Amber Beat: Global Student Accommodation Market News - July 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 June 27 - July 03, 2025

United Kingdom

• UK international student visas hit 425,000 as 40% switch to other visas within a year, report calls to scrap graduate visa (Source)
• Trump visa crackdown could shift global demand, straining UK’s PBSA sector already facing 30,000+ bed shortfall (Source)
• US student interest in UK universities rises 12% as Trump policies drive visa fears and enrollment shifts (Source)
• University of Manchester warns 6% international student levy could cost £43 million annually by 2029, risking sector’s financial stability (Source)
• Policy Exchange says international student fee benefits overstated as UK universities risk losing £650M if EU students get domestic fees (Source)
• Birmingham set to approve 239-bed student block amid 14,936-bed shortfall by 2027 (Source)
• Shirley plans unveiled for 11-storey student flats housing up to 260 students near University Hospital Southampton (Source)
• Leyton 261-bed PBSA site hits market for £10.5M amid rising London student housing demand (Source)
• Edinburgh weighs PBSA ban as 20,000+ student beds spark planning concerns; council to decide in September (Source)
• Fusion secures £500M loan to deliver 3,138 PBSA beds across five UK cities amid 30% rise in student demand by 2030 (Source)
• International Campus acquires 342-unit PBSA near Erasmus University to meet rising demand in the greater Rotterdam area (Source)
• Ward Group acquires 200-bed Three Tuns PBSA in Durham, marking first phase of site revitalisation strategy (Source)
• Lancaster approves £10M revamp of historic Mill Hall, converting 96 student beds into 62 modern studios (Source)
• Dominus delivers London’s first 50% affordable PBSA with 713 beds after UK-record £173.25m forward-funding deal (Source)
• GRAHAM completes 12-storey iQ Cullen House PBSA in Glasgow, delivering 551 student beds ahead of the summer term (Source)
• Firethorn Trust tops out 230-bed PBSA in Edinburgh’s Leith Walk, on track for 2026/27 academic year completion (Source)
• Paragon Bank backs £8M funding for 100-bed PBSA in Loughborough, targeting £12.2M GDV and 2026 student intake (Source)

United States of America

• DHS proposes replacing flexible visa stays with fixed tenures for F-1 and J-1 students, raising concerns over legal risks and delays for 4.2 lakh Indian students in the U.S. (Source)
• Restrictive 2025 U.S. immigration rules spark censorship, funding cuts, and visa delays for international students across academia (Source)
• Urbana entrepreneur proposes first hostel-style student housing in former frat house with 20+ beds on South Lincoln Ave, pending city approval after 8-year wait (Source)
• Trump administration sues Minnesota over in-state tuition and scholarship aid for undocumented students at University of Minnesota; DOJ claims discrimination against U.S. citizens (Source)
• Judge dismisses lawsuit challenging trump administration’s student visa social media vetting policy, citing lack of standing, as concerns grow over delays for international students (Source)
• SVSU begins $12.3M University Village expansion to add 96 beds by August 2026 in Kochville Township, Michigan (Source)
• JLL arranges sale of 155-unit, 447-bed The Flats at ISU near Illinois State University in Normal, completed between 2011–2014 (Source)
• University of Mississippi, Greystar to build 2,700-bed student housing project by 2027 at former Kincannon Hall and West Row sites in Oxford through P3 model (Source)
• LSU approves $215M South Quad dorm project to add 1,200 beds near engineering and business schools in Baton Rouge, construction set for Touchdown Village East lot (Source)
• Core Spaces, Harrison Street break ground on 1,492-bed Hub Bloomington Lincoln near Indiana University, set to deliver 461 units by summer 2027 on Lincoln Street (Source)
• Gilbane, PBA to build $240M, 990-bed student housing tower in West Palm Beach by 2027 (Source)
• CRG, Shapack to develop 625-bed, 183-unit Chapter Ann Arbor near University of Michigan, with construction starting August 2025 and completion set for 2027 (Source)
• MSU Denver to build $117M, 12-story Summit House for 550 students at 12th Street and Auraria Parkway, opening in 2027 (Source)
• Trinitas, Mitsui Fudosan to build 27-story Astria Tempe with 380 units near ASU; $6M land deal closed, first residents to move in by summer 2027 (Source)

Australia

• Australia to increase international student visa fee by 25% from AUD 1,600 to AUD 2,000 starting July 1, 2025; expecting to generate AUD 760 million over 4 years, while also capping new student arrivals at 270,000 for 2025 and introducing stricter visa regulations (Source)
• India overtakes China as top source of Australian student visa grants in February 2025, with over 2,734 visas issued that month and more than 5,000 so far in 2025, reflecting a surge in Indian enrolments driven by positive factors (Source)
• Policy changes, including introduction of Ministerial Direction 111 and increased visa and financial requirements, make cost of living more expensive and challenging for international students, resulting in a projected 5-10% drop in international student commencement rates for 2025 (Source)
• International students in Australia should budget between AUD 1,400 to AUD 2,500 per month for living expenses with costs varying by city and type of housing, making Australia one of the world’s most expensive study destinations. (Source)
• The Living Company acquires Brookfield’s Aveo senior housing platform for $2.5 billion, marking a major expansion as it targets 100,000 housing units across student, rental, and senior living sectors by 2030 (Source)
• A $154 million proposal for a nine-storey apartment building in Lindfield, Sydney, comprising 32 build-to-rent apartments, out of 94 total units, seeks to override local zoning by leveraging affordable and BTR housing provisions within walking distance of public transport (Source)
• The ECU Mount Lawley Redevelopment Project releases its Draft Master Plan to transform the 18.6-hectare campus into a vibrant mixed-use precinct with student accommodation, supported by 53% positive local sentiment and a focus on public spaces (Source)

Canada

• Canada’s immigration freeze linked to rent decline as population growth slows to 0% in Q1 2025, prompting policy debates amid housing crisis in cities like Toronto and Vancouver (Source)
• University of Toronto, Harvard launch contingency plan for Kennedy School international students amid Trump visa crackdown; students may study in Canada starting Fall 2025 (Source)
• Lambton College breaks ground on largest capital project, a new five-storey student residence set to open in 2027 near London Road in Sarnia (Source)
• Fitzrovia to invest $150–200M per site in Waverley student housing projects across Ontario and Western Canada, adding thousands of beds by 2029 amid 400,000-bed shortfall forecast by 2031 (Source)
• Forum appeals $15.5M development charges for 594-bed student housing project in Guelph, Ontario, proposing two new Alma towers with 496 units on leased University of Guelph land (Source)

Europe

• Spain fast-tracks university access and work visas as over 20,000 students shift from the U.S., aiming to become a global academic hub amid visa crackdowns (Source)
• Sweden to review storage rules in student housing by June 2025, aiming to cut costs and expand supply (Source)
• UXCO Group adds 1,300 student beds with 4 new residences, expanding portfolio to over 15,000 beds across 75 sites in France by 2025 (Source)
• Poland’s PBSA demand surges as only 1 in 10 students access accommodation amid rising international enrollments (Source)
• StudiesIn acquires 9 major student portals to boost European reach, aims to serve over 1 million international students annually (Source)
• Summix secures approval for 316-bed student scheme at Dublin’s historic Independent House (Source)
• Kraków’s new 249-room student residence opens with private studios and ‘chill & thrill’ amenities in Poland (Source)
• Ireland’s ATU Letterkenny to add 600 student places with €25M library and IT hub construction set to begin (Source)
• Cork’s former Good Shepherd Convent to be transformed into 957-bed student accommodation with 274 apartments approved in Ireland (Source)

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