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What time of year should you list a rental, and when should you start?

DoorKeeping team

4 min read

No single month works everywhere, so decide your lease end dates, then list far enough ahead to fill the unit before it empties. Work backward: the date you want a tenant to move in, minus the days to screen and sign, minus the days to show, minus the days to make the unit ready. Then check your own records of when past tenants moved in, because that is the evidence you have for your market.

Why we do not name one best month

Rental demand differs by city, by college calendars, by school start dates and by the size of the unit. A month that is busy in one town can be quiet in the next. We do not cite a national chart here, because a chart for the whole country would hide the thing you need, which is your own market.

What you can control is simple: when your leases end, and how far ahead you start. A lease that ends in a slow month leaves you with a longer vacancy and less choice of tenants.

Work backward from the move in date

  1. Pick the date you want the next tenant to start.
  2. Subtract the days it takes to screen and sign: applications, checks and the lease.
  3. Subtract the showing period you expect.
  4. Subtract the days to make the unit ready: paint, cleaning, repairs.
  5. Check the notice you will get. In California, for example, either side needs at least 30 days written notice to end a month to month tenancy under Civil Code section 1946. Your state may differ.

Example a made-up owner wants a new tenant on September 1. Screening and signing take 7 days, showings 14 days and make ready 10 days, which is 31 days in all, so the ad should be live by about August 1 only if the unit is empty by then. If the current tenant gives notice on July 15 and leaves July 31, the owner can list on July 15 and finish the 10 days of make ready work between July 31 and August 10, with the tenant moving in September 1.

The numbers are made up. Replace them with your own times from past turns.

Use your own records

  • List each unit's past lease start dates and how many days each one sat vacant.
  • Note which months brought the most inquiries and the fewest.
  • Compare the rent you needed in a slow month with the rent you got in a busy one.
  • Count how many showings it took to get a signed lease at different times of year.

A short table in a spreadsheet is enough. After a few turns it will tell you more about your units than any general advice.

Move lease end dates toward your busy months

When you renew, you can offer a different term. A 14 month renewal for a lease that would have ended in January moves the next end date to March. A 10 month renewal can pull an end date out of a slow stretch. Do this only with the tenant's agreement, with a fair rent for the longer or shorter term.

Example a made-up owner has six units whose leases all end on December 31. Moving two to a 14 month renewal and two to a 10 month renewal spreads the end dates over three different months, so at most two units can be empty at once instead of six.

Spreading end dates also spreads your work: fewer turns, showings and deposit returns land in the same few weeks.

Keep your ad fair while you hurry

A short timeline is a poor reason to cut corners. The Fair Housing Act, 42 U.S.C. 3604(c), makes it unlawful to publish a rental ad that shows a preference or limit based on race, color, religion, sex, disability, familial status or national origin. Our listing words to avoid guide has the list.

How DoorKeeping helps

Your lease end dates sit in one place. Ask Claude or ChatGPT through DoorKeeping which leases end in the next 120 days and it lists them for you, so you can decide which to renew on a different term. Renewal offers go out for e-signature after your one tap approval.

Sources

  1. California Civil Code section 1946, notice to end a month to month tenancy, read Oct 30, 2026
  2. Fair Housing Act, 42 U.S.C. 3604 (advertising, subsection c), read Oct 30, 2026

Questions

When should I start advertising a rental?
Start when you know the unit will be empty. Work backward from the move in date using your own times for screening, showings and make ready work, and the notice you will get.
Is spring or summer better for renting?
It depends on your city. Check your own past lease starts and vacancy days rather than relying on a general chart.
Can I change when a lease ends?
At renewal you can offer a shorter or longer term, with the tenant's agreement, to move the end date to a busier month.

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