apartment search timing

[somerfriend.livejournal.com]

When do you consider to be the customary time to look for or advertise for an apartment for rent.   3-4 weeks before move in?   Does it vary based on how far away you are from a T stop?  (eg Davis Sq apartment being high demand are a different market)  And whether or not it is Sept 1 or not?   (Sept 1 seems to be a more extended search time?) 

Comments

[slinkr.livejournal.com]

It really depends on the time of year. You'll usually see September listings starting in the spring. In general, it can't hurt to start looking as soon as you know you need a new place.

[greyling.livejournal.com]

Real estate agents will say that 2 months prior is customary, because I think it's traditional (or perhaps even the result of some legal thing or another) to tell your landlord if you are staying 2 months before the contract is up.

That said, because September housing is a zoo, people can and will hunt for awesome apartments much earlier in the year.

[somerfriend.livejournal.com]

As a landlord I feel like if I show it more than 4 weeks prior for any month other than Sept 1, I'm getting alot of tire kickers who are still deciding what they want, which is not a productive use of my time. I'm trying to see if my instincts are off. For Sept 1, I've been advertising about 6-8 weeks ahead of time. My wife thinks I should advertise sooner in both cases. Trying to figure it out.

[kelkyag]

As a tenant, if I haven't signed a lease a month in advance of when I want to move, I feel very crunched for time. Also, looking at apartments in August is a lousy experience (weather, crowds, stress), and one's odds of actually getting the apartment one just viewed and liked aren't terribly good.

[totient]

As a landlord I think having good tenants is more important than getting top dollar or making sure the place is 100% occupied. Waiting until the last minute is a great way to find tenants who are in a time crunch, which means they'll pay more -- but I'd rather have the better organized tenants who paid their rent on time and told me when things broke while the repairs were still cheap.

[somerfriend.livejournal.com]

Please define the time period that you feel you are finding the higher quality pool of tenants.

[totient]

I've had good luck at 4-6 weeks, except for September 1 when 8 weeks is better. This is about half a mile from Davis.

[aynatt.livejournal.com]

Totient, I wish I had you as my landlord, you are a rare breed. These days it's all about the $$ and how much they can squeeze out of the tenants.

[totient]

I think this is generally the difference between onsite and absentee landlords. On site it's more obvious how much money a good tenant is saving you in repairs and water bills and so on. Sadly with so many triple deckers being converted to condos you're totally right that onsite landlords are getting rarer.

[mytheria.livejournal.com]

Ideally you want to have a lease signed by 4-6 weeks before moving. This is not always possible though.

I think the big things to consider are that the higher the demand for an area the faster the response rate. Posting, showing, and having it off listing can happen in hours if the timing, price and location are right.

If listing, I'd do it 8 weeks out if possible. That way people can view it before the current tenants have filled it with packing chaos. Also, the people who are planning farther in advance are sometimes the more organized and responsible sort.

If looking, I'd say try to start between 6 and 10 weeks out in hopes of having a plan before you are required to give the current landlord notice.

I've found places anywhere from 2 weeks (when I had my ceiling collapse due to a leak) to 4 months (my housemates were going to be away for 10 weeks in there) in advance. So it is highly variable when people want to look.

Sept 1, I'd say there are 2 waves of people looking. One in April/May which is often people who are based on the academic year and might not be around for the summer. The other is the July/August wave of those who are moving because of things like rent increases.

[hikermtnbiker.livejournal.com]

I usually ask my tenants in June what their plans are for September and I like to have a definite answer by early July so that I can start advertising. I like to have an ad up 6 weeks before the term ends and sign a lease soon thereafter.

Yes, early you get some tire kickers but I'll quickly get 3-4 folks that are serious.

[rozasharn.livejournal.com]

As a tenant, the rule for looking for a new place or looking for a new person to fill a room of a shared apartment is "as soon as you know". Earlier is better because you aren't desperate, plus you can figure out if your initial advertisement or presentation was badly aimed. No matter if it's five months early. You don't have to pick people early, but if you find a compatible person/place early, you can jump on it. Nobody likes being down to the wire. And some people say that the renters looking earlier are the more organized, together types who will continue being organized and proactive once they move in.

[john louie ramos (from livejournal.com)]

Well in my opinion (and I'm a real estate practitioner), 1 month is sufficient. Sometimes it may take two months and that's a ghost month like September. Though if you're using a good listing service, you can do it 3-4 weeks. A little off topic but I joined Live Journal to share the story of how we're going to create a professional listing site from scratch. Maybe, you can check our community here (http://jlramos.livejournal.com/) :) Our site (http://realestatenetwork.ph/) is still being constructed though.

[aynatt.livejournal.com]

What I found really difficult, was that realtors usually didn't have new apts. to show until the first of the month and my landlord wants about 2 months notice which puts me in an awkward position. That and that they want me gone a day before the 1st.

[pywaket.livejournal.com]

They may "want" those things, but the law says they're not entitled to them. In MA, if your lease is month-to-month, you only need to give one full rental period's notice. If you are moving at the end of your lease, no notice is required. Also, you have until midnight of the last day of your lease. They have no right to make you leave any sooner.

[somerfriend.livejournal.com]

Leases are a 2 way street. The landlord may not have the power to make you give your notice or resign as early as they want, but they can do what they want for the period after the current rental agreement ends, effectively making you make a decision. EG lease ends June 30th, they offer you a renewal if you accept by April 15th.