Back to the Basics: What to Pin Down for Student Housing in 2025

Jan 22, 2025 by Marcus Armstrong

Okay, folks, it's been a minute! (Yes, you can blame Kevin for hogging the blog). But your boy Marcus is back and ready to dive into some data that's got my brain buzzing. You know those satisfying "aha!" moments? Well, strap in, because this might be a bit more of an "uh oh" moment.

If you're a top-tier content connoisseur like myself, you've probably seen that chart, the one from Turner Batdorf's epic piece on MFE. It beautifully illustrates how the ratio of happy vs. grumpy reviews in the multifamily industry has shifted over time. Turner painted this rosy picture of the industry collectively "getting it." And honestly, I was vibing with that positive energy.

 

But with the back-to-school rush in full swing, I couldn't resist digging deeper into the
student side of things. Are we hitting the same high notes? Or are we, dare I say,
missing a few chords?

Spoiler alert: things are a little off-key.

 

While the majority of reviews are still technically "positive" (thank goodness!), the trend
is not our friend. Those positive vibes have been steadily slipping since 2020. Positive
reviews are dipping and we're heading in the wrong direction faster than your grade
after failing to study for your midterm.

So, what's the deal? What's got these students writing less-than-stellar reviews? You're
probably thinking, "Marcus, spit it out!" And I hear you.

The funny (and slightly frustrating) thing is… it's the BASICS. Yes, the things you'd think
we'd have down pat by now.

 

While every review category, except surprisingly landscaping, saw an uptick in 1 & 2-star
"ouch" mentions, a few areas really stood out. Maintenance service complaints are up a
whopping 9%, and communication and cleanliness complaints aren't far behind, both
jumping 8%. Even Maintenance Timeliness is suffering with a 7% increase.

Translation: Students want a well-maintained, sparkling clean place to live with a staff
that can actually communicate! We're talking about, like, the fundamentals of living. The
good news here is that these are issues that can be addressed without a huge capital
expenditure, which is a win. The bad news is we're missing them in the first place.
But hey, maybe we're getting extra kudos in other areas, right? Are students gushing
about the killer amenities or something?

Unfortunately... nope.

The category that should be getting us high-fives – "Condition and Availability of
Amenities" – saw a measly 0.5% increase in positive mentions. This suggests we are
getting less praise for hitting the standard and way more complaints for failing to meet
itwhich is not a good look.

"Okay, Marcus, cool data, but I don't work in student housing." Okay, fair enough. But
here's the thing: today's student renter is tomorrow's conventional renter. Understanding
their expectations NOW is vital to get in front of future trends. They are the future of the
multifamily world and they're telling us how they want to live. Are you listening?

Enjoying this student content? Be sure to check out our podcast about student housing
coming later this month! 

Have some burning questions you wish you had data for? Let us know here:
research@jturnerresearch.com.

 

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