Unite Group plc

Last week, our Chief Operating Officer, Karan Khanna, joined industry leaders at the Bisnow Student Accommodation Summit 2026 to discuss what students and universities want from today’s student accommodation.  From energy performance and technology to the evolving expectations of students and university partners, it was a valuable discussion about how our sector can continue to deliver great places to live and study.  Thanks to Bisnow and everyone who contributed to the conversation.  #PBSA #StudentAccommodation #HigherEducation 

We've agreed the £60 million sale of our 444-bed King's Place development site in Southwark, London to an affiliate of Far East Orchard Limited. The sale forms part of our strategy to realise value from land development and other non-student assets, taking agreed or completed disposals so far in 2026 to £200 million. Our CEO Joe Lister said: "The sale of King’s Place is evidence of our capital discipline and proactive capital recycling programme. It successfully realises value from a development project which no longer meets our return requirements and reflects our focus on delivering the best outcomes for shareholders. "We are moving at pace to further increase our alignment to the strongest universities and remain on track to deliver £300-400 million of disposals this year." The sale is expected to complete in mid-October. Read the press release via the link in the comments. ⬇️ 

Our recycling rate has doubled across Unite Students properties in just one year since launching Simpler Recycling with SUEZ. 𝗜𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝟭𝟮 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵𝘀, 𝘄𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲: •      Delivered nearly 2,000 new recycling bins to 163 properties •      Replaced and reused 32,000 kitchen bins •      Reduced general waste bin collections by nearly 800 per week •      Increased recycling, food and glass collections by 300 per week •      Diverted 285 tonnes of food and 175 tonnes of glass from general waste    The programme was introduced to make recycling easier for our teams and residents - and the results show what’s possible when practical changes are backed by strong collaboration across our Operations, Sustainability and Procurement teams, alongside our partners at SUEZ. We're excited about what's next as we continue to educate our residents on not just how to recycle, but why it matters. #Sustainability #Recycling #StudentLiving #SUEZ

We're thrilled to have been shortlisted in three categories at the Inside Housing Development Awards 2026.  🏆 Hawthorne House, London – Best Development  🏆 Cambridge Halls, Manchester – Best PBSA  🏆 Castle Leazes, Newcastle – Best Partnership    These projects reflect our commitment to delivering high-quality homes for students and working in long-term partnership with the UK's strongest universities.    Over half of the rooms at our newly opened Hawthorne House in Stratford are being leased to University of the Arts London as part of a multi-year agreement, while the property also provides a new state-of-the-art home for London Academy of Excellence - Stratford sixth form.    Our partnerships with The Manchester Metropolitan University and Newcastle University, which will deliver over 4,300 student homes close to campus, show what can be achieved through long-term collaboration and shared ambition.    Thanks to all our colleagues and partners who have supported these projects.    Good luck to all the finalists. 🎉

How can university cities deliver the homes students need while supporting wider growth and regeneration? Our CEO, Joe Lister, writes in PBSA News about the lessons we can learn from Manchester, and the importance of partnerships in helping universities turn ambition into delivery. Read Joe's article below 👇 #PBSA #HigherEducation #StudentAccommodation #Manchester 

Check-in is one of the busiest and most exciting times in our calendar, as students arrive at their new homes ready to begin the 2026/27 academic year. After a busy summer of preparation, colleagues from across the business came together to give students and their families a warm welcome and make the move-in experience as smooth as possible.   Members of our Executive Team, including Joe Lister, our CEO, and Amy Round, our Group People Director, joined colleagues to support our frontline city teams during check-in. It was a fantastic opportunity to meet students and their families, share this important moment and see first-hand the brilliant support our teams provide from day one. A huge thank you to everyone who helped make this year’s check-in a success. We wish all our residents a happy, successful and memorable year ahead! 🎓 #studentliving #residentexperience #PBSA

The day your child leaves for university is a milestone you'll never forget. While it's an exciting step towards independence, it can leave parents and guardians facing an empty nest and a home that suddenly feels very different. With over 30 years' experience providing student accommodation, we know how hard Empty Nest Syndrome can hit - the sadness, grief or loss that parents can feel when their children leave home. According to a study of 1,000 UK parents who dropped their child off at university - 83% said it caused them extreme grief. 𝗔𝗻𝗴𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗱, 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗦𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗲𝗮 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗱𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗱 𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗱𝗮𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳𝗳 𝗮𝘁 𝗨𝗪𝗘 𝗶𝗻 𝗕𝗿𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗹, said: "I felt a combination of emotions - excitement, curiosity, fear, sadness, worry and dread. I cried a little on the way home. Back at home I felt a sense of real loss... of emptiness. There is a loneliness without her in the house." At Unite Students, we understand how challenging this transition can be. We’re here to reassure parents that their child will be safe, supported and able to make the most of their university experience. 𝗚𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝘁𝘂𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗱 • Every property has CCTV and a dedicated Student Safety Team. • Our Support Hub is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. • Residents receive important updates, alerts and event information through our app. • Trained Welfare Leads are on hand to listen and help students access the support they need. • Resident Ambassadors help students feel at home, meet new people and become part of the community. Read top tips and more in our Empty Nest Guide: https://lnkd.in/es2J9XYP

Congratulations to our Head of Resident Experience & Wellbeing, Becca Hayhurst, who was Highly Commended in the Woman of the Year – PBSA category at last night's Property Week Inspiring Women in Property Awards last night. 👏    The recognition is testament to the exceptional contribution Becca has made to strengthening our sector-leading student support and welfare provision, as well as our engagement with university partners.  She pioneered our mental health and wellbeing framework, Support to Stay, and led the delivery of a new initiative to help students adjust to living independently. Becca, and her team, is also the driving force behind our Resident Ambassador programme and played a key role in making us the first PBSA provider to introduce Ask For Angela nationally. We’re incredibly proud to see her achievements recognised alongside so many inspiring women from across the property industry. Congratulations, Becca! 🎉 #InspiringWomenInProperty #PBSA #StudentAccommodation 

Huge congratulations on this fantastic achievement. Being named Modern University of the Year for a second consecutive year, alongside recognition for scholarships and bursaries, reflects a deep commitment to delivering outstanding outcomes for students and widening access to higher education. Unite Students is proud to be working with The Manchester Metropolitan University in a joint venture to deliver Cambridge Halls, creating more high-quality student accommodation to support students during their university experience. #HigherEducation #StudentSuccess #McrMetProud

A proud moment at Hawthorne House this week, as we welcomed our first students through the door. The opening of our new 719-bed property in Stratford, London marks an exciting milestone for everyone involved in this development.    We'd like to thank our main contractor RG Group for their expertise and professionalism in delivering this project, as well as our supply chain partners for their hard work and collaboration in bringing this project to life.  The quality of the building reflects the care and pride taken by the project team throughout the construction process.  As our first development governed by the Building Safety Act, we'd also like to thank the Building Safety Regulator for its constructive engagement. It’s fantastic to see students now settling into their new home and enjoying everything it has to offer. Thank you to everyone who has helped make it happen.