- Published
You don't have to walk far in any university city before spotting some form of private Purpose-Built Student Accommodation (PBSA).
asserted
You → publish → Accommodation
These large blocks of student housing are springing up in cities across the UK, yet rents continue to soar and young people studying at university say they're still finding it difficult to secure a place to live.
asserted
it → spring → place
The increase in PBSA has predominantly been driven by private companies, with many developments targeting more affluent international and postgraduate students, who industry experts say are becoming increasingly important to the sector.
asserted
experts → drive → sector
Developers say they are meeting a market demand but campaigners argue that they are too expensive for most Scottish students and more affordable housing should be being built instead.
asserted
housing → say → students
Twenty-year-old Lara Reader told the BBC that when she applied for student accommodation at Edinburgh University she did not expect to be allocated the most expensive option on her list.
asserted
she → tell → list
Like many first-year students, Lara selected from a mix of university-owned and privately-operated halls which cater solely to the city's huge student population.
asserted
which → select → population
She was given a room in Brae House, one of the many private PBSAs in the city.
asserted
She → give → city
PBSAs typically offer en-suite bedrooms and studio apartments alongside premium facilities such as gyms, study areas and social spaces - but they also come at a higher price point than traditional student halls.
asserted
they → offer → halls
Despite it being beyond her budget, Lara accepted the offer because of the difficulty of finding student housing in Edinburgh.
asserted
Lara → accept → Edinburgh
She said the cost hung over much of her first year at university and she was "constantly stressing" about how much money she was having to put towards rent.
asserted
she → say → rent
To cover the shortfall, she worked 20 hours per week alongside her studies, a decision she says contributed to her failing her first-year exams.
asserted
her → cover → exams
"I was exhausted all the time," she said.
asserted
she → say → ?
"I just didn't have enough time to study."
asserted
I → have → time
"I think when pricing student housing they need to be more realistic.
"
asserted
they → think → housing
It makes it so difficult for students like me who don't come from a super wealthy background to find an affordable place to live."
asserted
who → make → place
The University of Edinburgh said it offered students good value, across a broad range of price points, with entry-level rents being well below the average.
asserted
rents → say → average
A spokesperson said: "We encourage students to select accommodation that aligns with their lifestyle preferences and budget throughout the application process."
How much purpose-built student accommodation is there?
Across the UK, a total of 206,005 students told the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) they lived in private-sector halls in 2024/25.
asserted
they → say → 2024/25
As of August 2026, Glasgow has 21,655 student beds with a further 18,213 in the development pipeline, meaning the city could host almost 40,000 student beds if all proposed schemes go ahead.
uncertain
schemes → have → beds
Edinburgh has also seen rapid growth, with the supply of PBSA increasing by almost 60% over the past decade.
asserted
supply → see → decade
Richard Ward, the head of research at student accommodation marketing website StuRents, said the average cost of privately-operated PBSA in Edinburgh and Glasgow is £268 and £243 per person per week (pppw) respectively.
asserted
cost → say → week
The national average (excluding London) is £191pppw.
asserted
average → exclude → London
He said: "The rents you're having to charge are about £250 to £300 per week to make a scheme financially viable
"
asserted
scheme → say → week
The challenge for the sector is, at that price point, a lot of domestic students cannot afford that."
asserted
lot → afford → that
According to industry experts, international students, who are often better able to afford higher rents, are a key part of the PBSA market.
uncertain
who → accord → market
It's something Lara, from Kelso in the Borders, noticed in her accommodation too.
asserted
Lara → notice → accommodation
"A lot of people I was friends with through my accommodation were international students, so funding is very different," she said.
asserted
she → say → accommodation
"I think for the most part, a lot of people didn't have as much of a struggle paying the rent, but I definitely know a few people who were in the same boat as I was."
asserted
I → think → boat
For many international students, however, PBSA offers reassurance that can be difficult to find in the private rental market.
asserted
that → offer → market
Saba, an international student from Pakistan who had planned to study in Glasgow, said they felt safer than trying to organise a flat from the other side of the world.
asserted
they → plan → world
"I didn't really know where to start," she said.
asserted
she → know → ?
"Every country has different laws when it comes to properties and renting places."
asserted
it → have → places
After missing out on university accommodation, she considered trying to find a property through a private landlord, however, she says she "encountered a bunch of scammers" during her search, including one man who asked for £500 upfront before sending videos of the property.
asserted
who → miss → property
"As an international student, I feel like you're vulnerable" she said
"There are good and bad people everywhere and the bad lot try to take advantage of that."
asserted
lot → feel → that
John Boyle, director of research and strategy at estate agency Rettie, said purpose-built student accommodation had become one of the most "financially viable" forms of city-centre development, with developers often able to achieve higher returns than from conventional residential schemes, making projects easier to fund and deliver.
asserted
projects → say → schemes
"The reason the buildings are going up is because other buildings have gone up and have been successful," he said.
asserted
he → go → ?
He added that high land values and development costs meant schemes such as affordable housing are often difficult to deliver in prime locations.
asserted
schemes → add → locations
Developers also argue that PBSA helps meet demand from growing student populations while reducing pressure on the wider rental market.
asserted
PBSA → argue → market
Housing emergency
Edinburgh and Glasgow city councils both declared formal housing emergencies in 2023.
asserted
councils → declare → 2023
Campaigners argue the rapid expansion of PBSA is not addressing the housing challenges faced by many students and residents.
asserted
expansion → argue → students
Aditi Jehangir, secretary of Living Rent Edinburgh, said: "Scotland does not need more unaffordable, poor-quality purpose-built student accommodation.
asserted
Scotland → say → accommodation
…and 14 more, not listed.
The Aporia
