Tenant Moving Out — When can I start showing the unit to prospective tenants?

[Paulina Le]

Hi BP, my tenant just gave 30-days notice. The rental is in Columbus, OH and according to my research, we can show the unit to prospects before my current tenant moves out (as long as advance notice is provided and showings are scheduled for a reasonable time). Is it better to wait until after the tenant moves out and I've had a chance to clean, make any necessary repairs, etc.? From a coordination standpoint, it might be hard to coordinate schedules with prospects, my current tenant, and my realtor who handles showings, so I'm not sure it's worth the trouble.

At minimum, I think I should try to get a handyman out there in the next few weeks to assess if there are a lot of repairs needed to get the unit ready for the next tenant, right?

Would love to hear what you all are doing to turn your units as quickly as possible and minimize vacancy. Thanks in advance! 

[Marc Winter]

Do not show the property until the tenant is out and repairs have been made.  

After 40+ years of experience, I've learned that most folks have no visual imagination, so the condition they see the first view is what they believe they'll get.

Experience fact #2:  tenants say the darndest things, so avoid showing the unit with an existing tenant, esp one who is on their way out.  They will talk trash about the unit, and probably you as a landlord, too!