Originally Posted by j.man
I mean, he should be looking just for it being the responsible thing to do, but while yes, landlords don't have to stick to the 1st through the 5th move-in, ending tenancy at the end of the month and spending the first few days of the next cleaning and doing minor renos tends to be the surest way to limit vacancy periods. He can expect a good 90%+ of his decent prospects to have a March move-in.
Still, that's not your problem and is further why you've got zero reason to be inquiring on his apartment application status. You gave him a month. At the end of that period, he's either moving into his sparkly new apartment or finding alternative arrangements until he can.
I agree with being blunt and not sparing any key terms, but you two are sharing some pretty close quarters, so I might make an effort to include a pinch of sugar in your presentation when confirming the arrangement.