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

What we seek in Crystal City tenants

In Crystal City, Nesbitt Realty likes to deal with reasonable tenants. Here are a few of the traits we look for.

  1. A tenant 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 tenant has integrity. A tenant does not sneak in a co-tenant or pet.
  3. A tenant is fussy about cleanliness. A tenant does not attract pests such as rodents and bugs.
  4. A renter does not damage systems.
  5. A renter is courteous and pleasant to get along with. A renter knows the difference between a property manager and a hotel concierge.
  6. A renter doesn't bother neighbors.
  7. A renter complains at appropriate times. tenants that don't report maintenance issues cost landlords money and cause issues for property managers.
  8. A tenant doesn't complain when it's not appropriate. This means that a renter doesn't ask to replace functioning systems. A tenant doesn't expect more than the lease provides. A tenant 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 rental.
  10. A tenant 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 tenant, but how do we find tenants who measure up to this ideal? Experience has taught us that tardy renters can appear as polite, nicely-dress, well educated people with jobs. We have a knack for sniffing out unreasonable renters.

 

Our Five Step Process

Fair Housing Laws and our conscience dictates that we do not judge potential tenants in Crystal City based upon appearance.  Experience has taught us that appearances can be very decieving. We do however judge potential tenants based upon their track record and their actions. If a applicant is difficult with our staff from the start, they will probably be rude as tenants. If a makes false statements, we can expect them to be untrustworthy as a renter.  If a has a problem scrounging up fundsfor background fees and the first month of rent, we will expect that same applicant will have problems during the lease.

But even when every action initially is good we still vet each applicant 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.

How we protect the landlord’s interests in Crystal City: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

Crystal City Property Management Resources

Basics

Fundamental information regarding rental managment in Crystal City.

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Getting Started

Learn more about getting started with rental property management

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Find A Tenant

List your property to rent to find a reliable renter in Crystal City 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 fees associated with property management services in Crystal City

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Vetting

How Nesbitt Realty vets tenants for landlords.

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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 management specialist now.

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Our recommendation

After the background check is finished we make a recommendation to the real estate investor based upon our experience as rental managers in Crystal City and the information that we have verified. Ultimately the owner decides if the risk is worth taking, but they make that decision based upon facts and our expert advice.

Should you know more about our area?

Nesbitt Realty's Guide to Real Estate is a handy resource for everyone who hopes to find out more about Crystal City and nearby areas.  The Guide to Real Estate includes facts about what has sold and what is currently listed, as well as a few shocking facts that you might not know.  Furthermore, our Guide highlights quite a few of the fundamentals of life in Crystal City.  Certainly, most of this is helpful for buyers and sellers, but real estate investors and renters will likely also find the facts to be very edifying.

Our Broker Will Nesbitt

Will Nesbitt
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

Julie 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