What we seek in Northern Virginia tenants
In Northern Virginia, Nesbitt Realty wants to work with good renters. Here are some of the traits we seek out.
- A tenant pays the rent on time every time. This means paying on or before the first, rather than at 5 pm on the 5th.
- A renter is honest. A renter does not sneak in a co-tenant or pet.
- A renter is reasonably clean. A tenant does not attract pests such as rodents and bugs.
- A tenant does not damage the property or its systems.
- A renter is courteous and pleasant to work with. A renter understands the difference between a property manager and a hotel concierge.
- A renter doesn't annoy neighbors.
- A tenant reports problems at appropriate times. Renters that don't report maintenance issues cost real estate investors 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 replace 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 renter doesn't know how to operate the appliance.
- A tenant does not smoke in the rental.
- A tenant is looking for a lease that is as long as the owner wants to rent the home.
So this is what we're looking for in a renter, but how do we find renters who live up to this standard? Experience has taught us that bad tenants can appear as polite, nicely-dress, well educated people with jobs. We have a knack for sniffing out tardy renters.
Our Five Step Process
Fair Housing Laws and our conscience dictates that we do not judge people in Northern Virginia based upon appearance. Experience has taught us that appearances can be very decieving. We do however judge applicants based upon their history and their actions. If a applicant is rude to us at the beginning, they will probably be trying as renters. If a is caught fabricating facts, we will expect them to be dishonest as a renter. If a has troubles finding certified fundsfor background fees and the first month of rent, we will expect that same person will have problems while they are in the rental.
But even when every statement initially is promising we still vet each potential tenant with a full background check. Every potential tenant and occupant must submit a government-issue photo identification. From there, as rental we start our vetting process.
How we protect the landlord’s interests in Northern Virginia:
Northern Virginia Property Management Resources
Basics
Fundamental info about what property management in Northern Virginia.
Getting Started
Learn more about getting started with rental property management
Find A Tenant
Market your property to rent to find a great renter in Northern Virginia fast.
Accounting
How does Nesbitt Realty keep track of income and expenses for property owners?
Cost
An overview of fees associated with 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 free reference for landlords in Northern Virginia
- Before you lease out your property in Northern Virginia
- Collections and evictions
- Communications with the renter
- During the lease term
- End of lease term and what happens when a renter breaks the lease
- How does the rental investor get paid?
- How your property management company handles the association and your community
- How your management company handles utilities
- How Nesbitt Realty & Management finds tenants
- Insurance matters for property owners using our rental management
- How Nesbitt Realty & Management manage keys
- Northern Virginia owner responsibilities
- Maintenance, repairs & inspections for your rental property in Northern Virginia
- 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 Northern Virginia
More Information About Northern Virginia
Our recommendation
After the background check is complete we make a recommendation to the real estate investor based upon our experience as property managers in Northern Virginia and the information which we have verified. Ultimately the property owner decides if the risk is worth taking, but they make that decision based upon facts and our expert advice.
Should you understand more about the area?
Our Guide to Real Estate is a handy tool for everyone who wants to investigate real estate facts about Northern Virginia and neighboring areas. The Guide to Real Estate includes facts regarding what has sold and what is currently listed, and many surprising facts that you might not know. Also, our Guide highlights quite a few of the benefits of residing in Northern Virginia. Of course, all of this is helpful for buyers and sellers, but owners and tenants might also find this data to be somewhat sobering.
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