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

What we look for in Alexanderia renters

In Alexanderia, our team prefers to work with good tenants. Here are a few of the traits we look for.

  1. 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.
  2. A tenant is honest. A tenant does not sneak in a co-renter or pet.
  3. A tenant is fussy about cleanliness. A renter does not attract pests like rodents and bugs.
  4. A renter does not destroy the property.
  5. A renter is courteous and easy 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 complains when appropriate. tenants that don't report maintenance issues cost property owners money and cause issues for property managers.
  8. A tenant 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 tenant does not smoke in the property.
  10. A renter is looking for a lease that is as long as the real estate investor wants to rent the property.

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

 

Our Five Step Process

Fair Housing Laws and our conscience dictates that we do not judge applicants in Alexanderia based upon appearance.  Experience has taught us that appearances can be very decieving. We do however assess potential tenants based upon their history and their actions. If a applicant is difficult with our managers at the start, they will probably be difficult as tenants. If a is dishonest, we can expect them to be dishonest as a tenant.  If a has a problem producing 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 if every statement initially is good we still check the background of every potential tenant with a full background check. Every applicant 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 Alexanderia:Nesbitt Realty is committed to Fair Housing

  1. We Check The Applicant’s Credit History
  2. We Investigate The Applicant’s Criminal History
  3. We Investigate The Applicant’s Rental History
  4. We Look For Internal Consistency In The Rental Application
  5. We Want To Know If The Applicant Can Afford The Rent

Alexanderia Property Management Resources

Basics

Fundamental information about what rental managment in Alexanderia.

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Getting Started

Learn more about getting started with property management

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Find A Tenant

Market your property to rent to find a great tenant in Alexanderia fast.

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Accounting

How does Nesbitt Realty keep track of income and expenses for landlords?

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Cost

A list of prices of property management services in Alexanderia

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Vetting

How Nesbitt Realty vets tenants for our clients.

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Reserves

What is a contingency reserve account?

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Territory

Where does Nesbitt Realty manage property?

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Clients

Who uses Nesbitt Realty management services?

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Contact

Call (703)765-0300 to speak to a property manager now.

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Our recommendation

After the background check is complete we make a recommendation to the landlord based upon our experience as property managers in Alexanderia and the information that 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 know more about the area?

Nesbitt Realty's Guide to Real Estate is a helpful tool for anyone who hopes to learn more about Alexanderia and surrounding communities.  The Guide to Real Estate provides data about what has sold and what is on the market, and a couple of shocking facts that you may not be aware of.  And, our Guide has quite a few of the benefits of living in Alexanderia.  Of course, all of this is helpful for purchasers and sellers, but landlords and renters should also find the facts to be somewhat informative.

Our Broker Will Nesbitt

rowing
Northern Virginia is an urban area with many peaceful parks.

"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

Julie and Will
Julie and Will Nesbitt pause from property management to take a quick picture.

 I like tenants that pay on time. Late paying tenants cause extra work and unnecessary stress for landlords and property managers. ~ Julie Nesbitt