Tenant Leaving - When to relist unit that needs to be turned?

[Jason V.]

Good Morning BP!

So I closed on a 4 unit last week that currently has some very long term tenants (16+ years) on a month-to-month lease. Their rent is quite a bit below market value, but I was going to feel a little guilty about raising it and/or getting them out because they are elderly.

In a good news/bad news situation, on my very first meeting with the tenant, she told me of her intention to find another place to live - her current unit is a 2nd floor walk up, and she doesn't want to do stairs anymore. She's currently looking for another place, and thinks she'll be out in June.

The unit obviously needs a pretty heavy turn (16 years of low-grade hoarding) so I'm hoping to have it ready to occupy at the beginning of July.

Here's my question: when should I list the unit on Craigslist/Zillow? I absolutely can't post pictures of it in current condition - it's not damaged, just full of stuff and dirty. I'm also going to be making some improvements, so I really don't want to put up pictures of it before it's done, which might not be until the middle/end of June.

Do I list it now without pictures? And without knowing exactly when it will be ready? As long as I'm honest about the situation, are there any issues with that?

Any better thoughts about how to handle things? I'm trying to do things better than I have in the past, when I was a lot more 'relaxed' about vacancies, and these are my first inherited tenants as well.

Thanks!