You walk past one of your units. The lights are off, it's quiet, and nobody's coming or going. It’s a nice place, but it’s been awhile since anyone lived there. You quickly tally the math: For a $1,700 unit, that's over $50 today and over $400 this week. Multiply that across your 70 other vacant properties, and that's nearly $120,000 in lost rental income for the month. This is your vacancy loss—the rental income that you lose when units sit empty.

Empty units are one of the most expensive problems for a property manager, so reducing vacancy loss should be a top priority. While you can't recover yesterday's losses, you can improve tomorrow's performance.

According to recent census data, the national rental vacancy rate stands at 6.9%, meaning the average property owner misses out on nearly 7% of potential rental income. But why settle for average? Why not push for 97%, 98% or near-full occupancy?

"Our mantra, we call it our rally cry, is full, qualified, and collected,” says Josh Lin from McKinley Apartments & Properties, a company managing over 14,000 residential units. “That's the way we simplify the ultimate metrics of our business. “‘Full’ is occupancy. ‘Qualified’ is really about tenant quality and ultimately skips evictions and bad debt downstream. And then ‘Collected’ is all about making sure that our residents coming in are able to pay."

Let's examine what vacancy loss actually costs your business, how to calculate it accurately, and practical ways to minimize those costly empty days.

The cost of vacancy loss

When calculating vacancy loss for your property, the basic formula looks like this:

Average Monthly Rent × Number of Vacant Units × Time Vacant = Vacancy Loss

Say you manage a 1,000-unit property portfolio where the average monthly rent is $1,700. Your current vacancy rate is 7%, meaning you typically have 70 units sitting empty. If those units remain vacant for an average of 45 days before being filled, your vacancy loss calculation would be:

$1,700 × 70 units × 1.5 months = $178,500 in lost rental income

If you maintain this 7% vacancy rate throughout the entire year, your annual vacancy loss would be:

$1,700 × 70 units × 12 months = Over $1.4M in lost rental income per year

Vacancies also lead to additional costs:

• Utilities: Even empty units require basic utilities.
• Marketing expenses: Every vacant unit triggers additional spending on listings and promotion.
• Extra maintenance: Unoccupied units often require more frequent upkeep.
• Staff time: Your team spends valuable hours on vacant unit tasks.
• Turnover costs: Longer vacancies mean more refreshing and updates.

When you add up these hidden costs, a 7% vacancy rate might actually represent a 10-12% drain on your potential revenue. This is why even small improvements can dramatically impact your property's financial performance.

Reducing vacancy loss

While some factors like location, seasonality, and market conditions are beyond your control, many effective strategies are fully within your reach.

Set competitive rent prices

Many successful property managers implement seasonal pricing strategies, adjusting rates during high and low demand periods. When units stay vacant longer than expected, be ready to adjust prices quickly rather than holding firm on unrealistic rates. The right price isn't a static number—it's responsive to your local market conditions and your occupancy goals.

“Some might say we should raise prices as we're leaving money on the table,” says Lin. “Maybe. But our position is to stay occupied as much as we can. We're happy with the occupancy position, but we are working really hard.”

Keep up with maintenance

First impressions matter in property management. The peeling paint on your building's exterior or outdated fixtures in the common areas speak volumes to potential tenants. According to recent NAA Income/Expense IQ data, repairs and maintenance costs rose by 13.7% year-over-year, with a median cost of $950 per unit. The biggest drivers were appliances, painting/decorating, and general repairs—all increasing by 20% or more. It’s a growing expense, but one you have to stay on top of to improve occupancy.

Budget for regular upgrades to kitchens, bathrooms, and common areas—these investments can pay dividends in higher rents and lower vacancy rates. Between tenants, perform thorough unit turnovers that address everything from minor scuffs to deeper cleaning. Consider strategic renovations that allow for higher rents while making your property stand out from competitors.

Market effectively and offer incentives

Your marketing strategy and incentive structure work hand-in-hand to fill vacant units faster. Smart phone listing photos won’t show a unit in its best light. Invest in professional photography that helps prospects imagine themselves living in your space. Write detailed property descriptions that highlight unique features and neighborhood benefits.

When advertising isn't enough, targeted incentives can tip the scales:

• Offer move-in specials during traditionally slow rental seasons
• Create referral programs that reward current tenants for bringing in new residents
• Provide renewal incentives that prevent turnover before it starts
• Consider strategic upgrades or perks for qualified applicants or longer lease terms

Track which combination of marketing channels and incentives produces your best results, then double down on what works for your specific properties and target demographic.

Make people want to stay 

Focusing on tenant retention pays off. According to the 2024 Resident Experience Management Report, retention rates have reached nearly 60%, with each unit turnover costing approximately $4,000 in lost rent, concessions, and maintenance.

The tenant experience begins with the application process. A seamless, efficient screening and onboarding sets positive expectations from day one. When prospective tenants encounter a professional, streamlined application experience, they develop confidence in your management approach before they even move in—creating the foundation for a long-term relationship. In fact, KingsleySurveys found residents satisfied at move-in are 59% more likely to renew their lease, while another report shows 97% of renters would be more likely to renew their lease if working with their property manager was as easy as interacting with Amazon.

