Vacancy is one of the biggest drags on rental property returns. This calculator shows the true cost of empty units in California — pre-filled with California average rents ($2,619/mo) and vacancy rate (4.8%).
Avg Cap Rate
4.2%
Median Price
$833K
Property Tax
0.69%
Vacancy Rate
4.8%
Local Factors
Total Vacancy Cost
$7,534
$628/mo lost
What does this mean?
A 3–7% vacancy rate is the sweet spot for most rental markets. You're maintaining strong occupancy while likely pricing rents at market rate. Most lenders underwrite in this range.
Vacancy loss is the income you don't collect when units sit empty between tenants. It's the gap between what a property could earn at full occupancy (Gross Potential Rent) and what it actually collects.
What vacancy rate should you use? Most lenders underwrite 5-8% for stabilized multifamily. California averages around 4.8%. Your actual rate depends on local market conditions, property condition, and management quality.
Keep running the numbers
Vacancy eats into everything in California. See the full impact on your returns.