{
  "id": 12090816,
  "title": "‘I didn’t know what to do’: collapse of providers of high-end digs leaves students in shock",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/05/i-didnt-know-what-to-do-collapse-of-providers-of-high-end-digs-leaves",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-10-05T05:00:47.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Guardian Business",
    "slug": "guardian-business",
    "url": "https://www.theguardian.com/education/2026/oct/05/collapse-providers-high-end-student-accommodation"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The collapse of high-end student accommodation providers has left students across the UK in shock. Nathalie Sriwiboonrattan, a fourth-year game design student at Abertay University, found herself in a precarious situation when the owner of her Scottish studio flat abruptly went bankrupt. With no time to prepare, she had to find new housing, paying £850 to have her belongings transported.\n\nThe crisis is not limited to Sriwiboonrattan's case. Towers of luxury student accommodation, known as purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA), have faced financial struggles due to a combination of factors. Falling numbers of international students, rising costs of living, and higher borrowing and construction costs have contributed to the woes of PBSA providers. These blocks, featuring smart city center amenities like gyms, cinemas, and rooftop terraces, once promised a superior living experience for affluent students.\n\nDespite the boom in housing development, PBSA schemes have struggled to keep pace with the increasing rent costs. Maintenance loans for British students have not kept up with the rising rent prices, making these accommodations financially unattainable for many. Additionally, the cost of living crisis has further strained students' finances, leaving them with fewer options and more stress.\n\nIn Bristol, the students' union informed new students about an emergency support number for the housing charity Shelter. Similarly, students at University College Birmingham, who could not afford PBSA due to its high cost, opted for university-owned dormitories or shared private rentals. The rent for en suite rooms in Manchester ranges from £170 to £320 per week, while in London, it is between £250 and £650 a week for en suite rooms and £550 to £800 plus for studio apartments.\n\nThe shortage of affordable accommodation has become a pressing issue, with a national average rent of £191 per week (excluding London) for PBSA blocks, according to StuRents. At the higher end, en suite rooms in Manchester command weekly rents from £170 to £320, while in London, they range from £250 to £650 a week, and studio apartments in Bloomsbury are priced from £550 to £800 plus.\n\nStudents are increasingly choosing to commute and live outside city centers to reduce their living expenses. PBSA providers are now focusing on cities with top universities, but the oversupply of accommodation outside London, such as in Coventry, Leeds, and Nottingham, has contributed to the problem. Student housing providers are also facing challenges due to low occupancy rates at these blocks, which range from 71.3% in Glasgow to 95.3% in Exeter.",
  "summary": "Cost of living crisis and drop in international students hits market for purpose-built accommodation “It was dead in the middle of summer, it was a shock,” says Nathalie Sriwiboonrattan. The fourth-year game design student at Abertay University was at home with her family thousands of miles away in Thailand when she discovered the owner of her Scottish studio flat had abruptly gone bust. “I was…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}