Category: Investment Activity

Privately-owned real estate developer, investor and asset manager – Firethorn Trust – has announced that under its Living platform, it has purchased a purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA) site in Leith, Edinburgh.

Forming part of the Leith Walk regeneration scheme promoted by Calder Weir Properties, part of the site was purchased with planning permission to create a PBSA block and three commercial units.

Firethorn will develop the six-storey building that will include 230 student beds and residential amenities including a fully equipped gym, modern study spaces and student common rooms. Work on site is expected to start in the summer, with completion due in 2026/27 …

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EQT Exeter announces first investment in the French residential student market with the acquisition of two student-housing assets totalling 430 studio units. The two assets are on-track to be completed in 2025 and will offer best-in-class amenities including study areas, gyms, co-working spaces and roof terraces as well as excellent sustainability credentials which will set a new benchmark for product quality …

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Subsidiary of Trinova Real Estate – Tribell – has acquired the Kirby Street Residence, a PBSA scheme in London on behalf of STARS REI. The seller LUCKY DELTA is a Hong Kong based consortium and CBRE acted on behalf of the company.

Kirby St Residence comprises 128 large studio room. Amenities includes a common room, office, outdoor courtyards, bike storage and additional commercially leased space. The development boasts stunning views of the Shard, St Pauls Cathedral, and the City of London from the upper floors …

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The acquisition is also seen as an opportunity for Opago to revive and build upon the legacy of a business which it described as “once standing out as a beacon in the intersection of the short-term rental and purpose-built student accommodation [PBSA] markets”.

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Consultancy company Beachrock has sold Chamberlain Place, a PBSA property in Birmingham to Apollo Global Management for £32.5m. The deal reflects a net initial yield of 5.75% or £142,000 per student bedroom.

Located opposite Aston University, Chamberlain Place includes accommodation for 209 students in the Grade II listed building. Amenities include a gym, communal area, study spaces, cinema lounge, private dining room and laundry room. Residents also have access to bike storage.

The Chamberlain Place development was acquired and developed in 2023 by the Birmingham Property Group. The scheme is managed by Homes for Students …

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Rhize Capital (“Rhize”), the leading specialist debt funding platform for European student housing markets, is pleased to announce the completion of a €100m loan facility for two student housing schemes in Milan, Italy.

This marks the first Italian loan for Rhize, a partnership between Kinetic Capital, a specialist lender in the purpose-built student accommodation sector and Kayne Anderson Real Estate, the real estate private equity arm of Kayne Anderson Capital Advisors.

Under the transaction, Rhize will provide financing for two student housing projects being developed by Proprium Capital Partners and their operating partner, Collegiate AC.  The two schemes are in the popular student city of Milan, home to 210,000 full-time students, and are both in prime locations with connections to key universities and feature market-leading amenities including swimming pools, gyms, and extensive study spaces, along with strong environmental credentials …

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Aviva Investors, the global asset management business of Aviva, has acquired a portfolio of six Purpose Built Student Accommodation (PBSA) assets and a mixed-use commercial investment, extending its strategic asset allocation to the direct let PBSA sector.

Aviva Investors’ operating partner will be Curlew Capital, who will be responsible for lettings, maintenance, and ongoing site management alongside property managers Fresh …

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Real estate credit and special situations investment manager Zenzic Capital has launched a new UK purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA) strategy with a target portfolio GDV of over £500m. The strategy, through which Zenzic will invest in existing stock and develop new assets, will help address the UK’s acute shortage of high-quality PBSA.

This new strategy has been seeded with the acquisition of five major schemes with a total GDV of over £147m through a JV with developer, contractor, and operator Torsion Group. The JV is targeting a total portfolio GDV of over £250m across seven schemes and will deliver a much needed 1,566 rooms by the end of this year …

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