What we seek in Northern Virginia tenants
In Northern Virginia, our management staff wants to deal with reasonable tenants. Here are some of the traits we look for.
- A renter 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 reasonably clean. A renter does not bring pests such as rodents and bugs.
- A tenant does not damage the property or its systems.
- A renter is courteous and pleasant to get along with. A tenant understands the difference between a property manager and a hotel concierge.
- A renter doesn't bother neighbors.
- A renter reports problems at appropriate times. Renters that don't report maintenance issues cost property owners money and cause issues for property managers.
- A tenant doesn't complain when it's not appropriate. This means that a renter doesn't ask 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 renter does not smoke in the property.
- A renter is looking for a rental term that is as long as the real estate investor wants to rent the property.
So this is what we're looking for in a renter, but how do we find renters who live up to this standard? Experience has taught us that troublesome tenants can appear as polite, nicely-dress, well educated people with jobs. We have a nose for sniffing out unreasonable 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 assess potential tenants based upon their track record and their actions. If a applicant is difficult with our managers at the beginning, they will probably be rude as tenants. If a lies, we will expect them to be unreliable as a renter. If a has difficulty scrounging up certified fundsfor background fees and the first month of rent, we will expect that same potential renter will have troubles while they are in the rental.
But even when every action initially is good we still vet every potential tenant with a full background check. Every person and occupant must submit a government-issue photo identification. From there, as rental 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 information about what 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
Market your property to rent to find a dependable renter 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 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 rental property?
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Clients
Who uses Nesbitt Realty management services?
Landlord Reference
a good source for rental investors in Northern Virginia
- Before you put a renter in your property in Northern Virginia
- Collections and evictions
- Communications with the tenant
- During tenancy
- End of tenancy and what happens when a renter breaks the lease
- How does the property owner get paid?
- How your property management company handles the association and your community
- How your property manager handles utilities
- How Nesbitt Management finds tenants
- Insurance matters for owners using our property management
- How Nesbitt Management handles keys
- Northern Virginia landlord responsibilities
- Maintenance, repairs & inspections for your rental property in Northern Virginia
- The move-in inspection
- Property management information form
- Selling a 1031 tax exchange & more
- Starting our management of your rental investment
- When 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 complete we make a recommendation to the property owner based upon our experience as rental managers in Northern Virginia and the information which 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 need know more about this community?
Nesbitt Realty's Guide to Real Estate is a handy tool for anyone who hopes to investigate real estate facts about Northern Virginia and surrounding communities. The Guide to Real Estate has facts about what has sold and what is on the market, as well as many surprising facts that you may not be aware of. And, our Guide spotlights quite a few of the fundamentals of residing in Northern Virginia. Yes, most of this is useful for purchasers and sellers, but rental investors and tenants might 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