Vacancy cost calculator
Vacancy costs more than the rent that never arrives. Add the empty days, turnover work, and leasing fees to see the full cost of the gap and how much of one year's scheduled rent it consumes.
Use direct, vacancy-specific costs here. Normal annual operating costs belong in yield or cap-rate analysis.
€52.57 daily rent × 30 days + €1,600 direct costs
Daily rent uses monthly rent × 12 ÷ 365.25, avoiding a rough 30-day-month assumption.
Estimates only, for general guidance. Figures are shown in EUR; use the same currency for every input. Lost rent is prorated using 365.25 days per year.
How to use it
- 1Enter the monthly rent and the expected number of empty days.
- 2Add cleaning, repairs, advertising, and leasing costs caused by the turnover.
- 3Compare the total with annual scheduled rent and the cost of acting sooner.
How to use the result
Count the whole gap
The visible loss is unpaid rent, but a turnover can also require cleaning, repairs, safety checks, advertising, photography, agent fees, or tenant screening. Keeping these costs separate prevents a short vacancy from looking artificially cheap.
Use the result to set priorities
Compare the total cost with the price of an earlier repair, a faster listing, or a modest rent adjustment. A lower asking rent can be rational when the income preserved by filling the property sooner exceeds the discount.
Guides and workflows for the result
Use the calculation as a starting point, then examine the assumptions and carry the result into the matching PropFlow workflow.
Questions
- How do you calculate lost rent?
- The calculator annualizes the monthly rent, divides it by 365.25, and multiplies that daily amount by the vacant days. This treats a 28-day February and a 31-day month consistently.
- Which turnover costs should I include?
- Include costs caused by the tenant change: cleaning, painting, minor repairs, compliance checks, photography, advertising, agent or leasing fees, and screening. Do not add normal annual expenses already budgeted elsewhere.
- Can a lower rent reduce vacancy cost?
- Sometimes. Compare the rent discount over the lease term with the vacancy cost avoided by filling the property earlier. The right answer depends on local demand, seasonality, tenant quality, and the length of the proposed lease.