When it comes to student accommodation in Australia, it’s tempting to think it’s just about numbers: beds per building, rooms per floor, occupancy rates. But anyone who’s ever lived in Purpose-Built Student Accommodation (PBSA) knows it’s much more than that. The best student housing blends safety, design, and community, giving students a place to live, learn, and feel connected to student life.
In fact, there are currently more than 132,000 student accommodation beds in Australia - nearly double what we had a decade ago thanks to strong growth in private purpose-built student housing. This reflects the scale of the challenge but also the opportunity in delivering great places for students to live.
Who lives in student accommodation?
Student housing in Australia serves a mix of people: local undergraduates, regional students, international students, and postgraduates. According to CBRE’s 2025 Student Accommodation Report, roughly 25–30% of international students live in PBSA or managed housing, often because these developments offer amenities and support that make settling into a new city easier.
Understanding who lives in a building is crucial for student accommodation design. Layouts, shared spaces, and facilities should reflect this mix, offering privacy for some and opportunities to socialise for others.
Location matters
A good student accommodation project isn’t just near a university - it’s connected to the life of students. Proximity to campus, transport, shops, and social hubs all matter. Students want to feel safe and independent, but also be able to get to classes, study spaces, or a supermarket without a long commute.
However, right now only about 6% of students are able to live on or close to campus in PBSA, meaning most students still vie for limited private rental stock or family housing. That’s especially stark in cities like Sydney and Melbourne.
CBRE estimates there’s still a significant shortfall, with room for up to 180,000 extra PBSA beds across major university precincts to better match where demand is concentrated and give students real choices in their housing.
Location needs to be factored from both the student experience and operational perspective, ensuring that accessibility, safety, and community engagement factored in from the earliest planning stage.
Size, layout and privacy
Students need private space to study, sleep, and recharge. But they also need communal areas to meet, cook, or relax with friends. PBSA design balances private units with shared kitchens, lounges, and study areas.
Unit size matters, and so does flexibility. Single rooms, ensuites, and adaptable layouts are all common in modern student housing development.
“Our experience shows that small, thoughtful design touches - like pull-out desks, storage solutions, and quiet study zones for reflection and focus - make a big difference in long-term satisfaction.”
Amenities that build community
Amenities are what turn a building from a place to sleep into a home. Students value:
- Study spaces and libraries
- Lounges and communal kitchens
- Gyms and wellness areas
- Outdoor spaces and green areas
- Reliable internet and tech infrastructure
CBRE’s 2025 report and student surveys highlight that communal spaces and amenities aren’t just “nice to have”. They are critical for building a sense of student accommodation community, fostering wellbeing, and helping residents feel part of something bigger.
What do students actually prioritise?
Recent surveys show the top ten things that matter most to students in accommodation:
- Affordability
- Safety and security
- Location and transport
- Quality and layout of the unit
- Study spaces
- Communal areas for socialising
- Reliable internet
- Amenities like laundry, gyms, kitchens
- Flexible leases
- Support services (maintenance, wellbeing)
Understanding these priorities is essential for student accommodation feasibility. Delivering the right mix of features directly impacts both occupancy rates and student satisfaction.
Where MakeSpace fits in
Purpose-driven student housing providers know that a building’s success is in how it works for students and staff, how it supports daily routines, and how it creates a thriving student accommodation community.
At MakeSpace, we bring strategic thinking into student accommodation operations from the outset. That means helping developers, universities, and student accommodation providers plan layouts, facilities, and workflows that actually work in practice.
From student accommodation design to long-term maintenance and management, we focus on student housing delivery certainty, ensuring projects are feasible, resilient, and sustainable.
Good student accommodation goes beyond checklists. It’s safe, well-designed student housing that anticipates everyday needs.
Get in touch
We'd love to talk through your housing and accommodation projects. Contact our team to discuss how we can help.
