Amber Beat: Global Student Accommodation Market News - May 2025, Week 04

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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 16-22, 2025

United Kingdom

• UK immigration white paper cuts graduate post-study stay by 6 months, proposes 6% levy on international student income amid forecast 21% drop in new entrants and 44% of universities facing financial deficits (Source)
• McAleer & Rushe reports 12.6% turnover growth to £491m and 46% rise in pre-tax profits to £16m in 2024, eyes £550M turnover in 2025 (Source)
• Winvic appointed for 544-bed student accommodation development in Coventry, set to complete by summer 2027 (Source)
• Shawbrook delivers £4M loan for 60-bed PBSA scheme in Bristol featuring 12 studios and 8 ensuite cluster (Source)
• UK approves £274M Newcastle student halls plan for 2,009 beds, boosting 320 jobs and replacing 1,247 older rooms (Source)
• Madison acquires 24.5% stake in Puma Property Finance to back £100m loan strategy amid £45bn UK refinancing wall and £3.87Bn PBSA investment surge (Source)
• Birmingham approves 720-bed student tower as part of 1,200-home Goods Station scheme amid concerns over high-rise growth (Source)
• Glasgow approves £95M Collegelands Park with 591 PBSA beds, 147 BTR units, and 2.5-acre park in final phase (Source)
• KKR and Inhabeo to forward fund Progress House PBSA in Coventry with 544 beds and community space (Source)

United States of America

• CE threatens OPT visa holders with deportation if employment not reported within 15 days amid renewed enforcement efforts in the US (Source)
• U.S. begins reinstating international students’ visa status after mass cancellations, many face uncertain futures (Source)
• Over 4,700 international students stranded after U.S. visa revocations, facing job loss, denied reentry, and long waits despite status reinstatement efforts (Source)
• US colleges face potential crisis as international student enrollment threatens to decline amid immigration policies and global competition (Source)
• Student Quarters acquires 232-bed, 76-unit Champions Club in Fayetteville for $23.3M; built in 2016 near University of Arkansas (Source)
• Washington State University offers gender-inclusive housing to support students who do not conform to traditional gender expectations in Pullman (Source)
• Entrada Partners acquires 243-bed, 70-unit 24Longview student housing property built in 2012 near University of Texas at Austin, plans capital improvements (Source)
• Fayetteville city council proposes zoning code change to regulate private student housing developments amid housing crisis (Source)
• Northeastern draws 20,000+ international students in 2024, ranks second in U.S. for global enrollment with standout co-op program and Boston location (Source)
• Landmark Properties invests $100M for 704 beds at Icon Plaza, West 27th near USC; Icon to be upgraded, 1,236-bed Standard project set for fall 2026 (Source)
• Bastyr University lists 51-acre Kenmore campus with 132 units for sale, plans Seattle relocation (Source)

Australia

• Following Albanese Government's re-election, over 3,000 university jobs to be cut across 39 universities, especially in arts & humanities, due to funding cuts and drop in international students; major losses at institutions like ANU (650), UTS (400), etc. (Source)
• Northern Territory launches $2M 2025 plan to support international students via marketing, migration, jobs, and initiative alongside Charles Darwin University to build new CDU housing for 350 students, and more (Source)
• Investor interest in Australia’s PBSA sector surges with $2.3B in acquisitions over 24 months at 5–5.5% cap rates, driven by record international student numbers and climbing university rankings (Source)
• Redevelopment of $400 million ‘Carillon City’ in Perth CBD, featuring 22- and 35-storey towers with 803 student beds, receives approval by State planning panel after amendments (Source)

Canada

• Ontario court dismisses developer’s $300K lawsuit against student over Sheridan mall redevelopment in Mississauga, clearing way for 631-unit residential towers (Source)
• Canadian universities reopen graduate admissions to attract US students amid political upheaval (Source)
• Developer seeks $16-$20M waiver for 594-bed student housing at former Holiday Inn site on Scottsdale Drive, Guelph, targeting 2027-28 completion (Source)

Europe

• Greystar enters the Nordic market with acquisition of 1,758-bed student housing portfolio in Copenhagen across 4 PBSA assets (Source)
• Italy invests €13M to upgrade 354 student beds and add 75 new ones, with €3.9M for 130 beds in Messina, Sicily (Source)
• M&G acquires 296-unit residential development in The Hague’s Binck City Park, Netherlands including 197 student residences and 99 apartments (Source)
• Aparto to grow student housing portfolio by up to 7% in 2025–26, adding 526 beds in Barcelona and expanding to Valencia and Porto in Spain and Portugal (Source)
• U faces 3.2M student housing shortfall as 62% of non-resident students spend up to 80% of income on rent; Italian University Colleges propose new European model (Source)
• European PBSA investment surges to 5.3% of total activity by 2024 as international student demand grows 16.3% since 2019, driving rent increases over 10% (Source)
• PATRIZIA Ranks London, Paris, and Berlin Among Top 10 PBSA Investment Cities as Student Demand Outpaces Supply Across 180+ European Markets (Source)
• Student blocks in Dublin and Galway hit market for €115M as Irish PBSA investment hits €230M in 2024 amidst €28.7bn property capital flow surge (Source)