What we seek in Northern Virginia renters
In Northern Virginia, our team wants to work with reliable tenants. Here are a few of the traits we seek out.
- A tenant pays the rent when due every month. This means paying on or before the first, rather than at 5 pm on the 5th.
- A tenant has integrity. A renter does not sneak in a co-renter or pet.
- A renter is neat. A renter does not attract pests like rodents and bugs.
- A renter does not overwork the property or its systems.
- A renter is courteous and nice to get along with. A renter understands the difference between a property manager and a hotel concierge.
- A renter doesn't bother neighbors.
- A tenant reports problems at appropriate times. Renters that don't report maintenance issues cost landlords money and cause head-aches 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 home.
- A tenant 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 standard? Experience has taught us that troublesome renters can appear as polite, nicely-dress, well educated people with jobs. We have a knack for sniffing out difficult tenants.
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 people based upon their track record and their actions. If a applicant is difficult with us at the start, they will probably be troublesome as renters. If a is caught fabricating facts, we will expect them to be dishonest as a tenant. If a has difficulty finding fundsfor background fees and the first month of rent, we can expect that same potential tenant will have troubles while they are in the rental.
But even when every action initially is promising we still check the background of each applicant with a complete background check. Every applicant 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
Fundamental 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 reliable tenant in Northern Virginia fast.
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Accounting
How does Nesbitt Realty keep track of income and expenses for real estate investors?
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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 vets renters for our clients.
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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 archive for property owners in Northern Virginia
- Before you lease out your rental 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 owner get paid?
- How your rental manager handles the association and your community
- How your property management company handles utilities
- How Nesbitt Management finds tenants
- Insurance matters for owners using our rental management
- How Nesbitt Management handles keys
- Northern Virginia owner 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 rental property
- 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 landlord based upon our experience as rental managers in Northern Virginia and the information that 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 need know more about this area?
Our Guide to Real Estate is a free resource for anyone who hopes to learn more about Northern Virginia and nearby areas. The Guide to Real Estate compiles information about what has sold and what is on the market, and a few compelling facts that you might not be aware of. And, our Guide highlights quite a few of the aspects of residing in Northern Virginia. As a matter of course, most of this is useful for buyers and sellers, but real estate investors and renters will also find this information 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