What we look for in Northern Virginia renters
In Northern Virginia, Nesbitt Realty wants to deal with reliable renters. Here are some of the traits we expect.
- A renter pays the rent when due every time. This means paying on or before the first, rather than at 5 pm on the 5th.
- A renter is trustworthy. A renter does not sneak in a co-tenant or pet.
- A tenant is fussy about cleanliness. A renter does not bring pests like rodents and bugs.
- A renter does not damage systems.
- A renter is courteous and pleasant to work with. A renter understands the difference between a property manager and a hotel concierge.
- A tenant doesn't disturb neighbors.
- A renter complains when appropriate. tenants that don't report maintenance issues cost real estate investors money and cause problems for property managers.
- A tenant doesn't complain when it's not appropriate. This means that a tenant doesn't ask to replace 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 tenant is looking for a rental term that is as long as the landlord wants to rent the home.
So this is what we're looking for in a tenant, but how do we find renters who live up to this standard? Experience has taught us that unreasonable renters 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 potential tenants in Northern Virginia based upon appearance. Experience has taught us that appearances can be very decieving. We do however assess applicants based upon their history and their actions. If a applicant is difficult with us from the start, they will probably be rude as renters. If a is dishonest, we can expect them to be untrustworthy as a tenant. If a has difficulty scrounging up certified fundsfor background fees and the first month of rent, we can expect that same potential tenant will have problems while they are in the rental.
But even when every action initially is promising we still check the background of every person 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
Basic information about what rental managment 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 property owners?
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Cost
An overview of fees associated with 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 rentals?
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Clients
Who uses Nesbitt Realty management services?
Landlord Reference
a handy source for landlords in Northern Virginia
- Before you move a tenant into your investment in Northern Virginia
- Collections and evictions
- Communications with the tenant
- During tenancy
- End of tenancy and what happens when a tenant breaks the lease
- How does the property owner get paid?
- How your rental manager handles the association and your community
- How your rental manager handles utilities
- How Nesbitt Management finds renters
- Insurance matters for landlords 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 landlords 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 owner based upon our experience as rental managers in Northern Virginia and the information which we have verified. Ultimately the 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 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 for sale, as well as many interesting facts that you may not know. And, our Guide highlights some assets of life in Northern Virginia. As a matter of course, all of this is useful for purchasers and sellers, but real estate investors and renters may also find this data to be very useful.
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
