When tenants in your city actually book
Mid-term demand isn’t flat — it surges twice a year, and tenants book weeks ahead. Put your listing live before the wave, not on it.
The two waves
- September: the year’s biggest move-in month — academic year, post-summer job starts, international programmes. Tenants for September start booking in July and August.
- January: the second wave — new-year relocations and spring semesters, booked through November and December.
In Madrid, for example, July is the peak listing month precisely because experienced landlords publish ahead of the September wave (Spotahome platform data).
The 6–8 week rule
International tenants book ahead — they’re arranging visas, contracts and flights, not walking in off the street. List 6–8 weeks before your availability date: early enough to catch planners, fresh enough to be relevant. Listing the week your place becomes free means paying for an empty month while the algorithm and the audience find you.
Reading this off-season? List anyway. A live listing builds views, saves and response history that compound into the next wave — and off-season tenants (consultants, mid-year transfers) face less competition for your attention.
Aligning stays with the waves
Think one booking ahead: a stay ending in July or December puts your next vacancy right in front of a demand wave. When two good requests compete, the one whose end date lands before a peak is often worth more than the one that pays slightly more per month.
Ready to go live?
Check your available dates so you launch when your city is searching.