Unite Students wins Operator of the Year 2022 award

Unite Students, the UK’s leading owner, manager and developer of student accommodation, won Operator of the Year award at this year’s Property Week’s 2022 Student Accommodation Awards.

Its range of financial support for students affected by Covid closures and efforts to tackle inequality in the student accommodation sector during 2022 were highlighted by judges.

During the pandemic, Unite Students provided support to students affected by closures and lockdowns. Students not living in their accommodation were able to apply for a 10-week rental discount and four-week complimentary tenancy extension during summer 2021. This contributed towards more than £100million in financial support.

Unite Students has also shone a spotlight on hidden disadvantage and inequality throughout student accommodation in the UK in its Living Black at University report, published in February 2022. In response to the findings, it founded the Unite Students Commission on Living Black at University, which brings together national and professional bodies and charities to take action on key recommendations.

“Unite has also been the only PBSA contributing to the Suicide Prevention Strategy,” noted the judges.

The Unite Foundation, an independent charity set up by Unite Students, also won Social Impact Initiative. The charity provides support to students who have been in care or are estranged from their parents. In its first decade, the Foundation has supported 500 estranged and care-experienced young people to go to university.

According to the judges, the Foundation “has consistently supported students on their educational journey”.

Karan Khanna, Unite Students’ Chief Customer Officer, said:

“This is a fantastic achievement and one that will be celebrated by all colleagues at Unite Students. This award is testament to the hard work of all our front-line teams working across the UK – providing students with 24/7 support.

It also reflects our commitment to our purpose here at Unite Students – providing a ‘Home for Success’.”

Notes to Editors

For further information, please contact Unite Students press office on 0117 4506300 or email: press.office@unitestudents.com

About Unite Students

Unite Students is the UK’s largest owner, manager and developer of purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA) serving the country’s world-leading higher education sector. We provide homes to 70,000 students across 169 properties in 23 leading university towns and cities. We currently partner with over 60 universities across the UK.

Our people are driven by a common purpose: to provide a ‘Home for Success’ for the students who live with us. Unite Students’ accommodation is safe and secure, high quality, and affordable. Students live predominantly in en-suite study bedrooms with rents covering all bills, insurance, 24-hour security and high-speed Wi-Fi. We also achieved a five-star British Safety Council rating in our last audit.

We are committed to raising standards in the student accommodation sector for our customers, investors and employees. This is why our new Sustainability Strategy, launched in 2021, includes a commitment to become net zero carbon across our operations and developments by 2030.

Founded in 1991 in Bristol, the Unite Group is an award-winning Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT), listed on the London Stock Exchange. For more information, visit Unite Group’s corporate website www.unitegroup.com or the Unite Students’ site www.unitestudents.com