What we look for in Northern Virginia tenants
In Northern Virginia, Nesbitt Realty wants to deal with dependable tenants. Here are a few of the traits we look for.
- 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.
- A tenant has integrity. A renter does not sneak in a co-renter or pet.
- A renter is reasonably clean. A tenant does not bring pests such as rodents and bugs.
- A renter does not overwork systems.
- A renter is courteous and nice to get along with. A renter knows the difference between a property manager and a hotel concierge.
- A renter doesn't bother neighbors.
- A renter reports problems at appropriate times. tenants that don't report maintenance issues cost real estate investors money and cause issues for property managers.
- A tenant doesn't complain when it's not appropriate. This means that a renter doesn't demand 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 home.
- A renter is looking for a rental term that is as long as the property owner 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 difficult tenants can appear as polite, nicely-dress, well educated people with jobs. We have a nose for sniffing out bad renters.
Our Five Step Process
Fair Housing Laws and our conscience dictates that we do not judge applicants in Northern Virginia 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 staff from the beginning, they will probably be difficult as renters. If a makes false statements, we will expect them to be dishonest as a tenant. If a has troubles producing fundsfor background fees and the first month of rent, we will expect that same person will have difficulty during the lease.
But even when every appearance initially is good we still vet each person with a complete background check. Every potential tenant and occupant must provide a government-issue photo identification. From there, as property managers we start our vetting process.
How we protect the landlord’s interests in Northern Virginia:
Northern Virginia Rental Management Resources
Basics
Basic info about what rental managment in Northern Virginia.
Getting Started
Learn more about getting started with property management
Find A Tenant
Market your property to rent to find a reliable renter in Northern Virginia fast.
Accounting
How does Nesbitt Realty keep track of income and expenses for landlords?
Cost
An overview of prices of property management services in Northern Virginia
Vetting
How Nesbitt Realty checks the backgrounds of tenants 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 useful source for landlords in Northern Virginia
- Before you move a tenant into your rental property in Northern Virginia
- Collections and evictions
- Communications with the renter
- During tenancy
- End of tenancy and what happens when a tenant breaks the lease
- How does the property owner get paid?
- How your rental manager handles the association and your community
- How your property management company handles utilities
- How Nesbitt Realty & Management finds renters
- Insurance matters for landlords using our property management
- How Nesbitt Realty & Management manage keys
- Northern Virginia rental investor responsibilities
- Maintenance, repairs & inspections for your rental investment 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 landlords don't yet know their new address
- Vetting renters in Northern Virginia
More Information About Northern Virginia
Our recommendation
After the background check is complete we make a recommendation to the owner based upon our experience as rental managers in Northern Virginia and the information which we have verified. Ultimately the real estate investor decides if the risk is worth taking, but they make that decision based upon facts and our expert advice.
Do you need understand more about our area?
Our Guide to Real Estate is a handy tool for anyone who wants to learn more about Northern Virginia and nearby communities. The Guide to Real Estate has information regarding what has sold and what is for sale, as well as a couple of surprising facts that you may not be aware of. And, our Guide highlights quite a few of the aspects of residing in Northern Virginia. As might be expected, most of this is useful for purchasers and sellers, but real estate investors and renters will likely also find these resources to be quite 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