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To me the fundamentals are (certainly colored by my own reading) --
1) They are a form of undead, not living in the traditional sense. It is close to required (in my mind) that they have no heartbeat and do not circulate their blood. They are intelligent and communicate (as opposed to, say, zombies).
2) They are have very long 'natural' lives if they are kept fed. They may or may not survive lack of feeding (many authors go one way or the other) and they may or may not have significant vulnerabilities such as garlic, sunlight, religious symbols, or fire. Same maybe/maybe not applies to restrictions such as swimming or crossing moving bodies of water.
I don't like vampires that aren't bothered by sunlight. That is awfully close to a basic property to me because it ties to having to hide, needing underground and/or sleeping in coffins. That hiding, and being shunned by humans who know of them, is a basic trait to me.
3) They take sustenance from human life. That may be blood, spirit, or whatever but it damages or kills the food source. That sustenance may have no more effect on them than simple food does for us or it may be a source of instant power and healing.
4) They can turn a human into a vampire. That doesn't have to happen to anyone they feed from. It can be an involved ritual.
5) They have some superhuman attributes. It can be as simple as seeing in the dark or all the way to super-strength, super-speed, hypnosis, mind-reading, instant healing, invulnerability to ordinary weapons, and transforming into animal or intangible forms.
6) Killing them permanently involves some unusual technique. Could be one or more of a stake in the heart, cutting off the head, burning the heart, etcetera.
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