Student housing crunch worsens across Europe, Australia, Canada

Key Highlights:

1. Demand Far Outpaces Supply: Student housing availability across Europe, Australia, and Canada is struggling to keep pace with rising student populations, particularly international students. This pressure is expected to worsen by 2026.
2. Rents Skyrocketing: Purpose-built student housing rents are surging, especially in the UK (12.9%) and Canada (15%), exceeding inflation rates.
3. Profitable for Operators: Despite affordability concerns, the lack of supply benefits investors and operators who are enjoying high occupancy rates and strong profit margins.
4. Shrinking Spaces: Students are adapting to smaller room sizes, averaging under 20 square meters, particularly in Italy, while rents per square meter increase.
5. Hotspots Emerge: Canadian cities like Edmonton and Montreal, Italian cities like Milan and Rome, and European cities like Madrid, Warsaw, Lisbon, Barcelona, and Brussels are facing critical student housing shortages.

News in Details:

Securing housing grows tougher for students in Europe, Australia, and Canada. BONARD, an intelligence firm focused on student housing, shows a scary situation. Growing housing needs clash with slow-building rates. It’s causing a crunch. Things could worsen by 2026, students.

Here are the facts: international student numbers are skyrocketing. They rose an average of 6.4% in 2023 in the cities surveyed. But where will they live? The pace of building new student housing doesn’t match the growth. This imbalance sends rent soaring. UK rents alone jumped a whopping 12.9% – far beyond normal inflation. Canadian rents aren’t far behind. 

They rose 15% over last year. Wow!

Housing costs are hard for students to pay. Meanwhile, landlords and investors are making big money. With over 95% of properties occupied, their profits are high in a market favoring the seller. But are the costs worth it?

This tense situation prompts alarming patterns. Students are forced into tinier rooms. The average room size has shrunk to less than 20 square meters, particularly in Italy. It’s like cramming into a tight space filled with books and low-cost food. Talk about giving up comfort for learning!

Some cities face a big problem. Try picturing studying in a small apartment for tests in places like Edmonton, Montreal, Milan, Rome, or Madrid. Along with Warsaw, Lisbon, Barcelona, and Brussels, the critical lack of student houses alters the appeal of overseas study into a practical headache.

BONARD alerts that until 2026, the supply rate – the ratio of available beds to students – will shrink in 38% of cities. It means higher rivalry for fewer rooms, potentially driving some students from education altogether.

We must act now against this emergency. We require more student housing construction with rules for affordability and reach. Students must not choose between education and decent housing. We sure hope decision-makers and teachers pay attention before cheap, reachable education stays just a dream.

Summary:

A global student housing crunch is squeezing students across Europe, Australia, and Canada. Demand is soaring, fueled by rising numbers of international students, but construction is lagging. Rents are skyrocketing, exceeding inflation, while students face smaller rooms and affordability concerns. Hotspots like Edmonton, Montreal, and Milan show critical shortages, and the situation is projected to worsen by 2026. Urgent action is needed to build more housing and ensure access for all students.