What we look for in Gainesville renters
In Gainesville, Nesbitt Realty prefers to work with good renters. Here are a few of the traits we seek out.
- A tenant 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 tenant does not sneak in a co-tenant or pet.
- A renter is neat. A renter does not bring pests like rodents and bugs.
- A tenant does not damage systems.
- A tenant is courteous and pleasant to work with. A tenant knows the difference between a property manager and a hotel concierge.
- A renter doesn't bother neighbors.
- A renter reports problems when appropriate. Renters that don't report maintenance issues cost landlords money and cause problems for property managers.
- A renter doesn't gripe when it's not appropriate. This means that a renter doesn't ask to replace functioning systems. A renter 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 tenant is looking for a rental term that is as long as the real estate investor wants to rent the home.
So this is what we're looking for in a tenant, but how do we find renters who live up to this standard? Experience has taught us that troublesome 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 Gainesville based upon appearance. Experience has taught us that appearances can be very decieving. We do however judge applicants based upon their track record and their actions. If a applicant is difficult with our managers at the start, they will probably be troublesome as renters. If a is caught fabricating facts, we will expect them to be untrustworthy as a renter. If a has troubles finding fundsfor background fees and the first month of rent, we can expect that same applicant will have problems during the lease.
But even when every statement initially is promising we still check the background of each potential renter with a complete background check. Every potential renter and occupant must provide a government-issue photo identification. From there, as property managers we start our vetting process.
Gainesville Property Management Resources
Basics
Elementary info regarding management services in Gainesville.
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 Gainesville fast.
Accounting
How does Nesbitt Realty keep track of income and expenses for real estate investors?
Cost
A breakdown of fees associated with property management services in Gainesville
Vetting
How Nesbitt Realty checks the backgrounds of 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 Gainesville
- Before you put a renter in your rental property in Gainesville
- Collections and evictions
- Communications with the renter
- During the lease term
- End of tenancy and what happens when a tenant breaks the lease
- How does the rental investor get paid?
- How your property management company handles the association and your community
- How your property management company handles utilities
- How we find tenants
- Insurance matters for property owners using our property management
- How Nesbitt Management handles keys
- Gainesville rental investor responsibilities
- Maintenance, repairs & inspections for your rental property in Gainesville
- The move-in inspection
- Property management information form
- Selling a 1031 tax exchange & more
- Starting our management of your rental
- When landlords don't yet know their new address
- Vetting renters in Gainesville
More Information About Gainesville
Our recommendation
After the background check is complete we make a recommendation to the landlord based upon our experience as property managers in Gainesville 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.
Should you understand more about our local real estate market?
Our Guide to Real Estate is a helpful resource for anyone who wants to review important real estate information about Gainesville and surrounding communities. The Guide to Real Estate compiles information regarding what has sold and what is currently listed, as well as some surprising facts that you might not be aware of. And, our Guide spotlights quite a few of the aspects of life in Gainesville. Definitely, most of this is interesting for buyers and sellers, but landlords and renters will likely also find this information to be very eye-opening.
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