What is the rent in the area for other places the same size? And how long did those people live there.

When I left my rental of 14 years the landlord doubled the rent for the new tenant. In doing so the rent is comparable and very fair. All she did was replace the carpet and paint.

Those tenants have the stove that was there when I moved in, she works, you just have to talk nice to her. The dishwasher was a great storage place. The fridge worked, it was newer but bottom of the line. The newest thing in the place was the stove hood. I got sick and tired of trying to clean the old one that had layers of wall paint on it so I replaced it on my dime.

All the old appliances and the landlord can get the rent she wants because it is a desirable area.

Considering that the cheapest apartment I have been able to find in Fairfax (a studio, in a not so great part of the county) went for $900, $2600 for a 2000 sq ft SFH in a good neighborhood sounds about right. Housing prices in NoVa are absolutely ridiculous, whether buying or renting. That's why I live in Fredericksburg and commute to DC and my rent is still high! Check out washingtondc.craigslist.com to get a good idea of rent/housing prices for comparable properties.