The percentage of empty, privately owned homes across the nation remained steady at 2.5 percent in the third quarter, while rental vacancies edged down slightly, a government report showed today.

The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.5 percent in the July-September period, the same as in the April-June period, the Commerce Department said. In the third quarter of 2009, the homeowner vacancy rate was 2.6 percent.

The residential rental vacancy rate was 10.3 percent in the third quarter, compared to 10.6 percent in both the second and first quarters of 2010, the Commerce Department said. (Reuters)