Student accommodation in Leeds: City boasts the most student properties in the UK according to new research

In a study produced by research company money.co.uk, Leeds was placed in the top spot in terms of student properties, with a total of 16,225 homes across the city. This was closely followed by Nottingham with 15,422 properties, and Birmingham with 14,829 properties.

However, despite Leeds being home to one of the country’s biggest student populations, money.co.uk put the University of Leeds in 30th place in a league table showing which universities have the most students living in university-owned accommodation.

Data from student housing charity Unipol also reveals a 30% year on year increase in graduate students staying in Leeds, and with many continuing to live in the same areas, it means there are thousands more people competing for rental stock.

Josh Buckley, manager of the Leeds branch of estate agent HOP, said: “The appeal of Leeds as a top university city shows no sign of waning, with both the University of Leeds and Leeds Beckett continuing to experience very high demand.

“While this is great news for the city’s student property market, it’s an ever-changing landscape and landlords must keep abreast of market demand, in order to secure good tenants early. In Leeds, the city’s student housing stock is now released in November, even though first year students have only just started university and might not know who they want to live with next year, but ultimately this is driven by demand.

“In the coming weeks we’ll be launching more than 450 student homes, predominantly using virtual tours, full floor plans, enhanced pictures and detailed descriptions, and there’s no doubt students will begin reserving immediately.

“With energy costs soaring, students want all-inclusive properties that include electric and gas, as well as fast broadband, water, TV licence and insurance, as part of their monthly rental payment. For most students it now seems very risky to rent a home without having utilities included and 72% of students now expect to have their utilities built into their rent."

In the coming weeks, estate agents across Leeds will release and begin marketing thousands of student homes that will be available to move into next summer.

HOP is predicting that properties offering all-inclusive bills packages will be in more demand than ever before, and homes with between one and four bedrooms will increase in popularity.

Josh added: “Another trend we’ve seen in recent years is the shift towards smaller bedroom numbers. Two and three bedroom homes are particularly popular, whereas houses with six, seven and eight bedrooms, require top-notch marketing to secure the big rental income that these houses warrant. Lots of landlords are even dividing larger houses into two apartments or converting smaller bedrooms into en-suite bathrooms, in response to this.

“Hyde Park and Woodhouse remain the city’s most sought-after locations because they offer easy access to the main university campuses and the city centre. Burley’s train station also makes it popular and it’s now mainly final year students who focus their search around Headingley, which was once the city’s traditional student heartland.”