Europe is experiencing a surge of interest from both real estate investors and international students, making it the ideal destination for operators and developers in the student housing sector. The latest data from Bonard has highlighted the drivers behind Europe's rise as the destination of choice for students and investors.

The PBSA sector has registered another strong year with occupancy rates and rents rising,  according to the newly released Student Housing Annual Report by Bonard. While soaring inflation, interest rates and rising costs in the last quarter of 2022 have slowed down investment transactions, the overall outlook is positive and experts expect the sector to keep growing in the next two years.

Despite rising costs and rents, the rented residential sector continues to ride high as demand booms and is poised to remain a more lucrative investment opportunity than asset classes such as office or retail. Bonard has spoken to leading real estate specialists to investigate the factors behind the sector’s success.

The Purpose-Built Student Accommodation (PBSA) sector is recording an increase in rents across Europe, consolidating a trend that has been observed in recent years. On average, rents increased by 9.7% (970 BPS) in the academic year September 2021–September 2022, with some significant spikes in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE), according to research by Bonard. The growth of rents is shaped by the interplay between increased demand and rising inflation and interest rates.

Occupancy levels in purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA) have on average reached pre-pandemic figures in many countries, a new study released by market research and advisory specialist Bonard shows.

The Polish star is shining brightly on the European map of private student housing investments with rising rents on the horizon, said speakers during a discussion panel at Living Investment Forum 2021 in Warsaw, moderated by Martin Varga, Head of Real Estate Business Development at Bonard.

The impact of COVID-19 on the purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA) sector has been less severe than expected, proving the resilience of the asset class, as shown in Bonard’s annual report.

In mid-March, when COVID-19 challenged every aspect of ‘normal’, the European higher education and student housing industries entered an unpredictable time with regards to knowing how best to secure positive learning and living experiences. Given the nearly daily changes accompanying the situation, many higher education institutions and student housing operators chose to follow an active co-learning path, flexible scenario-planning and making bold decisions when necessary. During the summer, Bonard and The Class of 2020 launched a joint research project with the aim to provide as accurate and up-to-date information as possible to assist industry leaders in making further strategic decisions to create more sustainable knowledge ecosystems for global talent amidst the pandemic.

In 2020, student housing markets in Europe are expected to grow stronger with Poland becoming one of the most attractive countries at a continental level. Stefan Kolibar, Head of Marketing at Bonard talked to Property Forum about the trends driving this segment regionally and globally.

Student housing continued its record growth last year, booking over €9bn in international transactions, excluding the US. As student numbers are growing faster than supply, the asset class remains a top-4 sector prospect for investments in 2020, as shown by a recent study carried out by global research specialist Bonard.