Vetting Tenants — How we protect the landlord’s interests.

What we look for in Arlington Ridge renters

In Arlington Ridge, Nesbitt Realty wants to deal with reliable tenants. Here are a few of the traits we expect.

  1. A renter pays the rent on time every time. This means paying on or before the first, rather than at 5 pm on the 5th.
  2. A renter has integrity. A tenant does not sneak in a co-renter or pet.
  3. A tenant is reasonably clean. A renter does not bring pests such as rodents and bugs.
  4. A tenant does not damage the property or its systems.
  5. A renter is courteous and easy to work with. A renter understands the difference between a property manager and a hotel concierge.
  6. A renter doesn't annoy neighbors.
  7. A tenant complains when appropriate. tenants that don't report maintenance issues cost property owners money and cause head-aches for property managers.
  8. A renter doesn't complain when it's not appropriate. This means that a tenant doesn't ask to replace 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.
  9. A renter does not smoke in the rental.
  10. A tenant 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 tenant, but how do we find tenants who live up to this ideal? 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 Arlington Ridge based upon appearance.  Experience has taught us that appearances can be very decieving. We do however assess potential tenants based upon their history and their actions. If a applicant is difficult with us at the beginning, they will probably be troublesome as renters. If a is dishonest, we can expect them to be untrustworthy as a renter.  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 difficulty during the lease.

But even if every statement initially is good we still vet each 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 Arlington Ridge:Nesbitt Realty is committed to Fair Housing

  1. We Check The Applicant’s Credit History
  2. We Investigate The Applicant’s Criminal History
  3. We Investigate The Applicant’s Rental History
  4. We Look For Internal Consistency In The Rental Application
  5. We Want To Know If The Applicant Can Afford The Rent

Arlington Ridge Property Management Resources

Our recommendation

After the background check is complete we make a recommendation to the property owner based upon our experience as rental managers in Arlington Ridge and the information that 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 want understand more about this area?

Our Guide to Real Estate is a helpful tool for anyone who needs to learn more about Arlington Ridge and nearby areas.  The Guide to Real Estate has data regarding what has sold and what is on the market, and some surprising facts that you might not be aware of.  Furthermore, our Guide has some benefits of living in Arlington Ridge.  As a matter of course, most of this is useful for purchasers and sellers, but rental investors and tenants may also find these tools to be very enlightening.

Our Broker Will Nesbitt

Will and Julie at a Nationals Game
Will & Julie 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

Julie 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