What we look for in Northern Virginia renters
In Northern Virginia, our management staff likes to deal with dependable renters. 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 renter is honest. A tenant does not sneak in a co-tenant or pet.
- A renter is fastidious. A tenant does not attract pests such as rodents and bugs.
- A renter does not overwork systems.
- A tenant is courteous and easy to get along with. A tenant understands the difference between a property manager and a hotel concierge.
- A tenant doesn't disturb neighbors.
- A tenant reports problems when appropriate. Renters that don't report maintenance issues cost landlords money and cause head-aches for property managers.
- A tenant doesn't gripe when it's not appropriate. This means that a tenant doesn't demand to upgrade 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.
- A renter does not smoke in the rental.
- A renter is looking for a rental term that is as long as the property owner wants to rent the home.
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 unreasonable 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 potential renters in Northern Virginia based upon appearance. Experience has taught us that appearances can be very decieving. We do however assess applicants based upon their track record and their actions. If a applicant is rude to us at the beginning, they will probably be trying as tenants. If a makes false statements, we will expect them to be unreliable as a tenant. If a has difficulty scrounging up money for background fees and the first month of rent, we can expect that same person will have troubles while they are in the rental.
But even if every statement initially is good we still check the background of each applicant 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
Basic info regarding rental managment in Northern Virginia.
Getting Started
Learn more about getting started with 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 landlords?
Cost
A breakdown of fees associated with rental management services in Northern Virginia
Vetting
How Nesbitt Realty vets renters for our clients.
Reserves
What is a contingency reserve account?
Territory
Where does Nesbitt Realty manage property?
Clients
Who uses Nesbitt Realty management services?
Landlord Reference
a good source for property owners in Northern Virginia
- Before you lease out your rental in Northern Virginia
- Collections and evictions
- Communications with the tenant
- During the lease term
- End of tenancy and what happens when a renter breaks the lease
- How does the landlord get paid?
- How your rental manager handles the association and your community
- How your management company handles utilities
- How Nesbitt finds renters
- Insurance matters for property owners using our property management
- How Nesbitt Realty & Management manage keys
- Northern Virginia property owner responsibilities
- Maintenance, repairs & inspections for your 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 property owners don't yet know their new address
- Vetting tenants 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 rental 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.
Do you need know more about this area?
Our Guide to Real Estate is a handy resource for anyone who needs to review important real estate information about Northern Virginia and surrounding communities. The Guide to Real Estate has data regarding what has sold and what is currently listed, as well as a couple of compelling facts that you may not be aware of. In addition, our Guide has some fundamentals of living in Northern Virginia. Of course, most of this is interesting for buyers and sellers, but rental investors and tenants will likely also find these tools 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