Across the UK, universities are battling an invisible bottleneck that’s increasingly shaping student experience — and in some cases, student choice. It's not curriculum, culture, or campus life. It’s accommodation availability.
With more students entering higher education each year and a slowdown in new housing developments, the numbers no longer add up. A growing body of evidence suggests that thousands of students are now being forced to commute long distances, live in insecure or unsuitable housing, or defer enrolment entirely because they simply can’t find a place to live.
Demand is Outpacing Supply
The surge in demand for university places, particularly from international students and widening participation schemes, has not been matched by new housing provision. Cities like have seen record shortfalls in beds. According to Cushman & Wakefield, there were around 3.1 full-time students per bed space in 2023, with PBSA (purpose-built student accommodation) development slowing due to planning and construction costs.
Local housing stock, once available to students, is increasingly being lost to private rentals or short-term lets. This reduces choice and pushes students further out from campus centres.
A 2023 UCAS report found that 63% of applicants consider accommodation a key factor in their decision-making, and that lack of available or affordable housing can lead to students choosing institutions based on location, not aspiration.
The Institutional Impact
For universities, the knock-on effects are tangible:
- Unfilled places due to pre-term dropouts
- Student dissatisfaction and complaints about housing quality or commuting time
- Strain on wellbeing services due to isolation, poor housing conditions, or long-distance travel
- Disadvantage for students from underrepresented or lower-income backgrounds who may lack the flexibility to navigate competitive rental markets
The practice of placing students in temporary hotels has become a national talking point and a reputational risk.
Reframing the Solution: Off-Campus as an Asset
What’s needed is a reframing of off-campus supply — not as a second-best option, but as a strategic asset. Student-friendly, well-managed private housing should be considered part of institutional capacity.
Studentpad works with over 100 universities and councils to provide branded platforms where students can access safe, affordable, and location-verified housing. By curating trusted off-campus options and offering secure tools like Housemate Finder, universities can offer students continuity — and peace of mind — beyond the campus gates.
Looking Ahead
If access to education is a national priority, then access to housing must be part of that discussion. No student should miss out on a place at university because they couldn’t find a place to live. And no university should lose a talented applicant due to housing scarcity.
This is an infrastructure issue. A planning issue. But most of all, it’s a student equity issue.
References
1. Cushman & Wakefield Student Accommodation Annual Report 2023
2. UCAS and Knight Frank Student Accommodation Survey 2023
3. HEPI: The Cost of Living, Student Accommodation and Student Choice (2023)
4. NUS UK: Student Housing Survey 2023
5. Sutton Trust: University Access & Housing Inequality (2022)
6. BBC News: “University Students Left in Hotels” (York, Exeter, Sept 2023)
About Studentpad
Studentpad helps universities support student success by making it easy to find secure, trusted, and affordable off-campus housing. With over 25 years of experience and partnerships with more than 100 institutions, Studentpad offers customised platforms, housemate-matching tools, and trusted listings to ensure students feel safe, supported, and ready to thrive.
Want to find out more? Book a demo here now!
By Michael Collett (Non Exec) & Olivia MacLean (Marketing Executive) @Studentpad | For CUBO, UCAS and Student Union Leaders
