According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the national vacancy rate for rental housing in the first quarter was 9.7 percent, but that rate was much lower for homeowner housing, at just 2.6 percent.
Compared to the same three months of 2010, vacancies in rented units edged down slightly to just under 1 percent, while the vacancy rate in homeowner properties stayed the same.
The report also detailed where vacancies were highest and lowest by region. Both homeowner and rental vacancy rates were highest in the South, at 2.8 percent and 12.5 percent, respectively. The Northeast sported the lowest vacancy rate for the two types of property dwellings.
The bureau's report on rental vacancies contrasts with an Associated Press report from earlier this month. At the time, the AP reported that landlords in Washington, D.C., New York City, Boston and several other metropolitan areas were raising rental fees due to increased demand.
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