Vetting Tenants — How we protect the landlord’s interests.

In Prince William County, Nesbitt Realty prefers to work with reasonable tenants. Here are some of the traits we seek out.

1. 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.
2. A renter is trustworthy. A renter does not sneak in a co-tenant or pet.
3. A tenant is fussy about cleanliness. A tenant does not attract pests like rodents and bugs.
4. A tenant does not break the property.
5. A renter is courteous and pleasant to get along with. A tenant knows the difference between a property manager and a hotel concierge.
6. A renter doesn't bother neighbors.
7. A tenant reports problems when appropriate. Renters that don't report maintenance issues cost property owners money and cause issues for property managers.
8. A tenant doesn't complain when it's not appropriate. This means that a tenant 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.
9. A tenant does not smoke in the home.
10. A renter is looking for a rental term that is as long as the property owner wants to rent the rental.

So this is what we're looking for in a renter, but how do we find tenants who measure up to this ideal? Experience has taught us that unreasonable renters can appear as polite, nicely-dress, well educated people with jobs. We have a knack for sniffing out difficult tenants.