What we seek in Northern Virginia renters
In Northern Virginia, Nesbitt Realty likes to work with good renters. Here are a few of the traits we look for.
- A tenant pays the rent on time every time. This means paying on or before the first, rather than at 5 pm on the 5th.
- A tenant has integrity. A tenant does not sneak in a co-tenant or pet.
- A renter is reasonably clean. A renter does not attract pests like rodents and bugs.
- A tenant does not destroy 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 tenant doesn't annoy neighbors.
- A tenant reports problems when appropriate. Renters that don't report maintenance issues cost real estate investors money and cause problems for property managers.
- A tenant doesn't gripe when it's not appropriate. This means that a tenant doesn't ask to upgrade 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 renter doesn't know how to operate the appliance.
- A renter does not smoke in the property.
- A tenant is looking for a rental term that is as long as the landlord wants to rent the property.
So this is what we're looking for in a renter, but how do we find renters who measure up to this standard? Experience has taught us that bad 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 tenants 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 history and their actions. If a applicant is difficult with our managers from the beginning, they will probably be troublesome as tenants. If a makes false statements, we can expect them to be unreliable as a tenant. If a has a problem producing money for background fees and the first month of rent, we can expect that same potential renter will have troubles during the lease.
But even when every statement initially is good we still vet each potential tenant with a complete 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
-
Basics
Fundamental info regarding rental managment 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 great tenant in Northern Virginia fast.
-
Accounting
How does Nesbitt Realty keep track of income and expenses for landlords?
-
Cost
An overview of fees associated with rental management in Northern Virginia
-
Vetting
How Nesbitt Realty vets tenants for our clients.
-
Reserves
What is a contingency reserve account?
-
Territory
Where does Nesbitt Realty manage property?
-
Clients
Who uses Nesbitt Realty management services?
Landlord Reference
a useful reference for rental investors in Northern Virginia
- Before you rent out your property in Northern Virginia
- Collections and evictions
- Communications with the renter
- During the lease term
- End of tenancy and what happens when a renter breaks the lease
- How does the property owner get paid?
- How your property manager handles the association and your community
- How your property manager handles utilities
- How Nesbitt Management finds renters
- Insurance matters for landlords using our rental management
- How Nesbitt Management handles keys
- Northern Virginia owner 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 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 landlord based upon our experience as rental managers in Northern Virginia and the information which 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 want know more about the community?
Our Guide to Real Estate is a free resource for anyone who wants to learn more about Northern Virginia and neighboring areas. The Guide to Real Estate provides facts regarding what has sold and what is for sale, as well as many interesting facts that you might not know. Not to mention, our Guide has many of the benefits of residing in Northern Virginia. Naturally, all of this is useful for purchasers and sellers, but property owners and renters will probably also find this data to be somewhat informative.
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