Question 1

How can I access the Data Portal?

Accepted Answer

When you become a StuRents Data Portal subscriber, you’ll have access to multiple interactive dashboards. This allows you to view demand, supply and demographic data at both national, city and intra-city levels over time. The helpful graphs and charts will allow you to access insights at a glance. If you need to, you can then download raw data from the dashboard.

Question 2

How frequently does StuRents update the Data Portal?

Accepted Answer

The Data Portal data is updated and audited monthly, giving subscribers the latest insights into the student accommodation sector.

Question 3

What makes StuRents' data unique?

Accepted Answer

Our independent insights are a combination of both available industry data, millions of searches and enquiries from the StuRents listing platform, and frequently updated supply and pipeline data. This data is exclusively available in the Data Portal, where you can find market-leading insights into student housing trends that customers won't find anywhere else.

Question 4

How many students are there in the UK?

Accepted Answer

As of 2020-21, there were more than 2.1m full-time students in the UK, whilst a further 550,000 students were classified as part-time. Of those full-time students, 74% were from the UK, whereas 6% were from the EU and 20% were from the rest of the world. StuRents estimates that approximately 1.2m students were living in private accommodation for the 2020-21 academic year, with the balance living either in university halls or choosing to live at home.

Question 5

What percentage of UK student housing is above the average maintenance loan?

Accepted Answer

Due to real-term inflation increasing at a greater rate than predicted, students' finances are being stretched more than ever. For the 2022-23 academic year, the average maintenance loan is estimated to be the equivalent of £137.39 per week. Approximately 30% of student beds available in England (excluding London) are priced at £140 per person per week or higher, making them unaffordable by this comparison. By accommodation type, approximately 14% of HMO beds are priced above the average maintenance loan, versus 34% of PBSA beds.

Question 6

Which UK towns and cities do you cover?

Accepted Answer

StuRents provides data insights in ~100 UK towns and cities with a higher education presence, and also produces in-depth quarterly research reports in 46 UK & Ireland locations, such as Sheffield, Coventry, Glasgow, London and Dublin.

Question 7

What is the average cost of UK student accommodation?

Accepted Answer

For the 2024-25 lettings cycle, the average cost of purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA) was £185 per person per week (pppw). Meanwhile, the average cost of Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMO) was £132pppw. However, with the demand for student accommodation increasing, the cost of student accommodation will continue to rise at a national level.

Question 8

Is the UK market undersupplied?

Accepted Answer

At a national-level, there is an increasing trend towards undersupply of HMO and purpose built student accommodation in the UK, driven by a range of demand and supply factors. Critically however, every city or town with a higher education establishment has different fundamentals. Our leading data and insights help our clients understand and navigate these to make informed investment and operating decisions.

Question 9

What is the current pipeline for purpose built student accommodation?

Accepted Answer

The pipeline for PBSA stands at more than 130,000 beds, with the majority of these developments put forward by private operators. Outside of London, Bristol, Leeds and Nottingham have the largest pipelines, albeit numbers constantly change as new applications are submitted and approved.

Question 10

Who in the market uses StuRents' data?

Accepted Answer

StuRents is in its 16th year and over this period we have been fortunate to work with the majority of HMO and PBSA operators across the UK. Prominent operators, investors, and lenders rely on our data to inform their decision-making.

Instant Access to Student Accommodation Data

Track the latest planning applications to understand changes to future supply, helping to identify both opportunities and risks.

Spot emerging opportunities

Planning activity

Demand by price (£pppw)

Make demand-driven decisions

Track market behaviour

Demand Trends

Proportion of supply by price (£pppw)

Inform marketing strategies and product fit

Benchmark your booking performance

FAQs about StuRents Data Portal