Responding quickly to maintenance requests (47% of residents identify maintenance as a key factor in their housing decisions), creating community through events, and communicating clearly about benefits like flexible payment options all contribute to satisfaction. Show appreciation for long-term residents through anniversary acknowledgments or periodic upgrades. Train your staff to prioritize responsive service—residents' relationship with your management team often determines whether they renew or look elsewhere.

Sharpen your screening process

Many property managers assume that since most applicants plan to move in 15-30 days ahead, taking a few extra days to process applications doesn't impact vacancy rates. Consumer behavior tells a different story.

When applicants wait days for responses, they lose trust in your property management company. Many continue searching and apply elsewhere while waiting to hear back from you. Applicants who receive same-day responses are significantly more likely to sign leases than those who wait two to three days.

"The application process can vary," says Matt Lynch, Sales Development Representative for Findigs. "Sometimes, applications go straight to a centralized office for review. But in many cases, especially in multi-family, the process involves multiple steps. An on-site team might review the application first, then send it to corporate for a second look before it comes back for final approval. That back-and-forth means a lot of time spent handling documents, creating delays, and gaps that can open the door to fraud."

Faster, more consistent screening creates broader benefits beyond just converting the applicants you have:

• Your leasing agents spend less time on paperwork and more time nurturing leads and showing properties.
• Your marketing dollars go further because you convert a higher percentage of applicants.
• Your reputation improves, leading to more referrals.

So how can you get there?

Narrow your rules

Most property managers have established credit criteria (like "3x gross income to rent" or "minimum 650 credit score"), but these blunt criteria often leave room for interpretation.

Take income verification: Does "3x gross income" mean calculated over the last 30 days? 60 days? What about teachers who don't get paid in summer? Or Uber drivers with fluctuating income? Without crystal-clear guidelines, it’s likely that your team members will make different judgments on identical applications.

The solution involves creating detailed decision trees that eliminate ambiguity:

• Define exactly which documents count for verification in different scenarios
• Specify time periods for income calculation for different employment types
• Create clear rules for handling unique cases like international applicants

Focus on fraud prevention

Fraud tactics are evolving rapidly, particularly in areas like:

Offer letters: These documents present a particular challenge because they're created by humans rather than systems, making them harder to verify automatically. Create precise rules about when offer letters can be used, how recent they must be, and what verification steps must accompany them.

Identity Verification: Beyond basic ID checks, develop protocols to verify that an applicant's identity is consistent across all documentation. Look for mismatches between provided information and what appears on credit reports or other verification sources.

Higher instances of fraud can increase your vacancy rate and your risk of nonpayment. "If someone is fraudulently renting a unit, they're more likely to not pay their rent since you're going to have some pretty significant costs in eviction,” explains Sebastian Hart, Sr. Director at Findigs. 

According to the National Multifamily Housing Council, in 2024 71% of property managers reported seeing more fraud attempts, while 93% said they had dealt with at least one fraudulent application. With average losses of over $1 million from fraud and nonpayment, even a few missed red flags can seriously hurt your bottom line.

Reorganize your workflow

Leasing teams spend a good chunk of their time on screening tasks, often inefficiently due to context-switching between incomplete applications.

Consider these workflow improvements:

• Implement a completeness check upfront before detailed review begins
• Assign specialized tasks (like employment verification) to specific team members
• Create clear communication protocols for applicants to reduce back-and-forth

Incorporate automation

Once you've established clear, comprehensive rules that can be applied consistently across applicants, you can begin introducing automation:

• Start with repetitive verification tasks
• Use technology for document analysis where appropriate
• Maintain human oversight for nuanced decisions

“If you think about this from an e-commerce perspective where you've got a hot lead who's high intent, who's taken time at 1:00 a.m. to apply, and you can turn right around and say 'yes, you're approved, would you like the unit?' It's a much better experience for everybody involved,” says Steve Caroll, CEO and co-founder of Findigs. “It's obviously creating that urgency in that moment, but it's also keeping somebody who wants to get into a home in this gray opaque area for far less time."

A future with fewer vacancies

Armed with an understanding of what vacancy truly costs, you're ready to take meaningful steps to reduce those empty units. The most effective property managers don't rely on a single approach—they address vacancy from multiple angles. 

Your pricing strategy should reflect current market conditions and seasonal fluctuations. Your physical properties need regular attention to remain attractive to prospective tenants. Marketing must highlight your properties' strengths across platforms where your ideal renters are searching. Building genuine relationships with existing tenants significantly reduces turnover. 

And your screening process—the gateway to filling vacancies—requires clear rules that eliminate ambiguity while identifying qualified applicants quickly. As you implement improvements, measure their impact carefully and adjust as needed. Over time, this comprehensive approach creates a virtuous cycle where your properties stay occupied longer and fill faster when vacancies do occur.

Need help with better screening?

If you'd like to take your tenant screening to the next level, Findigs can help. Our platform handles every step of the verification process with consistent standards, helping you process applications faster without sacrificing thoroughness.

The best part? We fully automate the entire screening process. Your team never has to:

• Verify applicant income or employment
• Run background or credit checks
• Request additional documentation
• Chase down missing information

Unlike other solutions that leave all of these review steps in your hands, we've built a system that provides clear answers for every scenario, based on your specific requirements. We can even help you analyze your current criteria to make sure you're optimizing for truly qualified tenants based on your specific portfolio's performance data.

Want to learn more? Reach out for a complimentary audit of your existing screening rules and receive best practices tailored to your properties.