Australia’s growing student accommodation sector is emerging as a potential solution to ease pressure on the country’s suburban rental market.

Since the start of 2024, an additional 5,605 student-only beds have been added, bringing the total pipeline to 35,605.

Much of this growth is concentrated in Melbourne, Brisbane, and Sydney, where demand for rental properties remains high.

According to the latest Urbis Student Accommodation Benchmark report, there are more than 11,100 student housing beds currently under construction, with a further 14,938 beds already approved for development.

Melbourne leads the way with a student accommodation pipeline of 8,875 beds, followed by Brisbane with 7,118, Sydney with 6,849, Perth with 5,354, and Adelaide with 3,121.

Investor confidence in the sector remains strong, with Student Accommodation Council executive director Torie Brown emphasising the importance of purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA) in reducing competition for rental properties.

Brown highlights that increasing PBSA supply is one of the most effective ways to free up private rentals and meet the growing demand for student housing.