Student housing preleasing continues to be robust even as rent growth has decelerated, according to the latest Yardi Matrix National Student Housing Report. While rent growth has remained at a solid four percent, preleasing has reached 54.5% in January. This is more than 15% above the five-year average.
The preleasing demand is shown to be strong as 22 schools are already at least 75% preleased, while four are above 90%. Some previously underperforming markets have seen a significant growth in student housing preleasing. For example, the University of Mississippi and University of Missouri—two schools previously among the worst-performing markets in the past few years—are 98% and 70% preleased, respectively.
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Student Housing Preleasing Year-Over-Year Growth
A few of the top universities in the country with the most year-over-year growth in percentage preleased include:
- University of Mississippi | 47.8% YOY growth
- Binghamton University | 39.1% YOY growth
- Oregon State | 27.5% YOY growth
- Johns Hopkins University | 25.3% YOY growth
- University of Missouri | 23.2% YOY growth
Rent Growth in Student Housing for 2024
Yardi 200 rents averaged $863 per bed in January, up 4.4% year-over-year, according to the report. Overall, strong preleasing indicates student housing owners can expect solid revenue growth for the upcoming 2024 school year.
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Markets like Tennessee, Mississippi, Purdue, and Kentucky are witnessing the highest rent growth in student housing. This surge coincides with a significant enrollment increase across these universities, all experiencing growth exceeding 4% so far this year.
Rent has dipped in markets like Southern California, Nevada-Reno, Nebraska, Utah Valley, and UC-Davis, where new housing deliveries surged and enrollment growth lagged.
Click here to read the full Yardi Matrix National Student Housing Report.
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