What we look for in Northern Virginia tenants
In Northern Virginia, Nesbitt Realty prefers to work with good tenants. Here are some of the traits we seek out.
- A renter pays the rent on time every month. This means paying on or before the first, rather than at 5 pm on the 5th.
- A renter has integrity. A renter does not sneak in a co-tenant or pet.
- A tenant is fastidious. A renter does not attract pests like rodents and bugs.
- A renter does not overwork the property or its systems.
- A tenant is courteous and easy to get along with. A tenant understands the difference between a property manager and a hotel concierge.
- A tenant doesn't bother neighbors.
- A renter reports problems when appropriate. tenants that don't report maintenance issues cost real estate investors money and cause head-aches for property managers.
- A renter 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 renter 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 home.
- A tenant is looking for a rental term that is as long as the real estate investor wants to rent the rental.
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 troublesome tenants can appear as polite, nicely-dress, well educated people with jobs. We have a knack for sniffing out difficult 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 potential tenants based upon their history and their actions. If a applicant is difficult with our managers at the outset, they will probably be troublesome as tenants. If a makes false statements, we will expect them to be untrustworthy as a tenant. If a has troubles scrounging up money for background fees and the first month of rent, we can expect that same applicant will have problems during the lease.
But even when every appearance initially is promising we still check the background of each applicant with a complete 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
Elementary information 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
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 list of fees associated with property management services in Northern Virginia
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Vetting
How Nesbitt Realty vets tenants 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 investments?
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Clients
Who uses Nesbitt Realty management services?
Landlord Reference
a useful archive for property owners in Northern Virginia
- Before you put a renter in 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 tenant breaks the lease
- How does the property 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 rental investors 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 property
- 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 complete we make a recommendation to the property owner based upon our experience as rental managers in Northern Virginia and the information which 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 know more about this community?
Nesbitt Realty's Guide to Real Estate is a handy resource for anyone who wants to learn more about Northern Virginia and nearby areas. The Guide to Real Estate includes data regarding what has sold and what is on the market, and a couple of shocking facts that you might not be aware of. Not to mention, our Guide highlights quite a few of the aspects of life in Northern Virginia. Certainly, most of this is helpful for purchasers and sellers, but property owners and tenants may also find this data to be quite 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