What we seek in Washington tenants
In Washington, our management staff prefers to work with reasonable tenants. Here are a few of the traits we seek out.
- A tenant pays the rent on time every month. This means paying on or before the first, rather than at 5 pm on the 5th.
- A tenant has integrity. A renter does not sneak in a co-renter or pet.
- A tenant is fussy about cleanliness. A tenant does not bring pests like rodents and bugs.
- A tenant does not damage the property.
- A tenant is courteous and easy to work with. A tenant understands the difference between a property manager and a hotel concierge.
- A renter doesn't disturb neighbors.
- A tenant complains when appropriate. Renters that don't report maintenance issues cost landlords money and cause issues for property managers.
- A tenant doesn't complain when it's not appropriate. This means that a renter doesn't ask to upgrade functioning systems. A tenant doesn't expect more than the lease provides. A renter 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 home.
- A renter is looking for a lease that is as long as the landlord wants to rent the rental.
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 unreasonable tenants can appear as polite, nicely-dress, well educated people with jobs. We have a nose for sniffing out difficult renters.
Our Five Step Process
Fair Housing Laws and our conscience dictates that we do not judge potential renters in Washington 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 us from the outset, they will probably be difficult as tenants. If a is caught fabricating facts, we can expect them to be untrustworthy as a renter. If a has difficulty scrounging up certified fundsfor background fees and the first month of rent, we will expect that same potential tenant will have troubles while they are in the rental.
But even when every appearance initially is promising we still check the background of every person with a complete background check. Every applicant and occupant must provide a government-issue photo identification. From there, as rental we start our vetting process.
Washington Property Management Resources
Basics
Elementary info regarding rental managment in Washington.
Getting Started
Learn more about getting started with property management
Find A Tenant
List your property to rent to find a reliable renter in Washington 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 Washington
Vetting
How Nesbitt Realty checks the backgrounds of tenants for landlords.
Reserves
What is a contingency reserve account?
Territory
Where does Nesbitt Realty manage rental investments?
Clients
Who uses Nesbitt Realty management services?
Landlord Reference
a useful source for property owners in Washington
- Before you put a renter in your rental in Washington
- Collections and evictions
- Communications with the renter
- During the lease term
- End of lease term and what happens when a tenant breaks the lease
- How does the owner get paid?
- How your property manager handles the association and your community
- How your management company handles utilities
- How Nesbitt Realty & Management finds renters
- Insurance matters for landlords using our rental management
- How Nesbitt Realty & Management manage keys
- Washington landlord responsibilities
- Maintenance, repairs & inspections for your rental investment in Washington
- The move-in inspection
- Property management information form
- Selling a 1031 tax exchange & more
- Starting our management of your rental investment
- When property owners don't yet know their new address
- Vetting renters in Washington
More Information About Washington
Our recommendation
After the background check is finished we make a recommendation to the property owner based upon our experience as property managers in Washington and the information which we have verified. Ultimately the real estate investor decides if the risk is worth taking, but they make that decision based upon facts and our expert advice.
Do you want know more about the area?
Nesbitt Realty's Guide to Real Estate is a free tool for everyone who hopes to learn more about Washington and nearby communities. The Guide to Real Estate has facts regarding what has sold and what is currently listed, as well as a few compelling facts that you might not know. In addition, our Guide features some fundamentals of living in Washington. Certainly, all of this is useful for purchasers and sellers, but owners and renters will likely also find these tools to be very 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