# Pre-Lease or Move Now? Opening Soon vs Open Today > Weigh your current lease end, special depth at pre-lease vs. lease-up, delay risk, and 24-month totals before you choose. URL: https://newapartmentsaustin.com/guides/pre-lease-or-move-now/ Last-Modified: 2026-10-25 Decision guide · Opening Soon # Pre-Lease or Move Now? Opening Soon vs. Open Today Weigh your current lease end, special depth at pre-lease vs. lease-up, delay risk, and 24-month totals before you choose. Written by New Austin Apartment Team [/about/#new-austin-apartment-team →](/about/#new-austin-apartment-team) · Reviewed by the team, Spirit Real Estate Group, LLC · Updated October 25, 2026 · 5 min read - Free to you, and your rent is the same either way - 144 new communities tracked (as of Oct 25, 2026) - Prices pulled every morning ![Two new Austin apartment buildings, one finished and one under construction](/images/featured/two-new-austin-apartment-buildings-one-finished-an.webp) - Licensed Texas brokerage Spirit Real Estate Group, LLC, TREC #562021 - Free to renters Communities pay the brokerage. Your rent is the same either way. - Prices pulled every morning Every card shows the date and time it was pulled - Score can't be bought Commission rates never affect score, sort, placement, or picks ## Should you pre-lease or move into an open building? It depends mostly on your current lease end and how much timing risk you can carry. A building opening soon [/opening-soon/ →](/opening-soon/) offers a never-lived-in unit and often a pre-lease special, with the risk that its date slips. A building open today [/lease-up-apartments/ →](/lease-up-apartments/) offers certainty and, during lease-up, specials that can be just as deep. Here’s a four-question flow to decide. ![Decision flow chart: lease end date, special depth, delay risk, 24-month total](/images/content/decision-flow-chart-lease-end-date-special-depth-d.webp) ## Question 1: When does your current lease end? | Your lease ends… | Lean toward… | | --- | --- | | In under 60 days | Open today; pre-leasing dates are too close to call | | In 2-6 months | Either; compare confirmed opening dates with a buffer | | In 6+ months | Watch both; pre-leasing dates may not be confirmed yet | | Month-to-month now | Pre-leasing is easier, since you can stay a little longer | We’d want at least a few weeks of buffer between a confirmed opening date and your lease end. ## Question 2: How deep is each special? Compare net effective, not the headline. On Oct 25, 2026, the board median was 10.8 weeks free and 75% of communities offered 8 or more weeks, many of them already open. A pre-lease special isn’t automatically better. Check: - Net effective and true monthly for your lease length - Year two at 0% and +3% - Whether the special is locked when you sign ## Question 3: How much delay risk can you carry? | Delay tolerance | What it looks like | | --- | --- | | Low | Your lease can’t be extended; you have a fixed job start | | Medium | You can go month-to-month for a few weeks | | High | You’re staying with family or have flexible housing | If tolerance is low, an open building usually wins even with a slightly smaller special. If you do pre-lease, read the delay terms; see what happens when the move-in date slips [/guides/move-in-date-delayed/ →](/guides/move-in-date-delayed/) . > **What it means for you** > > A $100-a-month better special isn’t worth much if a delay costs you two weeks in a hotel. ## Question 4: What’s the 24-month total? Put both options on a 24-month basis: year one after the special, plus year two at base, plus fees. Include any month-to-month premium at your current place if you’d need to wait for the pre-lease building. Base rent drives year two, so a lower base can beat a deeper special. ## Supply context Deliveries fall from about 13,000-14,900 in 2026 to about 7,000 in 2027 (Austin Apartment Association; Northmarq). Fewer buildings may open in 2027, which could mean fewer lease-ups competing with specials. Our guide on supply in 2027 [/guides/rent-now-or-wait-austin-supply-2027/ →](/guides/rent-now-or-wait-austin-supply-2027/) covers the dated numbers. ## What we’d do We’d line up confirmed openings that fit your date with a buffer, add two or three open buildings as backups, and compare all of them on true monthly and the 24-month total. Then we’d give you our top two picks and the tradeoff in one sentence. Learn more about Opening Soon Pre-leasing buildings in the five-county metro, each with an opening date we confirmed in the last 30 days and lined up against