What we look for in Northern Virginia tenants
In Northern Virginia, our team wants to work with reasonable renters. Here are some of the traits we seek out.
- A tenant pays the rent on time every time. This means paying on or before the first, rather than at 5 pm on the 5th.
- A tenant has integrity. A tenant does not sneak in a co-tenant or pet.
- A renter is neat. A tenant does not bring pests like rodents and bugs.
- A tenant does not break systems.
- A tenant is courteous and pleasant to work with. A renter knows the difference between a property manager and a hotel concierge.
- A renter doesn't annoy neighbors.
- A renter complains at appropriate times. Renters that don't report maintenance issues cost real estate investors money and cause issues for property managers.
- A renter doesn't gripe when it's not appropriate. This means that a renter doesn't ask to replace functioning systems. A renter 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 property.
- A tenant is looking for a lease that is as long as the owner wants to rent the property.
So this is what we're looking for in a renter, but how do we find renters who live up to this ideal? Experience has taught us that difficult tenants can appear as polite, nicely-dress, well educated people with jobs. We have a nose for sniffing out unreasonable 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 judge potential renters based upon their track record and their actions. If a applicant is difficult with us from the outset, they will probably be trying as renters. If a makes false statements, we will expect them to be unreliable as a renter. If a has difficulty producing certified fundsfor 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 good we still check the background of each applicant with a complete background check. Every potential renter 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 Rental Management Resources
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Basics
Elementary info 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 reliable 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 list of fees associated with rental management 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 property?
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Clients
Who uses Nesbitt Realty management services?
Landlord Reference
a useful archive for rental investors in Northern Virginia
- Before you put a renter in your property 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 rental investor get paid?
- How your property management company handles the association and your community
- How your property manager handles utilities
- How Nesbitt Management finds tenants
- Insurance matters for rental investors using our rental management
- How Nesbitt Management handles keys
- Northern Virginia rental investor 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 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 property owner decides if the risk is worth taking, but they make that decision based upon facts and our expert advice.
Should you know more about our local real estate market?
Nesbitt Realty's Guide to Real Estate is a handy tool for everyone who wants to learn more about Northern Virginia and neighboring areas. The Guide to Real Estate has information about what has sold and what is currently listed, as well as some interesting facts that you might not be aware of. Not to mention, our Guide features many of the benefits of life in Northern Virginia. As might be expected, most of this is useful for buyers and sellers, but landlords and renters may also find these tools to be somewhat 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
