Provider says student accommodation will be popular again
The UK's biggest student accommodation provider is predicting that its buildings will be full when the new academic year starts.
Unite Group , which has 177 student properties in 27 cities and towns with 74,000 beds, is making the prediction.
The business has revealed that its portfolio occupancy is at 88% but when the 2021-2022 academic year begins, it will rise to between 95% and 98%.
The accommodation provider is also pointing to a Government target to increase the number of international students by 80,000 by 2030 that will benefit the sector.
This ambitious aim will be helped with a new two-year post-study visa.
And Unite says that the UK is the world's second most popular destination for international students and that demand will return.
Dip in demand from European Union students
That's despite a predicted dip in demand from European Union students as their course fees will increase after Brexit.
The firm's chief executive, Richard Smith, said he believes that demand will be strong for student properties, including purpose-built student accommodation, even though remote learning is still in place.
He added that students have recognised that going to university was not just about their studies but also enjoying a 'life experience'.
Unite has just published its results for the year to reveal a £120 million loss and they are also predicting rental growth this year.
The managing director of Accommodation for Students, Simon Thompson, said: "It is good news hearing that a major student accommodation provider is predicting nearly full capacity for their schemes.
"This means that all student landlords can look forward to the new academic year with some confidence, particularly with growing demand and rising rents."
Most students remained in their accommodation
Meanwhile, it has been revealed that 85% of students appear to have remained in their student accommodation during the pandemic lockdown.
The news comes from the Office for National Statistics which has carried out a survey of 2,800 students and found that most are living at the same address they were in last September.
The findings contradict a survey carried out by the NUS that found that 30% of students are living at home, compared with 25% before lockdown.
In a separate report, the Residential Landlords' Association (NRLA) found that 19% of students have vacated their property during the lockdown and that 20% had requested a rent reduction - with 60% of student landlords agreeing to a reduction.
