Why don't you advertise 'FOR RENT' 6+ months in advance?

[Max James]

Is there a good reason why people don't advertise and market their units for rent well in advance of when it's time to turn it over?  I had great luck getting a leased signed in February for a July move in date.  I do not understand why people wait till 30-60 days to start advertising when they know the lease is going to end well in advance of that.  This way, you can also advertise for higher rent you think is within reason and if nobody bites, then drop it some.

How far in advance do you advertise and hope to get a lease signed?

[JD Martin]

To me it seems unreasonable. What if you have good tenants that tell you 6 months out they plan on buying a house - you advertise and find someone willing to sign a lease that far out. 2 months from the end of the lease, your good tenants tell you that they have decided they would like to stay another year to save up more money. Now you have to let them go and hope the new tenants are as good as the old ones. How many tenants will provide first month + deposit (and maybe last month as well) 6 months in advance? Did the place you rented out give you that money that far in advance? If not, and you send good tenants packing and the new tenants are no-shows, now you have nothing. 

I don't begin advertising availability until a few weeks before a unit will become vacant, at earliest. But all of my units are, by design, in high desirable areas and are easy to rent. So long-term vacancy is not a concern that I worry about.