What we seek in Northern Virginia renters
In Northern Virginia, our management staff wants to deal with dependable tenants. Here are some of the traits we look for.
- 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 has integrity. 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 pleasant to work with. A renter understands the difference between a property manager and a hotel concierge.
- A tenant doesn't bother neighbors.
- A tenant complains at appropriate times. tenants that don't report maintenance issues cost real estate investors money and cause problems for property managers.
- A renter doesn't complain when it's not appropriate. This means that a renter doesn't ask 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 tenant does not smoke in the rental.
- A tenant is looking for a lease that is as long as the property owner wants to rent the rental.
So this is what we're looking for in a tenant, but how do we find renters who measure up to this standard? 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 difficult renters.
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 judge potential tenants based upon their track record and their actions. If a applicant is rude to us at the beginning, they will probably be rude as renters. If a makes false statements, we will expect them to be untrustworthy as a renter. If a has a problem producing fundsfor background fees and the first month of rent, we can expect that same applicant will have problems during the lease.
But even if every action initially is good we still vet each applicant with a complete background check. Every person 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
Basic information regarding management services in Northern Virginia.
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Getting Started
Learn more about getting started with property management
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Find A Tenant
List your property to rent to find a reliable renter 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 property 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 rental investments?
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Clients
Who uses Nesbitt Realty management services?
Landlord Reference
a handy reference for property owners in Northern Virginia
- Before you rent out your rental property in Northern Virginia
- Collections and evictions
- Communications with the renter
- During tenancy
- End of lease term and what happens when a renter breaks the lease
- How does the rental investor get paid?
- How your management company handles the association and your community
- How your property management company handles utilities
- How Nesbitt Management finds tenants
- Insurance matters for landlords using our property 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 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 real estate investor 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 our area?
Our Guide to Real Estate is a handy resource for anyone who hopes to investigate real estate facts about Northern Virginia and neighboring communities. The Guide to Real Estate includes information regarding what has sold and what is on the market, and a couple of interesting facts that you may not know. Also, our Guide features some benefits of life in Northern Virginia. Definitely, all of this is useful for purchasers and sellers, but landlords and tenants may also find these resources 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
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