Professionals Real Estate 
Recent data reveals that the number of international student arrivals has surged to the highest level since February 2019. The Australian Bureau of Statistics reports that 142,000 student visa holders arrived in February 2023, indicating a significant rise of 190% compared to February 2022.
Moreover, this spike in student arrivals aligns with a surge in offshore searches for rental properties, as per PropTrack data. This increase of 34% in the past three months, compared to the same period in 2019, is further exacerbating the tight rental market and adding to the rental pressure in capital cities.
The majority of rental property searches are inclined towards capital cities with prominent universities, particularly Melbourne and Sydney, which are the most sought-after destinations. However, the year-on-year increase in capital city rents, at a staggering 13%, with both house and unit rents rising over 10%, raises significant concerns. This surge in rent rates raises some pertinent questions, such as where international students will reside, and how can we offer them assistance while also reducing the burden on the overall rental market?
According to Torie Brown, Executive Director of the Student Accommodation Council, a viable solution to augment the supply of student accommodations and alleviate the rental market’s strain is to construct purpose-built student housing.
Given that international students are returning to Australia in significant numbers, the existing rental crunch is likely to become even more acute unless prompt action is taken to address the issue of student housing.
