According to new research from national planning and development consultancy Lichfields, London has approved more than 26,000 new student bedrooms since 2021. This recent surge in planning approvals, particularly during 2024 and the first quarter of 2025, is providing a much-needed boost after several years of failing to meet the capital’s targets for purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA).

This positive trend is a win for London’s housing situation. The new PBSA rooms are equivalent to over 10,500 conventional homes in terms of housing need. With student numbers on the rise, a constrained rental market, and permissions for conventional housing at a ten-year low, PBSA has emerged as one of the few economically viable types of residential development. This growth offers a significant opportunity to ease pressure on the private rented sector and support London’s wider housing needs.

Lichfields’ research also found that the Greater London Authority’s broad policy support for PBSA has successfully filtered down to the borough level. A flexible, market-led approach to development is proving key to enabling schemes to progress, keeping PBSA an attractive option for investors and providers.

Jonathan Hoban, an associate director at Lichfields’ London office, highlights the critical role of PBSA in meeting housing needs and supporting London’s global education sector. He believes that the healthy pipeline of approved schemes should translate into actual deliveries, helping to provide much-needed homes across the capital.

The study concludes that to maintain this momentum, the next London Plan, due in 2027, must continue to foster this flexible approach and advocate for new PBSA. This will be a real opportunity to ensure more well-designed schemes come forward, benefiting both students and London’s wider population.