UK: Figures from Students have revealed that student accommodation lettings for the 2021/22 academic year are down by five per cent year-on-year.
Nationwide student accommodation lettings are down but there are bright spots, including Durham and Birmingham, which have seen 20 and 18 per cent increases respectively.
The worst affected cities include Bristol and Leeds, where letting figures have dropped by 18 and eight per cent.
The decline was more pronounced in PBSA, due to the low occupancy rates resulting from the pandemic, as well as the shift to online learning.
StuRents said as the year progresses bookings may increase because international students typically book their student accommodation later than regional students. International students will also be waiting for clarity on Covid-related restrictions in the UK.
Head of research at StuRents, Richard Ward, said: “Despite an unpredictable year for the student accommodation sector, we are pleased to see students are still booking their 2021/22 accommodation. The numbers are encouraging and demonstrate that there is appetite from students to return to university for either in-person classes or at-home studies. While the fate for foreign travel remains yet to be sealed, the data from the domestic market shows that certain locations have been extremely resilient.”
Several student accommodation providers in the Uk have been looking to change the planning use class for some of their inventory to enable them to operate it as aparthotels.
