you need know more about the area?
Our Guide to Real Estate is a handy resource for anyone who needs to review important real estate information about Northern Virginia and nearby areas. The Guide to Real Estate provides information regarding what has sold and what is for sale, as well as some interesting facts that you may not be aware of. Also, our Guide spotlights quite a few of the fundamentals of residing in Northern Virginia. As might be expected, most of this is useful for purchasers and sellers, but landlords and tenants will probably also find the facts to be quite edifying.
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