Student rental accommodation - key provider aims for ...

A prominent provider of student rental accommodation has appointed an international property consultancy to consider growth options.

Study Inn Group has a 17-year history of owning, financing, designing, developing, operating and asset managing its UK purpose built student accommodation portfolios in a range of cities - notably Exeter, Bristol, Cambridge, Coventry, Loughborough, Leicester, Nottingham, Sheffield and Leeds.

Its chairman Eddie Jefferson, who is shortly retiring, says: “After 17 years of successful development and operation in the UK PBSA sector, the business has matured and it’s the right time to be considering the available opportunities for implementing the company’s long-term strategy and maximising value. This natural transition from a family office investment to an institutional grade investment with capacity for rapid growth is a very exciting prospect and unique in the sector.

“Study Inn has become a recognised premium brand and is rare in terms of its quality, service and full in-house capability. We believe in the enduring fundamentals of the UK student housing market and have been strengthening our platform over recent years for the next phase of significant growth. We are incredibly well positioned to benefit from our in-place team, infrastructure, pipeline and the timing of this market opportunity.”

Dan Jones, senior director at JLL - the consultancy undertaking the growth analysis - adds: “Their integrated model allows them to leverage and control all aspects of their premium offer and this is clearly well-received by their customers.

Their unique ability to undertake developments and conversions as well as acquire, improve and manage existing stock allows them to capture the full range of expansion options and grow rapidly to unlock significant economies of scale.

“Student housing is an attractive asset class. Last year, a total of €11.6 billion was invested in the sector, up 45 per cent on 2021.”