Real Estate:UK Student Living

The leading voice for the UK’s purpose-built student accommodation sector

We represent leading businesses that invest in, develop and manage purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA) across the UK.

We work with government and partners across housing and higher education to champion the role of high-quality student accommodation in increasing housing supply, enabling access to education and skills, supporting student success and driving economic growth.

Name: Joe Lister
Job Role: Chair, RE:UK Student Living Board & CEO, Unite Students

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We are student accommodation

Our work

Our members are the leading long-term investors, developers and operators of purpose-built student accommodation across the UK. The market spans more than 450,000 student beds.

We believe student accommodation should be recognised as an important part of the UK's housing market and higher education infrastructure.

We want to work with national, regional and local government to support the delivery of high-quality student accommodation in the places where it is needed most and create the conditions for continued long-term investment.

In doing so, we want to support wider housing delivery, a successful higher education sector and sustainable economic growth.

Read our Manifesto

Two students in their student accommodation studying.

The sector at a glance

450,000+

Purpose-built and privately-owned student accommodation beds in the UK.
£150bn

Value of the UK student accommodation sector.
250,000+

Homes released into the wider housing market.
£50bn

Invested in UK purpose-built student accommodation over the past decade.
33%

Share of global PBSA investment made in the UK since 2019.
76%

Student satisfaction with PBSA.

Sources: CBRE Research; Knight Frank Research, UK Student Accommodation Outlook 2025/26.

Why student accommodation matters

Supporting housing supply
Enabling access to education and skills
Supporting student experience and success
Supporting economic growth

Supporting housing supply

Purpose-built student accommodation is an important part of the UK's overall housing supply.

Private student accommodation provides homes for almost 450,000 students each year. As it can be delivered at higher density and at scale, increasing supply in the right places can help reduce pressure on local rental markets, with the sector releasing over 250,000 homes back into the market to date.

However, delivery has slowed. Before the pandemic, around 30,000 new beds were delivered each year, compared with an average of approximately 18,000 a year over the past five years.

Supporting delivery is therefore important not only to meet demand from students, but as part of the wider effort to increase housing supply.

Enabling access to education and skills

Access to suitable accommodation enables students to move around the country to attend the university and course that are right for them.

Half of university applicants say the availability of accommodation influenced where they chose to apply. By ensuring there are enough student homes in the right places, the sector can help universities attract talent and support the pipeline of graduates and specialist skills needed across the UK.

Supporting student experience and success

Where students live can have a significant impact on their university experience.

Purpose-built student accommodation provides safe, secure and professionally managed homes, with operators focused on creating communities, supporting wellbeing and providing a wide range of support services.

The impact can extend to academic outcomes. 69% of students living in purpose-built student accommodation report that it had a positive effect on academic performance, compared with 50% in the wider private rented sector.

Supporting economic growth

The student accommodation sector brings significant long-term investment into towns and cities across the UK and is a catalyst for construction, jobs and regeneration.

It also provides important infrastructure for the UK's higher education sector. The availability of high-quality accommodation helps universities attract and retain students, supporting their contribution to local and regional economies and the UK's position as a leading global study destination.

In 2023, the sector contributed around £42 billion in economic value.

Our Board

Our Board brings together senior leaders from leading UK student accommodation investors, developers and operators.

This means we are well-placed to work with government and other stakeholders to ensure national and local policy creates the right conditions for investment into student accommodation where we need it most.

Joe Lister

Chair, RE:UK Student Living Board & CEO, Unite Students

Joe Lister

Chair, RE:UK Student Living Board & CEO, Unite Students

Contacts
Send email to StudentLivingUK@fticonsulting.com

Joe is Chief Executive of Unite Group plc, which manages 72,000 beds through Unite Students and Hello Student. He joined Unite in 2002 and brings extensive experience across property, capital markets and higher education.
Matthew Merrick

Vice Chair, RE:UK Student Living Board & CEO, iQ Student Accommodation

Matthew Merrick

Vice Chair, RE:UK Student Living Board & CEO, iQ Student Accommodation

Matt is CEO of iQ Student Accommodation, which houses 34,000 students across 29 UK towns and cities. He joined iQ in 2017 and became CEO in 2021.
Jessica Hardman

CEO & Co-Founder, Aboria Capital

Jessica Hardman

CEO & Co-Founder, Aboria Capital

Jessica has worked in real estate investment for over 20 years – starting her career at BNP Paribas, before joining Deutsche Bank’s real estate funds business in 2004. She enjoyed a successful, varied career with Deutsche Bank and DWS; first leading transaction teams culminating in €12bn of transactions, and subsequently running European fund management for international investors.

Jessica was a pioneer and trusted portfolio manager for the wave of inward capital flows from Asian institutional clients from 2011. She built a multi-billion assets under management (AuM) business for Deutsche Bank, utilising her skills in business building, leadership and investment solutions. In 2023, she became the CEO of DWS UK, overseeing 500 staff and over €200bn AuM across Global Alternatives and Passive public market strategies.

Jessica stepped out of DWS in 2024 to co-found of Aboria Capital. As CEO, her ambition is to create an innovative, leading vertically integrated partner for investors in the European Living sector market.
In July 2024, Jessica became the President of the British Property Federation (BPF) and joined the board of INREV.
Alex Pease

CEO, Watkin Jones Group

Alex Pease

CEO, Watkin Jones Group

Alex is CEO of Watkin Jones Group, which manages around circa 21,660 student beds through Fresh Property Group and has delivered more than 52,000 student beds. He became CEO in 2023.
Ashling Fox

Managing Director, Student Roost

Ashling Fox

Managing Director, Student Roost

Ashling is Managing Director of Student Roost, which manages more than 22,000 student beds across 22 UK towns and cities.
Elaine Hewitt

CEO, UPP

Elaine Hewitt

CEO, UPP

Elaine is CEO of UPP, which houses 35,000 students and has invested £3.8 billion in UK higher education since 1998.
Nick Porter

CEO, The Dot Group

Nick Porter

CEO, The Dot Group

Nick is CEO of The Dot Group, which manages 27,000 student beds across 120 cities. He has more than 30 years' experience in student housing.
Graham Rogers

Co-Chief Executive, Homes for Students

Graham Rogers

Co-Chief Executive, Homes for Students

Graham is Co-CEO and co-founder of Homes for Students, which oversees more than 59,000 student beds. He brings more than a decade of student accommodation leadership experience.