What we look for in Northern Virginia renters
In Northern Virginia, Nesbitt Realty likes to deal with dependable renters. Here are a few of the traits we expect.
- A renter pays the rent when due every month. This means paying on or before the first, rather than at 5 pm on the 5th.
- A renter is trustworthy. A renter does not sneak in a co-renter or pet.
- A renter is fussy about cleanliness. A tenant does not bring pests like rodents and bugs.
- A tenant does not damage the home.
- A tenant is courteous and easy to work with. A renter understands the difference between a property manager and a hotel concierge.
- A renter doesn't annoy neighbors.
- A tenant complains when appropriate. Renters that don't report maintenance issues cost property owners money and cause head-aches for property managers.
- A renter doesn't gripe when it's not appropriate. This means that a tenant 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 rental.
- 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 tenants 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 tenants.
Our Five Step Process
Fair Housing Laws and our conscience dictates that we do not judge potential renters in Northern Virginia based upon appearance. Experience has taught us that appearances can be very decieving. We do however judge people based upon their history and their actions. If a applicant is rude to us at the start, they will probably be trying as tenants. If a is caught fabricating facts, we can expect them to be dishonest as a tenant. If a has troubles producing certified fundsfor background fees and the first month of rent, we will expect that same potential tenant will have difficulty while they are in the rental.
But even if every action initially is good we still vet each potential tenant with a complete background check. Every potential renter 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 Northern Virginia:
Northern Virginia Property Management Resources
Basics
Fundamental information about what property management in Northern Virginia.
Getting Started
Learn more about getting started with rental property management
Find A Tenant
List your property to rent to find a great tenant in Northern Virginia fast.
Accounting
How does Nesbitt Realty keep track of income and expenses for property owners?
Cost
A breakdown of prices of property management services in Northern Virginia
Vetting
How Nesbitt Realty vets renters for property owners.
Reserves
What is a contingency reserve account?
Territory
Where does Nesbitt Realty manage property?
Clients
Who uses Nesbitt Realty management services?
Landlord Reference
a useful reference for landlords in Northern Virginia
- Before you lease out your property in Northern Virginia
- Collections and evictions
- Communications with the renter
- During tenancy
- End of tenancy and what happens when a tenant breaks the lease
- How does the property owner get paid?
- How your property manager handles the association and your community
- How your rental manager handles utilities
- How Nesbitt Realty finds renters
- Insurance matters for landlords using our rental management
- How Nesbitt Realty & Management manage keys
- Northern Virginia landlord 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 property
- 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 reviewed we make a recommendation to the owner based upon our experience as rental managers in Northern Virginia 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 the area?
Our Guide to Real Estate is a handy resource for anyone who needs to investigate real estate facts about Northern Virginia and surrounding communities. The Guide to Real Estate provides information regarding what has sold and what is for sale, as well as a few surprising facts that you may not know. Also, our Guide features quite a few of the assets of living in Northern Virginia. As might be expected, all of this is helpful for purchasers and sellers, but owners and tenants may 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