Australia & New Zealand

Scape is paying $49.5 million for the 2017 square metre site. Scape has picked up a permit-ready student accommodation site in Sydney’s inner south. EG won permitted for the 200-unit complex last year. The 2017

Mirvac has been named preferred developer for the NSW Government’s redevelopment of the 3.6-hectare Sydney Fish Market site at Blackwattle Bay, planning over 1,400 homes including purpose-built student accommodation, alongside commercial, retail, and 26,000 sqm of public domain featuring a new foreshore promenade and boardwalk.

Malaysian developer SKS Group is expanding its build-to-rent portfolio in Perth, securing approvals for a 21-storey project in West Perth and a 20-storey residential tower in Burswood, following its first build-to-rent joint venture at Cockburn with Unilodge subsidiary Essence Community.

Global student accommodation operator Xior Student Housing has acquired a portfolio of 1,200 beds across multiple European cities, expanding its footprint in key university hubs and reinforcing its position in the PBSA market.

Japanese real estate firm Samty Holdings agreed to acquire a majority stake in UniLodge for over $600 million, including its sister platform Essence Communities, marking a significant cross-border expansion in the Asia-Pacific living sectors.

The CEFC has committed $50 million to Scape Australia, a leading PBSA provider, to electrify and decarbonise 17,000 student accommodation beds across Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, and Adelaide, targeting gas infrastructure removal in up to 20 residential buildings to enhance energy performance and support net-zero goals.

Australia’s student housing sector faces record demand driven by rising interstate and international enrolments, yet slow planning and delivery delays are pushing many students into the private rental market, intensifying housing shortages despite PBSA assets operating near full occupancy with strong rent growth.

The student accommodation project will deliver approximately 711 new beds in three buildings, featuring residential colleges, self-contained apartments, and communal spaces, targeting 5 Star Green Star and WELL Gold sustainability ratings.

The 900-plus-bed project across three blocks will open its doors to its first residents in time for the second semester of 2026.

Australia’s largest pension fund has launched a new UK living sector platform with an initial £500m investment in rental homes.