Glasgow is well on its way to meeting the demand for student accommodation according to a new study.

Reports into the shortage of student accommodation in Glasgow recently have produced widely varying figures.

Earlier this year, a study by property agents Savills, stated there was a shortfall of 22,000 student beds in the city.

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A report for a cross-party group of MSPs, however, found the number of student beds needed to meet actual demand was just over 6000 and one of the authors said mass-scale student high-rise blocks was not the answer.

There are dozens of new-build student developments in and around the city centre either under construction or subject to planning permission.

The author of the Glasgow University-led study said if all these come to fruition the city will close the gap.

Developers are proposing large-scale blocks of hundreds of student bedrooms, including at the old Marks & Spence site on Sauchiehall Street others are planned for sites including Cheapside Street, on the riverside, Collegelands behind High Street and various city centre sites.

The report, was co-authored by the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) Scotland, the University of Glasgow led UK Collaborative Centre for Housing Evidence (CaCHE), the University of Stirling, StudentCrowd, the Edinburgh Student Housing Co-operative (ESHC) and Slurp Edinburgh (Students for Action on Homelessness).

 

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The research found there was an imbalance between supply and demand in key university cities and offers practical recommendations for governments, local authorities, and universities.

Dr Gareth James, of CaCHE, said "Key findings highlight the need for better data on student housing markets, particularly regarding affordability and availability in the private rental sector.

"Student accommodation must also be included in local housing strategies to address its impact on communities and wider housing systems."

While the Savills report focused on purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA), the CaCHE-led study took into account the fact not all students want or need purpose build accommodation.

The latest study could suggest reports like Savills are inflating the demand for purpose-built student accommodation.

Glasgow already has 20,049 student beds in managed accommodation which includes purpose built student accommodation and student halls of residence.

There have been nine applications approved since January 2023 providing 3394 beds and there are another 22 live planning applications which total another 7217 student beds.

Dr James, a Research Fellow at UK Collaborative Centre for Housing Evidence, added: “There's no guarantee that all of these developments will be delivered, of course, but if they are then Glasgow appears to be well on its way to closing the gap between demand and supply, at least in terms of numbers.

“But that's not the same as meeting students' housing needs - students require affordable housing options that meet varying needs (international students, those with families, etc).

“So, to be clear, we are saying there is an acute shortage, but we do not think that 1000s more high end PBSA units is the answer - we need to make sure that what we're delivering is affordable, accessible, and suitable.”

James said the difference was it assumes some students will continue to opt for HMO properties in the private rented sector which gives us a figure for the shortfall in private PBSA and uni-maintained halls. He said that with ‘commuter students “gives a figure for the real demand pool”.

He said: “We think this is a more robust approach.”