New student housing report reveals the most important accommodation factors for international students

The research, entitled ‘The Global Perspective of Student Accommodation’, was conducted across multiple Yugo and University Living spaces, and aimed to uncover cultural nuances and preferences of students from the UK and Ireland, Europe, Australia, and the UAE.

The findings highlighted international students’ views on sustainability, social customs, study habits, and the expectations of their accommodation.

Sense of community: one of the key findings from the research was how important finding a sense of community was for international students and how universities and student housing can facilitate this need. International students were almost twice as likely (62 per cent) to prioritize university friendships over accommodation friendships (32 per cent). Despite this, three in five international students want to have friends who are housemates.

It was also found that international students were eager to get involved with social activities hosted by their accommodation providers, with over half (53 per cent) of international students interested in attending film nights, cooking classes (45 per cent), and CV writing workshops (41 per cent).

Facilities and convenience: The report also highlighted the top student accommodation features which students are willing to pay a higher rent for. The top facility was ‘washing machine in apartment/house free of charge’ (59 per cent), followed by ‘gym’ (47 per cent), and ‘location within a 20-minute walk to lectures’ (41 per cent).

Designated study areas also proved popular, with 38 per cent of students surveyed saying that they prefer studying in a dedicated area.

Sustainability: According to the findings, sustainability is an important factor for international students. Over three-fifths of international students (61 per cent) felt it was important to live with people who have environmentally friendly habits. In addition, 37 per cent expressed a preference for organized recycling facilities at their accommodation; 60 per cent prioritized good insulation; and 76 per cent prioritized access to public transport.

Work and volunteering opportunities: The research revealed that over half (55 per cent) of international students were more interested in volunteering or working in their host country than domestic students, in order to feel part of a community.

According to the Property Marketing Strategists, “African students are particularly open to building community spirit through local volunteering, while Indian students are keen to mix with non-students, potentially to integrate further.”

Commenting on the research findings, Joe Persechino, Chief Operating Officer of Yugo, said, “At Yugo, we are deeply committed to creating a welcoming and inclusive environment where every student feels valued and respected. Looking at the research holistically – it’s clear from the data that there are marked differences in attitudes from international students from different cultures. Understanding this nuance is important as these groups of students all have different wants and needs that are equally as important.

“These insights are crucial for Yugo, so we can further shape and tailor our accommodation offering and ’Live Your Best Life’ program, based on student feedback to foster a sense of belonging and empowerment among our student community.”

Sarah Canning, Co-Founder and Director, of The Property Marketing Strategists, added “We can’t look at student accommodation as separate from higher education. Students can only thrive if they’ve got somewhere to call home that supports and nurtures their studies. And universities should be using accommodation as one of their key selling points, especially when it comes to promoting their course to international students.”

The Property Marketing Strategists specialise in branding, advertising, promotion, pricing, communication, product development and research for the housing sector. The company was awarded ‘Highly Commended’ for Agency of the Year at Property Week Student Accommodation Awards 2022. As well as being shortlisted at the 2022 RESI Awards.

Part of The Dot Group, Yugo is the operator of over 110 student living spaces located in nine countries with over 40,000 student beds in over 70 of the top cities in the world for higher education.

Founded in 2015, University Living is a global student housing marketplace offering accommodation across 515 international education hubs in the UK, Ireland, USA, Canada, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore and the UAE.