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

In Falls Church, Nesbitt Realty prefers to deal with reasonable renters. 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 renter is honest. A tenant does not sneak in a co-tenant or pet.
3. A renter is neat. A renter does not attract pests such as rodents and bugs.
4. A renter does not destroy the property or its systems.
5. A renter is courteous and pleasant to work with. A tenant knows the difference between a property manager and a hotel concierge.
6. A renter doesn't annoy neighbors.
7. A tenant complains when appropriate. tenants that don't report maintenance issues cost landlords money and cause problems for property managers.
8. A renter 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 tenant doesn't know how to operate the appliance.
9. A renter does not smoke in the property.
10. A tenant is looking for a lease that is as long as the property owner wants to rent the rental.

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