Amber Beat: Global Student Accommodation Market News - March 2025, Week 02

About Amber Beat

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 March 07-March 13, 2025

United Kingdom

• PBSA rents in UK cities outpace HMOs, driven by foreign student demand; average weekly rent hits £255 in Manchester (Source)
• UK student visa family ban leads to drop in international applications; 51,000 students affected in North West (Source)
• Nido Living launches The Sail Works PBSA in Lancaster with 388 bedrooms, set to open in September 2025 (Source)
• Sama Investment Group launches 184-bed Lawson Street PBSA in Birmingham, close to Aston and Birmingham city universities (Source)
• Rengen Developments completes £4.7m conversion of Exeter offices into 105-bed PBSA at Beaufort House (Source)
• Clark Contracts tops out The Pepper Mill student accommodation in Edinburgh, offering 155 beds, plan to open in Autumn this year (Source)
• Maslow Capital secures £114m loan for two London PBSA projects, delivering 638 beds and commercial space (Source)
• Orka secures £19.2M loan boost for 242-room purpose-built student accommodation project in Manchester (Source)

United States of America

• New U.S. visa rules delay H-1B eligibility, disrupt career plans for Indian students on OPT (Source)
• Trump’s executive order forces universities to shut down DEI programs, impacting housing, scholarships, and jobs nationwide (Source)
• University of Texas at Austin begins $145M, 1,070-bed student housing project on Whitis Avenue, set to open in fall 2027 (Source)
• SDSU Imperial Valley, Imperial Valley College launch $17M, 40-room student housing in Calexico, set for fall 2026 (Source)
• Parallel begins construction on 671-bed student housing complex near Texas Tech in Lubbock, set to open by fall 2027 (Source)
• Chapter Madison opens in Greenbrush neighborhood with 534 beds, 165 units, and high-end amenities near UW-Madison (Source)
• Up Campus secures $87.4 million for 782-bed Leo Tallahassee student housing project set to open in 2027 (Source)
• Preiss Company, FD Stonewater to develop 1,200-bed student housing in Knoxville and Raleigh, set for fall 2027 (Source)
• Seven Hills Realty Trust closes $18.5 million bridge loan to refinance 271-bed LL Sams student housing near Baylor University (Source)
• Lubbock City Council approves zoning change for Tech Terrace student housing project with 421 parking spaces (Source)
• Texas Tech student leaders oppose 584-bed Pinecrest student housing project on 19th Street, urge Lubbock City Council to reconsider rezoning (Source)
• UConn revokes housing guarantee amid record enrollment, leaving students waitlisted and scrambling for alternatives (Source)
• Harvard, University of Washington, and others freeze hiring amid uncertainty over federal funding cuts (Source)

Australia

• Australia’s student bed pipeline surges 19% in 6 months, adding 5,605 beds amid strong private sector demand (Source)
• M&G Real Estate enters Australian PBSA market with a $61.8M 390-bed property acquisition in Park Avenue, Melbourne (Source)
• A $160M, 14-storey student accommodation tower near UWA gets approval in Nedlands, Perth to house 850 students (Source)
• Australia’s student housing sector expands as UNSW acquires a Sydney complex and a Melbourne block trades, boosting supply to 132,000+ beds (Source)

Canada

• Canada removes field-of-study restriction for PGWP, restoring work permit access for international college graduates (Source)
• Canada invests $50 million in 149-unit Le Bleau rental project in Laval to boost housing supply (Source)
• Atlantic School of Theology raises residence rent by 25%, sparking student protests in Halifax (Source)
• Developer seeks final approval for 1,149-bed student housing project at 716 Gordon St. in Guelph (Source)

Europe

• European PBSA market set to triple from €45B to €155B, with 67% investor interest says Savills IM Report (Source)
• Arlington Advisors expands into Europe, targeting growth in Spanish student housing market (Source)
• Denmark tightens student visa rules amid 468% surge in Nepalese enrollments, targets misuse of work permits (Source)
• Ireland to free up 2,000 student accommodation beds from Ukrainian housing for 2024 academic year, says Minister Lawless (Source)
• Lodz, Poland to add 62-bed luxurious private dormitory at Mielczarskiego street amid downtown eevitalization efforts (Source)