Counting the Empties: Where the Most Dwellings Sit Vacant
Suburbtrends Vacancy Index · February 2026
Counting the Empties: Where the Most Dwellings Sit Vacant
Not vacancy rates — vacancy counts. The raw number of dwellings sitting empty in each SA3, and how tracking those counts month by month is what makes the SVI work.
2,811
National Vacant (H)
2,350
National Vacant (U)
75,025
Sampled Stock (H)
66,337
Sampled Stock (U)
📐 How the SVI Tracks Rents — From Counts to Forecasts
STEP 1 — COUNT
Every month, we count the number of vacant rental dwellings in each SA3 from sampled listing stock across all major platforms. This is the raw signal — not a rate, not an estimate, but an actual count of properties sitting empty and seeking tenants.
STEP 2 — INDEX
We index each SA3's current vacancy count against its own count from 12 months ago (base = 100). An SVI of 95 means 5% fewer vacancies than a year ago — the market has tightened. An SVI of 105 means 5% more — it has loosened. The change in counts, not the level, is what matters.
STEP 3 — FORECAST
The SVI feeds directly into our Rent Review Forecast model (R² 49–59% for houses). Markets where vacancy counts are falling relative to base — lower SVI — produce stronger forecast rent growth. The index is the single strongest predictor of where rents are headed, because it measures the real supply-demand imbalance that drives pricing.
10 markets · ranked by absolute vacant dwelling count (highest first)
DwellingSort by
Suburbtrends Interactive Maps
See Vacancy Counts Across Your SA4
The SA4 map product shows vacancy counts and SVI trends at SA3 level, updated monthly. Watch the counts change — and know what it means for rents before the market does.
$95
per SA4 / month
Free SA4 tier available
Methodology: Vacancy counts are derived from sampled rental stock across major listing platforms. The SVI indexes each SA3's count against its own 12-month-ago base (Feb 2025 = 100). Each card shows dual sparklines: the raw vacancy count series (blue) and the SVI series (teal) over 12 months. Where counts fall, SVI falls, and rent growth is forecast to strengthen — the mechanism is direct and observable. suburbtrends.com.au