Great ways to Determine Vacancy Rate

Vacancy rate: This term denotes the percentage of a year that a property will sit empty. It is a very important calculation to include in your numbers when you buy a rental property in Charlotte, but it is also an “average” number that you should consider when determining the best location in which to purchase a rental property.

Buying in an area with a high average vacancy rate means that your property will likely be vacant more often. Because vacancy is one of the most costly expenses for a landlord, it would make sense that you would want to buy in areas with below-average vacancy rates.

So how do you find the average vacancy rate in Charlotte? There are three different approaches to finding this data:

1. Census

The U.S. Census Bureau tracks vacancy rates with data points in many areas of the country, including the largest 75 markets in the country. This data is fairly “raw” and will require you to download information to a spreadsheet to analyze it. This data also does not get down to the level of specific neighborhoods, which can dramatically affect the vacancy rate.

2. Agents

If your specific location uses real estate agents to fill vacant units, you can call in a favor and ask a real estate agent to conduct a comparative market analysis on Charlotte rental property stats. This can show you how long currently available properties on the MLS have been vacant. This will also show you how long properties sat before being rented, original listing prices versus rented prices, and other data points.

3. Property Managers/Landlords

The third approach to finding the vacancy rate in Charlotte is by calling up a local property manager or landlord and asking them. They should know this number off the top of their head and can probably give you a more accurate picture than either of the other options listed here. Property managers can tell you specifics about which streets or neighborhoods have a higher or lower vacancy, as well as other nuances about locations.

In addition, this gives you the chance to interview some property managers on the phone in case you decide you want to hire one to watch over your investment.

What is a good vacancy rate? The truth is that there is no standard right or wrong number, but according to the U.S. Census Bureau, in 2014, the nationwide average was 7.6%, compared with a record high of 10.6% in 2009 and record low of 5.0% in 1981. Your area will likely have a different number, and honestly, that’s OK. No matter what the vacancy rate is for your area, the truth is this: make sure you incorporate this vacancy rate into your analysis.