Why does Leeds need so much student accommodation?

More than 80,000 people come to study in Leeds each year

Leeds plays home to tens of thousands of university students each year and providing accommodation for them is big business, with schemes for over 17,000 bedspaces approved in recent years.

But is demand outpacing the supply, or are the often enormous, and sometimes quite luxurious, blocks of student flats surplus to requirement?

How many students are in Leeds?

The University of Leeds is one of the largest universities in the UK, with more than 38,000 students from over 170 different countries.

In addition Leeds Beckett University attracts more than 29,000 while Leeds Trinity has about 9,575 students.

Add on the 2,245 people studying at Leeds Arts and 1,500 at Leeds Conservatoire and the city plays host to roughly 80,000 each year - enough to fill Elland Road more than twice.

And, according to research from student housing charity Unipol, the city centre, Hyde Park, Woodhouse and south Headingley remain the most popular places for those students to live.

Supply and demand

Leeds City Council has approved plans for more than 17,000 new bedspaces in recent years

Demand for accommodation in Leeds has always been high and is growing all the time.

Research from Unipol suggests that between 2014/15 and 2022/23 the number of full-time students at The University of Leeds and Leeds Beckett rose by about 9,500 and is predicted to go up by another 4,000 by 2027/28.

There has also been a big rise in the number of international students.

Council figures suggest that between 2018/19 and 2022/23 the number of students coming from China to study at the University of Leeds rose by 39%.

Meanwhile at Leeds Beckett the number of students coming from India rose from 100 to 1,709 over the same period, while the number of people coming from Nigeria up from 17 to 677.

A Unipol report found that while the short term supply of student housing in Leeds could currently be met, longer-term there may be a shortage.

What's happened to the shared student house?

Students appear to be turning their backs on traditional shared houses

The stereotypical squalor of student life may have been partially replaced by high rise city centre apartment blocks, but traditional student areas of Leeds such as Hyde Park and Headingley are still home to plenty of students living in shared houses.

Council data shows that in 2023 there were around 56,750 bed spaces available to students in Inner North-West Leeds and the city centre, and 137,000 bed spaces in other parts of Leeds.

But with a growing demand for rented accommodation among those not in education and unable to buy property coupled with a ban on creating additional Houses Of Multiple Occupancy (HMOs) in some parts of the city, that stock is being squeezed.

The council say the city's universities cannot "comfortably" rely on the private rented market to absorb student demand if the amount of purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA) falls short.

Do students want high-end accommodation?

Student Callum Pattison has access to a gym and gaming room at the newly-opened Tribeka building

Callum Pattison, 20, from Birmingham is in his second year studying Quantity Surveying at Leeds Beckett University living in the newly-opened Tribeka building in Cookridge Street.

During his first year he lived in university accommodation in Woodhouse - a 20-minute walk from the city centre - but said that as he watched the Tribeka being built he realised how convenient it was.

His £185-a-week en-suite room also comes with access to a gym, a sky terrace, pool tables, and a gaming area.

Callum, who had been paying £186 for the university accommodation, said he "definitely didn't want to share a bathroom" and with all the added extras he felt the price "wasn't bad".

According to Unipol, in 2022, the average rent for a room in a traditional shared house, including bills, was £115.27.

Tribeka customer service assistant Leoni Miller says students demands have changed

Leoni Miller, a customer service assistant at the site, said students' expectations were much higher than 20 years ago, partly, she thought, as a result of the impact of social media.

"Everything is broadcast on social media so they want to do their skincare routine in a nice bathroom, post work outs in the gym in nice environment," she said.

"When we were young, you'd take a few pictures on your camera and that was it, but now literally everyone can see what you're doing and you want it to look good.

How does Leeds compare to other cities?

Other similar sized cities are facing similar challenges when it comes to student accommodation.

Nottingham also has two universities and the city council said the number of students needing accommodation in the city had grown from 40,000 to 51,000 since 2016.

Last year the council announced plans to combat the impact of the growing number of students on the private rental market, including efforts to provide an additional 9,500 bedspaces

Councillor Toby Neal said the strategy would help neighbourhoods from being "overpowered by one group of people".

Does Leeds need more student housing?

In short, yes.

Unipol say although mathematically there is enough PBSA and shared housing to meet demand there are warning signs the "stock doesn't meet the needs, budgets and preferences of students".

Their report highlights several challenges facing the sector, including competition from young workers for housing in Inner North West Leeds.

It also notes, despite the move from shared housing to PBSA, a lack of "moderately priced" PBSA, saying the most recently planned and built accommodation is high spec and high cost.

With further concerns about the impact of the Renters Reform Bill, which could bring in changes that some say would "decimate" the student housing market, the rate of building in Leeds shows no sign of slowing down.

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