Rental Vacancy Rate Hits 7.6% in Q3 2026, Highest in a Decade as Homeownership Holds at 65.5%

The national rental vacancy rate climbed to 7.6 percent in the third quarter, the Census Bureau said Wednesday morning, the highest reading in more than a decade and a climb of two full percentage points from the pandemic-era trough. The quarterly Housing Vacancies and Homeownership report shows the rental market has swung decisively from post-pandemic scarcity to landlord surplus, the product of a three-year multifamily building boom landing just as rent growth has faded.

Key takeaways

Related reading: Mortgage Applications Fall 4.1% as Rates Test 7% .

Rental vacancy hit 7.6% in Q3 2026, its highest in more than a decade and up from 7.1% a year earlier. The homeowner vacancy rate held at 1.2%…