Vacancy Data Guide

How to Use Vacancy Data List Criteria to Identify Vacant Properties and Prevent Sending Mail to Owners & Properties Identified Vacant

Updated over a week ago

Vacancy Data is only available in the PRO subscription package.

To use Vacancy Data criteria from Discover:

Criteria > Property > Status > Site Vacant
Whether or not the property has been identified as vacant by the United States Postal Service.

Criteria > Owner > Mail Address > Mail Vacant
Whether or not the owner's mailing address has been identified as vacant by the United States Postal Service.

Using Vacancy Data

For those of you who understand the value of vacancy data, we’re certain we don't have to tell you how to use Vacancy Data! But do read on to understand a few nuances.

Vacancy data, identified by the US Postal Service, tells you

  1. whether or not a property (site) is identified vacant, or 

  2. whether or not an owner's mailing address is identified vacant.

An owner’s mailing address may be different from the property address for a myriad of reasons, the most common being that it is a non-owner occupied property.

Note that identified vacant properties have the ability to have mail delivered, however, no one is picking up the mail. Properties not established on a mail delivery route are not identified as vacant.

Know that there are a myriad of reasons that a property may be marked as vacant by the US Postal service - and yet the property IS NOT "vacant". Short-term rentals, such as Airbnbs, are one situation. If targeting properties in a vacation destination you may see lots of vacant results, however, you will likely have to confirm vacancy with additional research.

Vacancy data originates from the US Postal service. Its common use is to identify properties or owner addresses that are vacant to prevent (suppress) the attempt to deliver mail to those addresses. 

Mail that is sent to a US Postal Service owner/property address identified vacant will be returned with no delivery attempt and there’s no refund for the postage. If you send a lot of direct mail, making use of Vacancy Data as a criterion in your lists will save you from wasting postage on undeliverable mail.

Be sure to familiarize yourself with how you can now include/exclude (suppress) Lists from Lists.

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