What we seek in Northern Virginia tenants
In Northern Virginia, our management staff prefers to work with good renters. Here are a few 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 has integrity. A renter does not sneak in a co-renter or pet.
- A renter is neat. A tenant does not bring pests like rodents and bugs.
- A renter does not misuse the home.
- A tenant is courteous and nice to get along with. A renter knows the difference between a property manager and a hotel concierge.
- A tenant doesn't annoy neighbors.
- A renter reports problems at appropriate times. Renters that don't report maintenance issues cost property owners money and cause problems for property managers.
- A tenant doesn't gripe when it's not appropriate. This means that a tenant doesn't demand 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 renter does not smoke in the property.
- A renter is looking for a lease that is as long as the landlord wants to rent the rental.
So this is what we're looking for in a renter, but how do we find renters who measure up to this standard? Experience has taught us that bad tenants can appear as polite, nicely-dress, well educated people with jobs. We have a nose for sniffing out tardy 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 renters based upon their history and their actions. If a applicant is difficult with our managers from the start, they will probably be trying as renters. If a makes false statements, we will expect them to be dishonest as a tenant. If a has difficulty finding money for background fees and the first month of rent, we will expect that same potential tenant will have troubles during the lease.
But even if every appearance initially is promising we still check the background of every potential renter 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
Fundamental info about what 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 great tenant 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
A breakdown of fees associated with rental management services in Northern Virginia
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Vetting
How Nesbitt Realty checks the backgrounds of renters for property owners.
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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 handy reference for rental investors in Northern Virginia
- Before you move a tenant into your property in Northern Virginia
- Collections and evictions
- Communications with the tenant
- During tenancy
- 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 property manager handles utilities
- How Nesbitt Management finds renters
- Insurance matters for property owners using our rental management
- How Nesbitt Management handles keys
- Northern Virginia rental investor 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 property 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 which 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.
Do you need understand more about the area?
Nesbitt Realty's Guide to Real Estate is a free resource for everyone who wants to learn more about Northern Virginia and neighboring communities. The Guide to Real Estate includes information about what has sold and what is currently listed, as well as some surprising facts that you may not be aware of. Furthermore, our Guide features some fundamentals of residing in Northern Virginia. As a matter of course, most of this is useful for purchasers and sellers, but owners and renters will likely also find this information to be somewhat informative.
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