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

In Rockingham County, Nesbitt Realty likes to work with reasonable tenants. Here are some of the traits we expect.

1. A renter pays the rent when due every time. This means paying on or before the first, rather than at 5 pm on the 5th.
2. A renter has integrity. A renter does not sneak in a co-renter or pet.
3. A tenant is fussy about cleanliness. A renter does not attract pests such as rodents and bugs.
4. A renter does not misuse the property or its systems.
5. A tenant is courteous and easy to work with. A renter knows the difference between a property manager and a hotel concierge.
6. A renter doesn't bother neighbors.
7. A renter reports problems at appropriate times. Renters that don't report maintenance issues cost landlords money and cause head-aches for property managers.
8. A renter doesn't gripe when it's not appropriate. This means that a tenant doesn't ask to upgrade 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.
9. A renter does not smoke in the home.
10. A renter is looking for a rental term that is as long as the landlord wants to rent the rental.

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