What we look for in Northern Virginia renters
In Northern Virginia, our management staff likes to deal with dependable renters. Here are a few of the traits we expect.
- A tenant pays the rent on time 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-renter or pet.
- A renter is neat. A tenant does not attract pests such as rodents and bugs.
- A tenant does not overwork systems.
- A renter is courteous and easy to get along with. A renter understands the difference between a property manager and a hotel concierge.
- A renter doesn't annoy neighbors.
- A tenant complains at appropriate times. Renters that don't report maintenance issues cost landlords money and cause problems for property managers.
- A tenant doesn't complain when it's not appropriate. This means that a tenant doesn't ask to replace functioning systems. A renter doesn't expect more than the lease provides. A renter doesn't complain that an appliance doesn't work when the renter doesn't know how to operate the appliance.
- A renter does not smoke in the property.
- A renter is looking for a rental term that is as long as the landlord wants to rent the home.
So this is what we're looking for in a tenant, but how do we find tenants who live up to this standard? Experience has taught us that tardy tenants can appear as polite, nicely-dress, well educated people with jobs. We have a knack for sniffing out troublesome 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 applicants based upon their history and their actions. If a applicant is difficult with us from the start, they will probably be troublesome as tenants. If a makes false statements, we will expect them to be untrustworthy as a tenant. If a has troubles finding certified fundsfor background fees and the first month of rent, we can expect that same applicant will have troubles during the lease.
But even when every statement initially is promising we still check the background of every applicant with a full 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
Basics
Basic information regarding property management in Northern Virginia.
Getting Started
Learn more about getting started with rental property management
Find A Tenant
Market your property to rent to find a reliable tenant in Northern Virginia fast.
Accounting
How does Nesbitt Realty keep track of income and expenses for real estate investors?
Cost
A breakdown of prices of property management services in Northern Virginia
Vetting
How Nesbitt Realty vets renters for our clients.
Reserves
What is a contingency reserve account?
Territory
Where does Nesbitt Realty manage rentals?
Clients
Who uses Nesbitt Realty management services?
Landlord Reference
a free source for landlords in Northern Virginia
- Before you lease out your investment 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 landlord get paid?
- How your management company handles the association and your community
- How your management company handles utilities
- How Nesbitt Management finds renters
- Insurance matters for landlords using our rental management
- How Nesbitt Management handles keys
- Northern Virginia rental investor 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 finished we make a recommendation to the owner based upon our experience as property managers in Northern Virginia and the information that we have verified. Ultimately the landlord 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 the community?
Nesbitt Realty's Guide to Real Estate is a handy tool for anyone who needs to learn more about Northern Virginia and neighboring communities. The Guide to Real Estate provides facts about what has sold and what is currently listed, as well as a few compelling facts that you might not know. Not to mention, our Guide spotlights many of the assets of residing in Northern Virginia. Naturally, all of this is helpful for buyers and sellers, but landlords and renters will likely also find these resources to be quite eye-opening.
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