Key takeaways
- AHS uses distinct vacancy-reason categories.
- Needs repair and preparing to rent are different states.
- A dated status is more useful than an undifferentiated vacancy count.
Source record
2 cited sources
Last verified
2026-08-09
Table of Contents
Quick Overview
The 2023 AHS item booklet lists vacancy reasons including foreclosure, personal or family reasons, legal proceedings, preparing to rent or sell, storage, needs repair, being repaired or renovated, specific-use housing, extended absence, and abandoned or possibly condemned status.
What the statistic measures
These are response categories in a national housing survey. They are not a count of a portfolio's available units, and they do not say how long a unit has been vacant.
Rental operations application
Use the vacancy aging review to record the current reason and elapsed days. Then compare the unit's turn-ready date with the turn-ready reliability research before reporting it as available.
Common Mistakes
Do not merge repair, renovation, and ready-to-rent states into one vacancy bucket. Do not label a unit available because it is physically empty.
Common Questions Answered
Is a vacant unit always a market vacancy?
No. A vacant unit may be held for a specific use, under repair, in legal proceedings, or unavailable for another reason.
Should the survey categories become a property-management status list?
They can inform a list, but the operator should define statuses that match its workflow and legal obligations.
Source and limits
The 2023 AHS item booklet is the source for the categories. Survey categories are not a substitute for a current unit status.
Ready to apply the research?
Make every vacancy record name its reason, owner, next action, and expected date.