What we seek in Northern Virginia tenants
In Northern Virginia, Nesbitt Realty prefers to work with reasonable tenants. Here are a few of the traits we expect.
- A tenant pays the rent when due every time. This means paying on or before the first, rather than at 5 pm on the 5th.
- A renter is honest. A tenant does not sneak in a co-tenant or pet.
- A tenant is fastidious. A tenant does not bring pests such as rodents and bugs.
- A tenant does not misuse the property or its systems.
- A tenant is courteous and nice to get along with. A tenant understands the difference between a property manager and a hotel concierge.
- A tenant doesn't disturb neighbors.
- A tenant reports problems when appropriate. Renters that don't report maintenance issues cost landlords 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 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 renter doesn't know how to operate the appliance.
- A renter does not smoke in the property.
- A tenant is looking for a lease that is as long as the property owner wants to rent the property.
So this is what we're looking for in a renter, but how do we find tenants 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 tardy renters.
Our Five Step Process
Fair Housing Laws and our conscience dictates that we do not judge applicants in Northern Virginia based upon appearance. Experience has taught us that appearances can be very decieving. We do however assess potential renters based upon their reputation and their actions. If a applicant is rude to our managers from the beginning, they will probably be troublesome as renters. If a lies, we can expect them to be dishonest as a tenant. If a has a problem finding certified fundsfor background fees and the first month of rent, we can expect that same applicant will have problems while they are in the rental.
But even when every appearance initially is good we still vet each applicant with a complete background check. Every potential renter 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
Basics
Elementary info about what management services 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 dependable tenant in Northern Virginia fast.
Accounting
How does Nesbitt Realty keep track of income and expenses for property owners?
Cost
A breakdown of fees associated with rental 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 good source for rental investors in Northern Virginia
- Before you lease out your investment in Northern Virginia
- Collections and evictions
- Communications with the renter
- During the lease term
- End of lease term and what happens when a renter breaks the lease
- How does the landlord get paid?
- How your rental manager handles the association and your community
- How your rental manager handles utilities
- How Nesbitt Management finds renters
- Insurance matters for owners 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 tenants in Northern Virginia
More Information About Northern Virginia
Our recommendation
After the background check is reviewed we make a recommendation to the landlord based upon our experience as property managers in Northern Virginia and the information that 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 know more about this local real estate market?
Our Guide to Real Estate is a helpful resource for everyone who wants to find out more about Northern Virginia and surrounding areas. The Guide to Real Estate includes information regarding what has sold and what is on the market, and many surprising facts that you might not know. In addition, our Guide has many of the fundamentals of living in Northern Virginia. Of course, most of this is interesting for purchasers and sellers, but landlords and renters may also find this information to be very 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