Amber Beat: Global Student Accommodation Market News - June 2025, Week 01

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Missed keeping track of all the latest happenings in the student accommodation market?

Amber Beat is a weekly snapshot of the key developments in top student accommodation markets.  This newsletter provides you with all the information you need to know, from new upcoming projects to current trends, news affecting students to government policies, we’ve got you covered!

Amber Beat | News from May 30 - June 05, 2025

United Kingdom

• PBSA drives commercial property resurgence as 80% of professionals see strong investment opportunity, says Together report (Source)
• Colchester cuts housing costs by over 50% using student flats, saving £7,650 a day and helping 132 families (Source)
• Glasgow’s East End emerges as smart PBSA investment hotspot with 77,000 students and 29% enrolment growth driving demand (Source)
• CVC DIF expands UK PBSA portfolio with 750-bed acquisition in Edinburgh and Glasgow, surpassing 5,000 beds nationwide (Source)
• MCR Property Group acquires 629-bed Clanny House PBSA in Sunderland, kicks off 14-week refurbishment (Source)
• Olympian’s St James House PBSA in Bristol to begin construction of 28-storey tower with 442 units set to become city’s tallest building (Source)
• Fusion Group acquires Cardiff office site for £8.37M to deliver 706-bed PBSA scheme targeting BREEAM Outstanding (Source)
• Ringline submits plans for 361-bed student scheme on Dublin’s North King Street with 1,934 sqm of amenity space (Source)
• North Road secures planning approval for 30-bed PBSA on Gage Street to ease housing pressure in Lancaster (Source)
• York Coal Yard PBSA hits market for £27.8M with 189 beds and £1.5M NOI, amid 57% student undersupply (Source)

United States of America

• Trump proposes 15% cap on foreign students at Harvard, raising concerns for over 330,000 Indian students amid tightening US education policies & funding cuts (Source)
• US crackdown on international students, including visa revocations & interview halts threatens $43.8B in economic impact; raising concerns over long-term talent loss (Source)
• Trump’s anti-immigration push & visa revocation plans targeting Chinese students spark panic across Asia, casting doubt on the Ivy League dream and US study plans for thousands of students (Source)
• College of Charleston plans 1,200-bed Coming Street Commons student housing complex, adding 1,000 new beds to existing 99 St. Philip facility (Source)
• Brinkmann Constructors and Kayne Anderson break ground on 607-bed Trolley North Apartments, comprising 200 apartment units, near University of Utah in Salt Lake City (Source)
• QIP and Melrose Ascension Capital open 358-bed Straits Row co-living and student-friendly tower in Chicago’s South Loop, marking QIP’s U.S. flagship residential project (Source)
• Subtext and Kayne Anderson to develop $97.19M, 272-unit Verve Fayetteville student housing project near University of Arkansas, opening August 2027 (Source)

Australia

• Australia recorded a 13% annual increase in international student enrolments, reaching a record 1,095,298, with 571,986 new enrolments in 2024, as Canada, Australia, and the US impose stricter policies (Source)
• Australia to increase its international student visa application fee from A$710 to A$1,600 in July 2024, with ongoing proposed hike to A$2,000, raising affordability concerns among students (Source)
• In June 2025, Trump enacted a travel ban on 12 countries and restricted student visas at Harvard University, affecting 277,000 Chinese students and prompting Australian universities to prepare for a surge in displaced international enrolments (Source)
• Greystar launches first Australian BTR brand, Haiku, with over 1,300 apartments across The Gladstone in South Melbourne and The Claremont in South Yarra, promoting renter-centric living (Source)

Canada

• India accounts for 45.8% of Canada’s 834,010 temporary visas in early 2025 as study and work permit rules tighten. (Source)
• Canada sees record surge in international student asylum claims with 20,245 filings in 2024 and a 22% rise in early 2025; Indian students lead with over 40% share. (Source)
• Canada faces sharp decline in international student interest with PG Enrolment down 31%, and 93% institutions cite visa barriers; Asia & Europe rise (Source)
• Canada proposes Strong Borders Act to ban asylum claims after 1 year, expand mail inspections, and limit cash transactions above C$10,000 amid record immigration and backlog. (Source)
• Canada ranks strong globally with top universities shining in CWUR 2025 report for education quality, employability, and research. (Source)

Europe

• Cushman & Wakefield reports €6B European PBSA investment as sector captures 20% of total real estate volumes in 2024 (Source)
• Italy faces shortfall of 225,000 student beds by 2030; public-private forum set for 12 June to tackle housing crisis amid 68% surge in foreign enrolments by 2028 (Source)
• French housing minister targets 45,000 new affordable student homes by 2027 amid 250,000-unit shortage (Source)
• Collegiate Milan Bovisa boosts student living with premium residences near Politecnico, enhancing a thriving creative hub (Source)
• Ardian and Rockfield expand European PBSA strategy to €800M with new €300M CBRE IM investment, targeting 5,000+ beds across key cities (Source)
• Kappa Maritime & Estates propose 80-bedroom PBSA to redevelop derelict Portswood Road site in Southampton (Source)
• PBSA overtakes multifamily as top target for European OpRE investors with €7.4B expected inflows and 70% sector growth predicted by Savills (Source)
• University of Jaén plans first Linares student residence, construction expected by late 2025 to support campus growth and student needs (Source)

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