When to list my first rental?

[John Woodington]

My wife and I are set to move into our new home at the beginning of August, and we are subsequently turning our current townhouse into our first rental property. The townhouse will be vacant by August 5 or 6, which means I would be looking for a new tenant to move in on September 1. How soon should I post the listing for the townhouse to begin getting tenant applications? I’m assuming the earlier I list it, the better chance I will have of getting good tenant applications, because they are clearly planning ahead for a future move. That said, I would prefer not to have to physically show the house to prospective tenants until after we move out. Is this feasible? Or do I need to set the expectation with my family that I will be showing this house to tenants in mid July before we officially move out? Thanks in advance for all the advice!

[Nick Giulioni]

Would you be able to clean the place up prior to move in order to take photos? I’d probably start listing about 8/1 with availability 9/1.