An error has been found with the CONP (condo fee) variable on the Public Use Microdata Sample (PUMS) files, which affects how units that are not condominiums are identified.

Early PUMS data dictionaries indicated that CONP was to be blank for all types of records except for those that paid a nonzero condominium fee.  Beginning with 2009 1-year and 2010 multi-year files, all PUMS data dictionaries indicated that blanks would be used for renter-occupied units, vacant not being bought , and group quarters (GQ) records, while CONP = 0000 would be used for units that were either owner-occupied or vacant-for-sale but were not condominiums.

However, PUMS 1-year files were not updated to show the 0000 values.  PUMS 1-year files of 2009 through 2014 continued to show only blanks for CONP for all records except those with nonzero condominium fees.

PUMS 3-year and 5-year files, beginning with 2008-2010 and 2006-2010, were updated to correctly show CONP = 0000 for all owner records which do not pay condominium fees, but incorrectly assigned 0000 (not condo) to all rentals and other vacant record types.  These rental record types should have been blank for CONP, since ACS data cannot be used to identify rentals as condominiums.  On these files, only the GQ records were correctly assigned CONP = blank.

Beginning with the 2010-2014 5-year PUMS, the CONP variable will match the data dictionary definition in both 1-year and 5-year PUMS files for all future PUMS releases.

For the affected 1-year PUMS files, records with TEN (tenure) = 1 or 2, or VACS (vacancy status) = 3 or 4, and CONP = blank should have CONP = 0000 instead.

For the affected multi-year PUMS files, records with TEN = 3 or 4, or VACS = 1, 2, 5, 6, or 7, should have CONP = blank.