December is one of the most challenging months for leasing — not because tenants aren’t looking, but because tenant behaviour changes dramatically over the Christmas and New Year period. People travel, focus on family, spend money elsewhere, and delay housing decisions until January.

But once the first week of January hits, the market switches back on — and if your property isn’t already online, you’ll almost certainly lose valuable weeks of rent.

If your tenant is vacating in January or February, timing is everything.

🎄 Why December Vacancies Are So Tricky

In December, tenant enquiry slows down because people are:

• Travelling
• Focused on Christmas
• Waiting until January to make decisions
• Moving after school holidays
• Starting new jobs in early January

But the tenants who are looking are serious — and you only need one.

The biggest leasing mistake landlords make in December is waiting until after Christmas.

📌 Our 20-Year Lesson: The Sooner You Advertise, The Better the Outcome

Over the past 20 years, we’ve tried every strategy:

• Advertising a week before Christmas, with first open homes in early January
• Advertising mid-December, relying on new-year enquiry
• Advertising 6 weeks before the vacancy, with early open homes

And the results have been consistent across thousands of properties:

👉 The earlier we list and begin open homes, the better the outcome.

Right now, heading into December, we are already:

• Listing properties becoming available in January
• Running open homes over the next 1–2 weeks
• Securing tenants before 15–20 December

This achieves three critical wins:

1. The outgoing tenant has certainty

They know their timeline and can plan their move.

2. The incoming tenant can relax over Christmas

They’ve secured a home and aren’t stressing over the holidays.

3. You have peace of mind as the landlord

You’re not facing a January vacancy — which is usually one of the tightest cashflow months for investors.

Simply put:
advertising early, securing tenants early, and preparing early is the optimal strategy.

📅 Why Early December Advertising Works

Tenants who intend to move in January are already searching right now.
Listing early gives your property time to “warm up” online and collect interest.

Early advertising provides:

• Maximum REA and Domain exposure
• Multiple inspections before Christmas
• A queue of applicants ready for January
• Reduced days on market
• Higher-quality tenants (early planners, not desperate movers)

But here’s the biggest factor most landlords overlook:

💥 The rental market becomes flooded in January.

January is one of the busiest months for new rental listings because:

• Leases commonly end post-Christmas
• School catchments drive relocations
• Uni students secure housing
• Job starters move to Brisbane
• People who delayed December decisions begin applying

This means competition skyrockets.

When competition increases:

• Your days on market blow out
• Tenants have far more choice
• You must price more competitively
• Newer listings push yours down the search results

This is why advertising in early December is crucial.

It gives you a 2–4 week head start before the January listing surge hits.

By the time every other landlord is uploading their property:
✔️ You already have enquiries and applications
✔️ You’ve already run inspections
✔️ You may already have the property leased

No stress. No vacancy gap. No competing with 30+ similar properties.

⏰ When You Should Advertise (Exact Timeline)

Tenant Vacates	Best Time to List	Why
Early January	1–10 December	Capture pre-Christmas enquiry + early Jan surge
Mid January	5–15 December	Build early enquiry before holiday shutdown
Late January	10–20 December	Strong exposure over Christmas period
February	15–30 December	Secure the early January tentant rush

If your property becomes vacant any time in January,
the time to get it online is now.

🏠 Pure Real Estate’s December Leasing Strategy

When we know a property will be vacant in January or February, we immediately:

1. List the property in early December
2. Run open homes within the next 1–2 weeks
3. Build a pool of applicants before Christmas
4. Process approvals quickly
5. Secure tenants before 15–20 December

The result:
A smooth transition with no January vacancy.

🎁 Final Word

If your tenant is vacating in January or February, waiting until after Christmas to advertise is a costly mistake.

The best leasing outcomes come from early preparation:
✔️ Advertise early
✔️ Inspect early
✔️ Approve early
✔️ Secure tenants before Christmas

After two decades of managing Brisbane rentals, the pattern is clear:
Early December advertising almost always delivers the best result — faster leasing, stronger applicants, and a stress-free January.

👉 Want us to get your property listed and leased before Christmas?
Contact Pure Real Estate today — we’ll start the process immediately.