Living Sectors Market Insights Report Spotlight: Australia’s PBSA sector comes of age

This edition of the Living Sectors Market Insights Report spotlights purpose-built student accommodation, presenting the latest insights and analysis on what will come next in this rapidly growing sector.

Australia’s purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA) sector has come of age. Supply has nearly doubled since 2014 to around 139,000 beds, powered by international student demand and private capital. With 7.3 full-time, on-campus university students for every bed, there’s still room to grow.

Meeting this demand with supply is increasingly challenging. Rising construction costs, financing constraints and planning challenges are testing feasibility, even with around 18,000 beds under construction nationally. Students are also more price-conscious, increasingly willing to trade proximity to campus for affordability – as long as their accommodation is well connected by public transport.

In the latest Living Sectors Market Insights, we explore what it will take to deliver the next generation of student housing. From universities taking charge of delivery, to mixed-use precincts and office conversions opening new routes to supply. We also share the latest on build-to-rent and co-living.

For investors and developers, success will hinge on understanding local market fundamentals and choosing the delivery model that best realises each site’s potential.