What we look for in Northern Virginia renters
In Northern Virginia, our team prefers to work with good tenants. Here are some of the traits we expect.
- A renter pays the rent on time every month. This means paying on or before the first, rather than at 5 pm on the 5th.
- A tenant is honest. A tenant does not sneak in a co-tenant or pet.
- A renter is fastidious. A renter does not attract pests such as rodents and bugs.
- A renter does not destroy the home.
- A renter is courteous and pleasant to work with. A renter understands the difference between a property manager and a hotel concierge.
- A renter doesn't bother neighbors.
- A tenant complains when appropriate. Renters that don't report maintenance issues cost property owners money and cause issues for property managers.
- A tenant doesn't gripe when it's not appropriate. This means that a renter doesn't demand to upgrade functioning systems. A renter 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 renter does not smoke in the property.
- A renter is looking for a lease 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 tenants who live up to this standard? Experience has taught us that unreasonable renters can appear as polite, nicely-dress, well educated people with jobs. We have a nose for sniffing out bad tenants.
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 renters based upon their history and their actions. If a applicant is rude to us at the start, they will probably be rude as tenants. If a is dishonest, we can expect them to be untrustworthy as a renter. If a has a problem finding certified fundsfor background fees and the first month of rent, we can expect that same person will have problems while they are in the rental.
But even when every statement initially is good we still vet every potential renter with a full background check. Every applicant and occupant must provide 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 rental managment in Northern Virginia.
Getting Started
Learn more about getting started with rental property management
Find A Tenant
List your property to rent to find a dependable renter in Northern Virginia fast.
Accounting
How does Nesbitt Realty keep track of income and expenses for landlords?
Cost
A breakdown of prices of rental management services in Northern Virginia
Vetting
How Nesbitt Realty checks the backgrounds of renters for landlords.
Reserves
What is a contingency reserve account?
Territory
Where does Nesbitt Realty manage rental investments?
Clients
Who uses Nesbitt Realty management services?
Landlord Reference
a handy reference for property owners in Northern Virginia
- Before you rent out your investment in Northern Virginia
- Collections and evictions
- Communications with the tenant
- During tenancy
- End of tenancy and what happens when a tenant breaks the lease
- How does the owner get paid?
- How your management company handles the association and your community
- How your property management company handles utilities
- How Nesbitt Management finds renters
- Insurance matters for rental investors using our property management
- How Nesbitt Management handles keys
- Northern Virginia property owner 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 reviewed we make a recommendation to the landlord based upon our experience as property 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 area?
Our Guide to Real Estate is a handy tool for everyone who needs to investigate real estate facts about Northern Virginia and surrounding areas. The Guide to Real Estate compiles data about what has sold and what is for sale, as well as some interesting facts that you may not be aware of. And, our Guide has many of the elements of residing in Northern Virginia. Of course, all of this is interesting for purchasers and sellers, but property owners and renters might also find this data to be very edifying.
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