What we look for in Arlington County renters
In Arlington County, our management staff wants to work with reliable tenants. Here are some of the traits we look for.
- 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 tenant is trustworthy. A renter does not sneak in a co-renter or pet.
- A tenant is fastidious. A tenant does not attract pests such as rodents and bugs.
- A renter does not misuse the home.
- A renter is courteous and easy to get along with. A renter understands the difference between a property manager and a hotel concierge.
- A tenant doesn't bother neighbors.
- A tenant reports problems at appropriate times. tenants that don't report maintenance issues cost property owners money and cause problems for property managers.
- A renter doesn't gripe when it's not appropriate. This means that a tenant doesn't demand to upgrade functioning systems. A renter doesn't expect more than the lease provides. A tenant 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 lease that is as long as the owner wants to rent the property.
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 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 Arlington County based upon appearance. Experience has taught us that appearances can be very decieving. We do however assess people based upon their reputation and their actions. If a applicant is difficult with our managers from the outset, they will probably be trying as tenants. If a makes false statements, we can expect them to be dishonest as a renter. If a has difficulty producing fundsfor background fees and the first month of rent, we will expect that same potential tenant will have difficulty during the lease.
But even when every action initially is good we still check the background of each 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 Arlington County:
Arlington County Rental Management Resources
Basics
Elementary information regarding rental managment in Arlington County.
Getting Started
Learn more about getting started with property management
Find A Tenant
List your property to rent to find a reliable tenant in Arlington County fast.
Accounting
How does Nesbitt Realty keep track of income and expenses for real estate investors?
Cost
A list of prices of property management services in Arlington County
Vetting
How Nesbitt Realty checks the backgrounds of tenants for landlords.
Reserves
What is a contingency reserve account?
Territory
Where does Nesbitt Realty manage property?
Clients
Who uses Nesbitt Realty management services?
Landlord Reference
a handy archive for rental investors in Arlington County
- Before you put a renter in your property in Arlington County
- Collections and evictions
- Communications with the tenant
- During tenancy
- End of tenancy and what happens when a tenant breaks the lease
- How does the landlord get paid?
- How your property manager handles the association and your community
- How your rental manager handles utilities
- How Nesbitt finds renters
- Insurance matters for owners using our rental management
- How Nesbitt Realty & Management manage keys
- Arlington County owner responsibilities
- Maintenance, repairs & inspections for your rental property in Arlington County
- The move-in inspection
- Property management information form
- Selling a 1031 tax exchange & more
- Starting our management of your rental investment
- When landlords don't yet know their new address
- Vetting renters in Arlington County
More Information About Arlington County
Our recommendation
After the background check is finished we make a recommendation to the landlord based upon our experience as property managers in Arlington County 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.
Do you want understand more about the community?
Nesbitt Realty's Guide to Real Estate is a handy resource for everyone who hopes to learn more about Arlington County and surrounding communities. The Guide to Real Estate provides facts regarding what has sold and what is on the market, and some compelling facts that you might not be aware of. Also, our Guide features many of the elements of living in Arlington County. Of course, most of this is useful for buyers and sellers, but landlords and renters should also find these resources to be somewhat informative.
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