Student

Occupancy

Model PBSA occupancy across the academic cycle, including summer letting.

Beginner

Introduction

Who this is for: PBSA operators and investors assessing letting performance.

Why it matters: Student occupancy is binary by academic year — a bed either lets for the full contract or sits empty for twelve months. That makes the letting cycle far more consequential than in any other residential asset, and summer letting is often the difference between an average and a strong year.

Typical scenario: A 150-bed scheme with 141 beds let for the academic year and partial summer letting.

Common mistakes:
  • Applying monthly void assumptions from standard residential, where PBSA voids are annual.
  • Ignoring summer income, which can add 8-12% to annual revenue.
  • Not tracking rebooking rate, the best leading indicator of next year’s occupancy.

Inputs

Academic Year

beds

beds

weeks

£

Summer & Retention

weeks

%
£
%

Analysis

141 of 150 beds let gives 94.0% academic occupancy and £1,023,660 of term income. Summer letting adds £85,800 (7.7% of total), bringing income to £1,109,460 — £7,396 per bed.

This analysis provides context, not financial advice. Consult a qualified adviser before making investment decisions.

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Sensitivity Analysis

Sensitivity

Adjust the variables below to stress-test this scenario. Results update instantly.

141
0282
£165
£0£330

Export

Live Results

Academic Year Occupancy

94.00%

Total Annual Income

£1,109,460

Academic Year Income

£1,023,660

Summer Income

£85,800

9 void beds cost £65,340 for the full academic year — PBSA voids are annual, not monthly, so an unlet bed is lost for twelve months.
Income per Bed£7,396
Void Beds9.00x
Cost of Voids£65,340
Summer as % of Income7.73%