Landlords See a Jump in Vacancy Rates Even as Rents Drop

More Apartment Owners Are Pushed Into Delinquency Amid Renter Job Losses;

The nation's apartment market deteriorated in the first quarter as rising unemployment dashed landlords' hopes that the housing downturn would create a soft landing by bringing former homeowners back as renters.

The vacancy rate for the top 79 U.S. markets jumped to an average 7.2%, a full percentage point increase over the past two quarters and the highest level since the first quarter of 2004, according to statistics from Reis Inc., a New York real-estate-research firm.
The jump in vacancies came even as landlords reduced rents. Asking rents, which exclude concessions and are often the starting point for rent negotiations