What we seek in Northern Virginia renters
In Northern Virginia, Nesbitt Realty wants to work with reasonable renters. 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 renter is trustworthy. A renter does not sneak in a co-tenant or pet.
- A tenant is fastidious. A tenant does not bring pests like rodents and bugs.
- A tenant does not damage systems.
- 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 tenant reports problems at appropriate times. tenants that don't report maintenance issues cost real estate investors money and cause issues for property managers.
- A tenant doesn't complain when it's not appropriate. This means that a renter doesn't demand to upgrade 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 property.
- A tenant is looking for a lease that is as long as the real estate investor wants to rent the property.
So this is what we're looking for in a tenant, but how do we find renters who live up to this ideal? Experience has taught us that tardy renters can appear as polite, nicely-dress, well educated people with jobs. We have a knack for sniffing out bad renters.
Our Five Step Process
Fair Housing Laws and our conscience dictates that we do not judge people in Northern Virginia based upon appearance. Experience has taught us that appearances can be very decieving. We do however judge people based upon their track record and their actions. If a applicant is difficult with our managers from the outset, they will probably be difficult as renters. If a is caught fabricating facts, we will expect them to be dishonest as a tenant. If a has troubles scrounging up certified fundsfor background fees and the first month of rent, we will expect that same applicant will have difficulty while they are in the rental.
But even when every action initially is good we still vet each applicant with a complete background check. Every applicant 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 Rental Management Resources
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Basics
Elementary info about what property management in Northern Virginia.
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Getting Started
Learn more about getting started with 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 prices of rental management in Northern Virginia
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Vetting
How Nesbitt Realty checks the backgrounds of 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 rentals?
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Clients
Who uses Nesbitt Realty management services?
Landlord Reference
a handy reference for rental investors in Northern Virginia
- Before you lease out your rental 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 landlord get paid?
- How your property management company handles the association and your community
- How your rental manager handles utilities
- How Nesbitt Management finds renters
- Insurance matters for rental investors using our rental management
- How Nesbitt Management handles keys
- Northern Virginia property owner 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 property
- When property owners don't yet know their new address
- Vetting tenants 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 property 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 this local real estate market?
Our Guide to Real Estate is a handy resource for anyone who wants to learn more about Northern Virginia and nearby communities. The Guide to Real Estate includes information regarding what has sold and what is on the market, as well as many surprising facts that you might not know. Also, our Guide spotlights some assets of living in Northern Virginia. Of course, all of this is interesting for buyers and sellers, but owners and renters may also find these resources to be very sobering.
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
