Amber Beat: Global Student Accommodation Market News - May 2025, Week 03

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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 09-15, 2025

United Kingdom

• UK government cuts international graduate work visa from 2 years to 18 months amid plans for levy on £22bn international student tuition fees (Source)
• Scottish Parliament votes to extend rent controls to student accommodation, targeting over 75% of PBSA operated by private providers (Source)
• Unite and Manchester Met launch £390M redevelopment to deliver 2,330 student beds, replacing 770 existing rooms with net gain of 1,560 beds by 2030 (Source)
• Newcastle University’s £274M Castle Leazes redevelopment to provide 2,009 student bedrooms, set for approval (Source)
• University of Bath launches £100M project for 960 new student bedrooms, seeks delivery partner (Source)
• Greater London Authority approves 912-bed student accommodation at Wood Wharf by Canary Wharf Group (Source)
• Scotsman Developments gets green light for 703-bed PBSA in St Andrews as part of 1,152-room Kilrymont project (Source)
• Dominus reaches milestone on 669-bed PBSA at 65 Holborn Viaduct with 35% affordable rooms (Source)
• Patron Capital and Curation Capital form JV to acquire and refurbish 418-bed Sheraton Park PBSA in Durham with £23.5M loan funding (Source)
• Maslow Capital provides £14M loan for 76-unit Edinburgh student housing scheme, total partnership with QIP surpasses £61m (Source)
• Nido Living warns of rising student burnout as 18–25 age group faces mounting pressure from costs, studies, and social expectations (Source)

United States of America

• U.S. sees 43% decline in postgraduate international enrollment as 70% cite restrictive visa policies, survey reveals (Source)
• Student housing sees $74,205 average per-bed sales in 2025; 27 properties sold through April as 28,454 beds forecasted for Fall delivery (Source)
• Macalester College offers $250K in free summer housing for 65 international students amid visa concerns in St. Paul (Source)
• Berkadia Student Housing closes 11,094-bed deals across 20 properties in Q1 2024, with major transactions at Michigan State, Sam Houston State, and Georgia Tech (Source)
• Midwestern University invests $95M in 256-unit student housing in Glendale, AZ, with first units ready by fall 2025 as part of $269.7M campus expansion (Source)
• LV Collective and Culpepper plan 952-bed, 316-unit student housing with retail at 313 College Ave, College Station, opening Fall 2027 (Source)
• Clemson student housing project with 700+ beds, 200+ units, parking garage, and rooftop pool proposed near downtown (Source)
• Tufts to expand on-campus housing for transfer students in Medford for 2025–26 academic year to ease community transition and cut off-campus housing stress (Source)

Australia

• Investment in PBSA in Australia is set to exceed previous $2.5 billion annual peak, fueled by a 15% rise in international university enrolments in 2024, with sector becoming more valuable than top-tier CBD office towers (Source)
• Department of Education reveals record 1.1 million international students enrolled in Australia at the end of 2024, 250,000 more than 2019 peak, with graduate visas on issue hitting record high of 222,200 in Q1 2025 (Source)
• AAERI urges the Australian government to link student visas to initial institution of enrolment, requiring a new visa for any course or institution change (Source)
• City of Perth approved 105 planning decisions worth $216.7M and 121 building permits worth $93.2M, including major student accommodation projects between January & March this year (Source)
• Scape Australia states Adelaide’s current shortage of 2,000-2,500 student accommodation beds, with strong occupancy and demand shifting to more affordable options (Source)
• La Trobe University to expand its CBD presence with new $50 million, 220-bed student accommodation project on Williamson Street in Melbourne, Victoria; to be completed by 2028 (Source)
• Plans submitted for 35-storey student accommodation tower in Adelaide’s CBD to house 488 residents (Source)

Canada

• Asylum claims by international students in Canada nearly double in 2024, with 5,500 claims in first quarter of 2025 amid tightened immigration policies (Source)
• University of Toronto to add up to 5,000 new residence spaces across campuses over the next decade, including Oak House with 508 beds opening in 2025 (Source)
• Pure Group and GECC partner on $330M GEC Education Mega Centre, 49-storey student rental tower with 1,380 occupants planned for 10240 City Parkway, Surrey (Source)
• Nova Scotia Gaelic College’s Beinn Mhabu in Mabou begins $4.9M student housing project with 24 units, 52 beds; construction starts 2025, set for January 2026 completion (Source)
• Forum halts 587-bed student housing project at 601 Scottsdale Drive, Guelph over $15M development charges; phase one delivered 177 units, phase two was set for April 2025 (Source)

Europe

• Momento Capital and Mata Capital invest €150 million to acquire 1,000+ student housing units in France through Roof partnership (Source)
• Poland's Jagiellonian University to build new dormitory with 200 places, expanding Kraków campus capacity to 400 student beds by 2026 (Source)
• Bain Capital plans 439 student beds and 16 apartments at former Smurfit Paper Mills site in Dublin to support UCD's 37,899 students (Source)
• Camplus expands in Spain with €100 million investment, adding 967 beds across new residence in Castellón and three managed properties in Oviedo, Pamplona, and Salamanca (Source)
• France’s Banque des Territoires launches €5B program to deliver 7,000 student beds across 18 residences by 2028 (Source)
• Ardian and Rockfield invest in 610-bed student housing scheme in Milan, marking fifth deal in 5,000-bed European PBSA strategy (Source)
• Munich unveils tallest timber-framed student residence with 235 eco-friendly apartments, using 1,840 m³ of wood to store 1,600 t of CO₂ (Source)
• Annecy, France to deliver 298 sustainable student housing units by 2026, featuring eco-friendly design and high energy performance (Source)
• Paris-Saclay to build 215-bed sustainable student residence in Orsay with 3D modular construction and low-carbon design (Source)