The 5 Best Student Towns to Invest in
Student Accommodation Investment Yields
Student property is one of the best investments available at the moment. As a result, demand for student housing is increasingly high, leading to more and more purpose-built Student Accommodation (PBSA) developments being built to overcome an endless shortfall in supply.
This buoyant market has proven to be increasingly resilient, and in the past two years, foreign investors have almost doubled their market share. So to find out which areas of the UK offer the best opportunities for investment in the student market, we need to look at some prominent cities. We’ve compared some of the markets this year, and here are our 5 top student towns to invest in:
1. Plymouth
Plymouth, a port city in the southwest of the UK, is home to several well-regarded higher education institutions. The University of Plymouth is ranked in the top 2% of universities worldwide. It has a student population of around 23,000, with the university only able to house about 12% of them.
It is one of the UK university cities with a chronic undersupply of housing. According to JLL’s 2017 report, the coastal city has only 20 to 30 per cent of PBSA relative to its student numbers. Last year Plymouth University welcomed 23,155 students. Yet, the Complete University Guide notes that there are only 2,800 rooms available for students from Plymouth University.
However, thanks to the enforcement of Article 4 and an unyielding lack of previous developments, new PBSA developments like Beaumont Square can now cater to the hungry market. The lack of supply is a good sign for potential investors, as there is sure to be a constant demand for their property.
Student Population: 23,000
Amount of Housing Available Through University: 2,760
Potential Yields: 8% per annum
2. Huddersfield
The market town of Huddersfield in Yorkshire is currently seeing an enormous amount of investment. Most notably, the £74million regeneration of Kirklees College’s Waterfront Campus. It is just one of four excellent higher education institutions in the town, including the University of Huddersfield, named University of the Year in 2013! It has led to a student population of nearly 40,000 in the area.
But once again, a lack of suitable housing has proven to be a real issue for these young people, who must travel to their campuses by bus from 4 miles away. So a new PBSA, such as Crane Court – a mere 10-minute walk from Huddersfield University and right next door to Kirklees College – is proving popular with students and investors alike.
Student Population: 40,000
Amount of Housing Available Through University: 4,465
Potential Yields: 9% per annum
3. Bristol
The historic city of Bristol is a thriving place, full of creativity and popular with young people. It is partly due to the two prestigious universities it hosts. The University of Bristol is frequently ranked within the top ten institutions in the UK, whilst the larger University of West England boasts a 96% rate of graduates entering the workforce or further education within six months of graduating.
And between them, they have drawn around 50,000 students to Bristol. And the University of Bristol is hoping to grow its cohort by 3% this year, despite currently having housing available for just 6,000 students.
Bristol itself is becoming a major property hotspot thanks to being voted the best place to live in the UK (as per the Sunday Times 2017 poll) and prices rising faster than London in recent times, priming the local market for lucrative new PBSA investment. Upcoming developments, such as Tudor Hall, are well worth keeping your investor eye out for.
Student Population: 50,000
Amount of Housing Available Through University: 6,000
Potential Yields: 8% per annum
4. Liverpool
Liverpool is another place currently enjoying a powerful ‘hotspot’ status within the UK property market. Whilst it has long been a hub for creativity and investment, massive regeneration has spurred the city into a renaissance in the last decade. In addition, it has helped bring approximately 67,000 students to Liverpool’s higher education institutions.
Whether studying at the University of Liverpool, Liverpool John Moores, Liverpool Hope or even Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts (LIPA), students, particularly those coming from overseas, are increasingly looking to more upscale PBSA options for their housing. Developments such as Devon House, in the heart of the city’s student district, offer both residents and investors a promising prospect.
Student Population: 67,000
Amount of Housing Available Through University: 4,500
Amount of Total Student Housing Available: 17,857
Potential Yields: 8% per annum
5. Leeds
Top universities such as the University of Leeds, Leeds Beckett University, and Leeds Trinity University, alongside highly-regarded institutions including Leeds College of Art and Leeds College of Music, make Leeds an incredibly popular student city. With so many prestigious establishments, it’s not surprising that nearly 70,000 young people come to study in the city.
This blossoming student population has caught the attention of developers. It, in turn, led to Leeds becoming a popular choice for those looking to invest in PBSA. Viable city centre sites are now becoming particularly problematic, meaning demand from investors and tenants for new and existing developments has remained high.
If a new development springs up, it’s highly recommended to understand what it could offer. Depending on location and price, some resale options that come to the market are worth pursuing.
Student Population: 70,000
Amount of Housing Available Through University: 9,050
Potential Yields: 8% per annum
With the student property market proving to be such a lucrative and reliable investment in the current economy, these five areas of the UK offer some of the best returns for investors, producing average rental yields of around 7-8%. However, these cities are all still extremely undersupplied for student accommodation, meaning your investment will still be in continual demand for years to come.
GET IN TOUCH
Contact Our Team
Call:
+44(0)1628 397840
Email:
info (@) hamiltoninternationalestates.com
Visit Our Office
Address:
Chiltern House Business Center
64 High Street, Burnham
Bucks - SL1 7JT
United Kingdom
View On Map >>
Sign up for exclusive access to our property developments
Why Hamilton International Estates
We strive to deliver a personal service for all of our clients
Why us
Our standard is also a measure of the perfection that we strive to achieve in everything we do. Our professional property consultants have cumulatively acquired over 25 years of experience in providing the perfect property development opportunities for all our clients..
What we offer
Hamilton International Estates specialises in property development opportunities. We have a wide range of property developments, ranging from; residential and commercial property. The Hamilton International Estates Standard is the benchmark of our excellence by which we judge ourselves.
Our Role
We build genuine partnerships with our customers and use our intellect to help our clients reach their goals. Our role is to connect buyers and sellers across the world and we offer our clients a number of different assets that they can purchase, retain and profit from.
Our Clients
Our client base is formed of people across the globe who wish to diversify their portfolios as well as purchase and profit from a variety of different assets. Our experience aids us to tailor our services to meet the needs of all our clients.
Disclaimer - Hamilton International Estates is acting as an agent in marketing products and services for many other companies. Hamilton International Estates is not authorised to give investment/tax advice and you should seek independent financial and legal advice prior to making any investment decision. All forecasts are based on historical performance and are purely indicative. The value of your property may rise or fall. No guarantees as to future performance in respect of income or capital growth are given either expressly or by implication and nothing expressed or implied should be taken as a forecast of future performance. This is not an offer to participate in a collective investment scheme as defined in the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (section 235) and as such buyers have no access to statutory or regulatory protections including the Financial Ombudsman Service and the Financial Services Compensation Scheme. Hamilton International Estates is not regulated by the FCA and is not authorised to offer advice to the general public concerning any regulated or unregulated investment. Although every care has been taken to make sure that the information in this brochure / website is accurate, Hamilton International Estates cannot accept any responsibility for mistakes or omissions. You should take your own professional advice before taking or refraining from any action based on the contents of this brochure / website which are only intended as a general outline to the matters referred to in it. All content, product description and illustrations in this factsheet, brochures and website are purely marketing material provided by the companies that we work as agents for. Hamilton International Estates registered address Chiltern House Business Center, 64 High Street, Burnham, Bucks, SL1 7JT, United Kingdom, Company Registration Number 10767032 is a sales and marketing agent.