your current lease end. Open Opening Soon [/opening-soon/ →](/opening-soon/) Why it goes wrong ## Why pre-leasing goes sideways Problem 1 ### Opening dates slip A Certificate of Occupancy delay can push first move-in by weeks. If your current lease ends first, you're paying for two places or looking for interim housing. Problem 2 ### You lease from a floor plan Sight-unseen leasing means the view, floor height, and finish package are on paper. The model unit may not match your actual unit. Problem 3 ### Holding deposits vary Some holding deposits are refundable, some aren't, and some only are if the community misses its date. The holding agreement decides. So we confirm opening dates within 30 days, read the holding agreement with you, and plan a backup if the date moves. Straight answers ## Questions about this topic Direct answer first, then the source and date. If your question isn't here, ask us on the form or by text. ### Are pre-lease specials better than lease-up specials? Not always. Compare net effective and year two on both. Early lease-up specials are often as deep as pre-lease ones, without delivery risk. ### How far ahead can I pre-lease? Often 2-6 months before first move-in. We match it to your lease end so you don't carry two leases for long. ### What's the biggest risk of pre-leasing? Timing. If the Certificate of Occupancy slips past your lease end, you may need interim housing. Read the delay terms before you sign. ### Can you guarantee a price or approval? No. We confirm both before you sign. Keep reading ## More guides on this topic ![Tower crane over a nearly finished apartment building in Austin](/images/featured/tower-crane-over-a-nearly-finished-limestone-and-g.webp) ### Rent Now or Wait? Austin New-Build Supply in 2026 vs. 2027 Deliveries fall from about 13,000-14,900 in 2026 to about 7,000 in 2027. What that timing window means for specials and your move date. [Rent Now or Wait? Austin New-Build Supply in 2026 vs. 2027 →](/guides/rent-now-or-wait-austin-supply-2027/) ![Hard-hat tour inside a nearly finished apartment with floor-to-ceiling glass](/images/featured/hard-hat-tour-inside-a-nearly-finished-apartment-w.webp) ### How Pre-Leasing Works: Holds, Deposits, and Sight-Unseen Units Holding deposits, picking a floor plan sight unseen, hard-hat tours, and price locks: the pre-leasing steps and what's refundable. [How Pre-Leasing Works: Holds, Deposits, and Sight-Unseen Units →](/guides/how-pre-leasing-works/) The 60-second form ## Tell us what you need. We make the calls. You don't have time to call 20 leasing offices. We do, and confirm the unit, the special, and the written fee sheet the same day during hours. 1. 1 Same day We call or text during hours with a shortlist plan. 2. 2 In writing Unit, special, end date, and fee sheet confirmed before you tour. 3. 3 Year two shown Every pick shows year two at 0% and +3%, plus a 24-month total. Prefer to talk? Call or text 512-000-000 [tel:+1512000000 →](tel:+1512000000) , Mon-Fri 8 AM-8 PM · Sat 9 AM-6 PM · Sun 12-5 PM. Free, same day during hours ## Get my shortlist Step 1 of 3 ### Thanks, we have your details. We'll call or text the same day during hours with your shortlist plan. Related pages ## Related board views Board view ### Opening Soon Pre-leasing communities with opening dates we confirmed within 30 days, matched to the date your current lease ends. Open Opening Soon→ [/opening-soon/ →](/opening-soon/) Board view ### Lease-Ups Buildings already open and filling, sorted by stage and fill estimate, with what's finished and what the special does to your monthly cost. Open Lease-Ups→ [/lease-up-apartments/ →](/lease-up-apartments/) Board view ### New Build Board Every in-scope community on one map, with base rent, the special, net effective, true monthly, and year two pulled every morning. Open New Build Board→ [/new-construction-apartments/ →](/new-construction-apartments/) ![](/images/misc/dusk-view-of-new-limestone-and-glass-apartment-tow.webp) Free to you, and your rent is the same either way ## You don't have time to call 20 leasing offices. We do. Send us your move date and all-in budget. We confirm the unit, the special, and the written fee sheet the same day during hours, then show you year two before you tour. Get my shortlist → [/contact/ →](/contact/) See the New Build Board [/new-construction-apartments/ →](/new-construction-apartments/) Call or text 512-000-000 [tel:+1512000000 →](tel:+1512000000) We don't guarantee pricing or approval. The community sets both, and we confirm them before you sign.