Where there are large universities, there will always be undergraduate and postgraduate students, plus lecturers, in need of accommodation. Although many universities offer good on-campus accommodation, there is rarely enough to cater for all students and some people will always prefer to live off campus anyway.

In some areas, there may already be an overload of student rental properties, but one way of finding an area that may become even more of a hotspot is to look out of universities that are expanding, offering new courses or are experiencing an influx of student applications. 

Is student property in demand?

One issue that is always worth exploring, whatever property you are looking to buy, is what the market for tenants is like. After all, there is no point buying a property with a view to letting, only to discover that you can’t get any tenants. When it comes to buying in university towns and cities, this issue comes into its own as, as long as you’re buying the right type of property and in a popular rental area, you could end up with a stream of tenants on a long-term basis.

What’s more, there are several possibilities for landlords buying in university towns and cities, as properties can rented as HMOs for several students, small studios or flats for one or two students, or properties aimed at post-grad students or lecturers.

University towns and cities aren’t just locations where you’ll find plenty of students needing accommodation though – often there are lecturers and older post-grad students studying in the area who need rental properties too. Whilst younger students may be happy to live in the heart of student land, lecturers are unlikely to want to, so choosing a property away from the typical student zone can be a wise move.

Likewise, some graduates may want to stay within close proximity of where they’ve studied once they’ve graduated and got a job, so you could hone in on this market too.

Whatever your plan of action, it’s important to research the market in university towns and cities carefully, so that you can identify the areas where students and lecturers like to live and the types of properties that are favourable. Once you’ve purchased a property, advertising and marketing your property in appropriate ways will help, especially if you can get listed on the recommended university rental accommodation lists.

Finding Property Hotspots Part 1 – Transport Links

Finding Property Hotspots Part 2 – Regeneration Schemes