When should I start marketing unit?

[Lauren Milam]

Hello! Newbie here.

We have a unit going vacant March 30th and we are looking for tennants to start a lease May 1st. We have never “turned over” a unit so we want that month (April) to do some maintenance, ect.

My question is, when would you begin marketing the unit and prescreening tenants? We were going to wait till April, but perhaps we should start sooner. What is your strategy for starting to market your units?

Any and all advice is appreciated!

Thanks!

Lauren

[Matt Leber]

@Lauren Milam I would say once it’s showable you can begin officially marketing it. Although, it depends what’s in your lease. Some landlords have a clause that allows them to show the unit before the existing tenants move out. But if you are planning on doing some minor maintenance anyway, might as well wait until the unit is clean and showable. It’s tax refund season, so you should have a nice pool of renters who have recently gotten a sum of money. This should be one of the easiest times of the year to find tenants as long as you price it right. If it sits longer than 30-40 days after you start marketing, you might consider dropping the price. Good luck!