Vacancy Loss Calculator

Divide the monthly rent by the number of days in the month to get a daily rate, then multiply that daily rate by the number of vacant days. For a more complete picture, add any vacancy-related costs — marketing, cleaning, turnover repairs — on top of the lost rent to see the total cost of the vacancy, not just the rent itself.

Worked example: a unit renting for $1,950 a month sits vacant for 18 days in a 30-day month. Daily rent is $1,950 ÷ 30 = $65, so the vacancy loss is 18 × $65 = $1,170. Add a $300 cleaning and turnover cost, and the total cost of that vacancy comes to $1,470.

• Monthly rent and the exact number of vacant days
• Whether to use a flat 30-day month or the actual days in the specific calendar month
• Marketing or advertising costs to re-list the unit
• Cleaning, repairs, or other turnover costs incurred during the vacancy

• Counting only lost rent and ignoring marketing or turnover costs
• Using a flat 30-day divisor in a 31-day month, which slightly understates the daily rate
• Treating one vacancy’s cost as representative of your overall, long-run vacancy rate
• Forgetting to recheck the days-in-month for February in a leap year