TAIPEI (TVBS News) — The Ministry of the Interior (MOI, 內政部) reported a surge on Thursday (Dec. 19) in Taiwan's housing vacancy rate and unsold new homes, marking a record high for the first quarter since 2016. The national vacancy rate rose to 9.32% in the first half of the year, the highest in two years, with approximately 82,400 low-usage homes.
The ministry released data from its "Low Electricity Usage Residences and Unsold New Homes Overview" (低度用電住宅及待售新成屋概況), revealing a 0.07 percentage point increase compared to the previous period. The unsold new homes reached 107,600 units in the first quarter, a 6.59% increase from the previous quarter. New Taipei City (新北市) led with 21,500 unsold units, while Taoyuan (桃園) and Taichung (台中) each exceeded 15,000.
However, the second quarter saw a decline in unsold new homes, totaling 103,100 units, a 4.21% decrease from the previous quarter, yet still the second-highest on record. Real estate analyst Ho Shih-chang (何世昌) noted that despite the slight increase in the vacancy rate, it has remained relatively low over recent years, not surpassing 10%.
Ho emphasized the importance of understanding the distribution of vacant homes, which are typically located outside major metropolitan areas, in suburbs, or newly developed zones. If this pattern persists, Ho suggested the market impact would remain limited.
