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UK: Real estate investor, developer, owner and operator Dominus has launched Auba, a new student living platform.
Auba brings together more than 2,300 purpose-built student rooms across three schemes in central London.
The three residences are Auba London City at 65 Crutched Friars (782 rooms) and Auba London Holborn at 65 Holborn Viaduct (669 rooms), both wholly owned by Dominus and opening for the 2027/28 academic year; and Auba London Strand at 65 Fleet Street (875 rooms), which follows in 2028/29 and is owned by Dominus in a joint venture with Cheyne Capital.
Auba is launching into a high-demand London student housing market, which is one of the most constrained in the UK. Recent data by the Greater London Authority in July 2026 to underpin the next London Plan identified that around 257,000 students in London require dedicated accommodation, served by around 98,000 purpose-built beds, meeting only 37 per cent of need. At 2.6 students per bed, this is the highest ratio of any major UK city.
Alongside the structural undersupply of purpose-built student accommodation, research commissioned by Dominus highlights that location remains one of the most important factors influencing accommodation choice, with students prioritising proximity to campus, study spaces and everyday amenities, and placing a premium on environments that support both academic success and wellbeing.
Location is a central feature of Auba’s residences and is key to the student experience. Situated in the City of London, all three residences are close to the capital’s leading universities, including the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), King’s College London (KCL) and University College London (UCL), while also benefiting from excellent public transport links across the city from nearby Zone 1 stations. Convenient access to both universities and the wider transport network is a key factor in the student experience. The Unipol Student House Hunting Behaviour Survey 2025 showing that 75% of students who commute for more than 30 minutes believe it negatively affects their time at university.
Auba is inspired by the word for dawn, signifying the fresh start and new beginning that arriving at university represents for many students. Auba is built on three pillars – ambition, community and wellbeing – offering professionally managed student living, minutes from campus, with shared spaces that support residents throughout their studies. The residences combine en-suite rooms and premium studios with extensive shared amenity space designed to adapt to how students live and study, from co-working spaces, podcast studios and libraries to gyms and private dining rooms.
Auba builds on Dominus’ extensive experience in hospitality, owning and operating some of London’s highest rated hotels, including The Derby London City, which opened earlier this year, in addition to Lost Property St Paul’s, both of which are short walks from an Auba residence.
This hospitality DNA was central to the creation of the Auba brand, influencing everything from the welcome students will receive to the service and support provided through their stay. The new approach includes several firsts for PBSA, including a custom-designed, hotel-quality mattress and the Auba Key, an exclusive residents’ programme that provides access to a team of hotel concierges for tailored experiences and discounted stays across Dominus’ London portfolio of hotels and restaurants.
Once all buildings are open in 2028, 35 per cent of the 2,300 rooms across the portfolio will be offered at affordable rents, capped in line with the Mayor of London’s guidance.
Dominos CEO Preet Ahluwalia said: “London is consistently ranked as one of the best student cities in the world due to its leading universities, cultural offer and overall student experience. To ensure London remains attractive to the next generation of global talent, we need to ensure there are enough high-quality homes for students to live, study and thrive in. These three Auba locations in central London will help tackle the structural undersupply of student housing in the capital and provide homes for the next generation of ambitious students.”
Sarah Reynolds, operations director – PBSA at Dominus, added: “Auba is built on the idea of a new beginning. Students come to London to succeed, and they want a home that helps them do it – close to their university, with the space to study and a community to belong to. We have designed every Auba residence to replicate the great experiences that guests have across our hotels, with shared spaces that make a building feel like a home, and support on hand from the day a student moves in. When our residents look back on their time in London, we want Auba to have been part of their success.”
Highlights:
- Real estate investor, developer, owner and operator Dominus has launched Auba, a new student living platform
- Auba brings together more than 2,300 purpose-built student rooms across three schemes in central London
- Once all buildings are open in 2028, 35 per cent of the 2,300 rooms across the portfolio will be offered at affordable rents
