Apple ID: This email address is not available, but also no Apple ID associated with the email

There is no official or unofficial consensus from Apple about re-using an email address. The only official documentation that I can find says:

"If you see a message that the email address you want to use isn't available or is already in use, check that you or a family member aren't already using that email address with a different Apple ID. If a family member is using that email address, remove it from their account then try to use it." From: https://support.apple.com/HT202667

Apart from the above statement I have yet to find a formal Apple position statement online about re-using email addresses. Many user reports on this forum (given the large number over many years I don't have specific reason not to believe them) suggest that contrary to what the statement implies as to ease of address re-use, if you have recently used an email address with Apple for another purpose such as a notification email address it cannot be re-used; at least not immediately and possibly never. I guess you can "try to use it" but for many this does not work. This is not commenting on moderation but simply observing that Apple itself is inconsistent when recommending statements about re-using email addresses:

Here is an April 2021 post by ASC contributor IdrisSeabright that was recommended () by an Apple Recommended team member - "Once you've used an email address as an Apple ID, it can't be used again for an Apple ID, even if the first Apple ID has been deleted."

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/252629414?answerId=255095641022#255095641022

This Community Specialist makes a similar statement to be above: "When you go through deleting an Apple ID, it cannot be used again as an Apple ID"

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/253338991

In complete contradiction, another Apple Recommended team member favored -- over a reply referring to the recommended response in a previous paragraph saying you cannot re-use an email address -- a Sept. 2021 post saying just re-use an old email address: https://discussions.apple.com/thread/253165777

'Anecdotal' posts:

April 2021 post https://discussions.apple.com/thread/252629414

"I tried contacting chat support and finally phone support today and they told me that you can NEVER use an email address that was used for a deleted account."

October 2021 post https://discussions.apple.com/thread/253209773

"I deleted the second Apple ID and waited 30 days for the deletion process. Tried to change the email of her initial Apple ID to her current email address, which she can access but it says; 'This email is not available'."

Nov 2021 post https://discussions.apple.com/thread/253380006

"How on earth can my husband reclaim his personal email address from that dead Apple ID? I spent 35 minutes on the phone with apple support and they were completely unable to help."

In conclusion, it appears that the preponderance of evidence suggests you cannot re-use an email address previously used with Apple for another purpose.

Have you logged into your Apple ID to see if the address shows under Reachable At, as a Rescue email address, or as a Notification email address? If it is listed, you can remove/replace the email address.

Apple ID - Manage  

Apple hasn’t published any guidance for using an address again. Normally, if your e-mail address was associated with an ID in any way, for example as a Notification email address or a Rescue e-mail address, then it can't be reused as an  Apple ID email address for approximately one year. I have also seen posts that stated Apple told them there was a 30 day waiting period before the address could be used again.  You will need to get another e-mail address to use as your Apple ID or you can try waiting 30 days to see if that works.