Don't start looking before the month you're planning to move. The fact is it's a PITA to show an occupied apartment. It's done, I've done it, but it's a pain. Besides which most apartments need a bit of work between tenants, even if it's just a bit of scrubbing and touch up paint. So in reality there's a month for the landlord to rent the apartment between leases.

But a landlord who doesn't want to risk losing another month's rent is going to want a lease in hand by the second to third week of the month. And there is the game. A brief period of musical chairs with tenants and landlords trying to match.

No fun for either side but that's the way it is. When I'm listing an apartment and somebody asks me if they could move in the next month or the one after, I have to laugh. Why would I choose to lose a month or two rent unless they were the only applicant on Earth? I'm better off dropping the rent $100 to generate more leads than losing that month's rent.