Our Awards

We won ‘Student Accommodation Operator of the Year’ for the second year running at Property Week’s RESI Awards.

The award recognises our commitment to supporting students’ mental and physical health as well as our diversity and inclusion initiatives.

Judges said: “Given the challenging economic environment, during this award year unite students has continued to prioritise supporting its students, particularly as the ongoing cost-of-living crisis places significant pressure on students and their families.

Unite students will be donating 1% of its annual profits to social initiatives, amounting to a commitment of around 2m a year.

Alongside this, unite students launched its new student support framework support to stay, which aims to provide students with a supportive living environment to fulfil their potential, particularly when experiencing medical, physical or mental-health difficulties”

PROFESSOR ADAM FAGAN, VICE-PRESIDENT (EDUCATION AND STUDENT SUCCESS), KING’S COLLEGE LONDON, said: “I can’t imagine a better place to be for students; indeed the first question I asked was, ‘Do you have any staff accommodation available?’ “It’s a spectacular space that seamlessly unites the historical with the present. “I’m swept away by this amazing development and I look forward to many years of partnership with Unite Students as we deliver the best possible experience for students.”

PAUL SMITH, DIRECTOR OF CAMPUS OPERATIONS, UNIVERSITY OF BRISTOL, said: “Campbell House is an excellent PBSA it’s got the amenities that students will be looking for when they arrive. It is going to be a safe place, a secure place. It’s a place for the students to thrive.”

IAN ROBERTSON, DIRECTOR OF RESIDENTIAL & CATERING SERVICES, UNIVERSITY OF LEEDS, said: “University of Leeds has partnered with Unite Students since 2003, providing a variety of student accommodation on long and medium-term agreements. The scale of the partnership has grown since then as our university demand for good quality, central accommodation has grown over time.

Most recently we expanded the agreement to include White Rose View, following its completion in 2020. We have over 2000 beds in partnership which equates to circa 23% of our total provision. We have a very strong relationship with Unite and meet regularly to review our combined strategy in Leeds, looking at how both parties can work to best meet the needs of students as well as the University.

Operationally we often need to respond to changes and work in collaboration, tackling issues such as student safety and responding effectively to the covid-19 pandemic. At each residence/partnership property, university-appointed Residence Life Wardens & Assistants provide wellbeing services and manage student discipline as might be required and they work closely with the Unite Students managers and staff who run the properties.

Most recently we have worked together to commence an ongoing project at James Baillie Park, repurposing some unused land for the benefit of the local community, schools and students as a sustainable wellbeing woodland area. My team and a number of colleagues at Unite Students will continue to work together to develop and maintain this initiative.

As Unite Students have evolved, their commitment to improving the student accommodation sector has resulted in the publication of meaningful research which many in the sector can utilise to improve aspects of their operations. We are proud to be part of the Living Black at University commission, created in response to recent research which reviewed the experience of Black Students living in student accommodation and we are committed to implementing a number of the proposed recommendations.

In addition, participation in regular roundtable sessions organised by Unite provides us with opportunities to share best practice and discuss practical solutions for commonly experienced issues with colleagues from other UK universities.”

We won ‘Alternatives Team of the Year’ at Property Week’s Property Awards.

Our win highlighted our achievements with developments and operations, plus innovation, employee initiatives and ‘the academy’ our commitment to employee development, providing our employees with lifelong learning opportunities  client feedback, diversity and inclusion, and our sustainability agenda.

Tom Brewerton, Group Development Director, said: “It’s great to be recognised in this way for a raft of accomplishments across many parts of our business, including successes around our properties £190million Hayloft Point in London and £45million Campbell House in Bristol.”

Judges described our entry as “a strong submission across all criteria”.