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

What we seek in Fairfax renters

In Fairfax, Nesbitt Realty wants to work with reasonable renters. Here are a few of the traits we seek out.

  1. 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.
  2. A tenant is trustworthy. A renter 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 break the home.
  5. A renter is courteous and nice 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 tenant reports problems when appropriate. Renters that don't report maintenance issues cost real estate investors money and cause issues for property managers.
  8. A tenant doesn't gripe when it's not appropriate. This means that a renter doesn't demand 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 home.
  10. A tenant is looking for a rental term that is as long as the landlord wants to rent the rental.

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

 

Our Five Step Process

Fair Housing Laws and our conscience dictates that we do not judge people in Fairfax based upon appearance.  Experience has taught us that appearances can be very decieving. We do however judge potential tenants based upon their history and their actions. If a applicant is rude to our staff from the beginning, they will probably be trying as tenants. If a is caught fabricating facts, we can expect them to be dishonest as a renter.  If a has troubles producing money for background fees and the first month of rent, we can expect that same potential renter will have difficulty while they are in the rental.

But even if every statement initially is good we still vet every applicant with a full background check. Every applicant and occupant must provide a government-issue photo identification. From there, as rental we start our vetting process.

How we protect the landlord’s interests in Fairfax: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

Fairfax Rental Management Resources

Basics

Basic info regarding management services in Fairfax.

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Getting Started

Learn more about getting started with rental property management

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Find A Tenant

Market your property to rent to find a great renter in Fairfax 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 Fairfax

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Vetting

How Nesbitt Realty checks the backgrounds of tenants for property owners.

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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 reviewed we make a recommendation to the owner based upon our experience as property managers in Fairfax and the information which we have verified. Ultimately the landlord 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 our area?

Our Guide to Real Estate is a free resource for everyone who wants to investigate real estate facts about Fairfax and surrounding communities.  The Guide to Real Estate has facts about what has sold and what is for sale, and many interesting facts that you might not know.  And, our Guide has some assets of residing in Fairfax.  Certainly, most of this is helpful for buyers and sellers, but rental investors and renters may also find these tools to be very sobering.

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

Will and Julie
On the boat at Sunset

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