Definition

Noun: - The percentage of available units that are not occupied: A statistical measure, typically expressed as a percentage, that indicates the proportion of rental units (such as in apartments, hotels, or offices) that are unoccupied and available for rent at a specific point in time.

Usage

The term is primarily used in real estate, hospitality, and economic contexts to gauge market health, supply and demand, and economic activity. A high vacancy rate often indicates an oversupply of units or weak demand, while a low vacancy rate suggests strong demand and a tight market.

Examples

• In a real estate report:
• In economic news:
• In hospitality management:

Advanced Usage

• "to track the vacancy rate": To monitor this percentage over time.
  • Investors closely track the vacancy rate to assess property performance.
• "a soaring/plummeting vacancy rate": Describing a rapidly increasing or decreasing rate.
  • The new regulations led to a soaring vacancy rate in commercial properties.

Variants and Related Words

• Vacancy (n): The state of being vacant or unoccupied; an available room, apartment, or position.
  • There are two vacancies in the building.
• Occupancy rate (n): The complementary metric, representing the percentage of units that occupied.
  • A high occupancy rate is the goal for most landlords.

Synonyms

• Vacancy ratio: A less common term with the same meaning.
• Empty rate: An informal synonym.

Related Phrases

• Vacancy factor: Often used in financial projections to estimate income loss from unrented units.
  • The pro forma includes a 5% vacancy factor.

Noun

1. the percentage of all rental units (as in hotels) that are unoccupied or not rented at a given time