REG - Unite Group PLC - Trading Update and Q2 Fund Valuations

UniteAnnouncement

08/07/2024 07:00

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RNS Number : 4006V  Unite Group PLC (The)  08 July 2024

PRESS RELEASE

8 July 2024

THE UNITE GROUP PLC

('Unite Students', 'Unite', the 'Group', or the 'Company')

TRADING UPDATE AND Q2 FUND VALUATIONS

 

STRONG RENTAL GROWTH DRIVING PROPERTY VALUES

 

Unite Students, the UK's leading owner, manager and developer of student
accommodation, today announces an update on current trading and quarterly
property valuations for the Unite UK Student Accommodation Fund ('USAF') and
the London Student Accommodation Joint Venture ('LSAV') as at 30 June 2024.

 

Highlights

·    Confident in delivering 98-99% occupancy for the 2024/25 academic
year

·    Now expect to deliver rental growth of at least 7% for the 2024/25
academic year

·    Planning approval for 934-bed development in Glasgow

·    Property value increases in Q2 driven by rental growth (USAF: 3.2%,
LSAV 2.8%)

 

Joe Lister, Unite Students Chief Executive Officer, commented:

"Student demand remains strong from both domestic and international students,
reflecting the continued appeal of UK Higher Education, our fixed-priced,
all-inclusive offer and the growing shortage of high-quality student homes.
Together with our alignment to the UK's strongest universities, this supports
stronger rental growth for the 2024/25 academic year and underpins growth in
our property valuations.

 

"We have also made further progress with the delivery of our record
development pipeline, with significant planning milestones in Glasgow and
Newcastle. These projects will deliver much needed new student homes in some
of the UK's strongest university cities."

 

Current trading

2024/25 lettings performance

Demand for the Group's accommodation remains strong, across the Group's
portfolio, 94% of rooms are now reserved for the 2024/25 academic year, ahead
of our typical leasing pace and slightly below the record reservation rates
last year (2023/24: 98%). Demand from universities is strong with 1,000
additional beds secured via nomination agreements compared to the same stage
of the sales cycle last year. Demand from international students also remains
robust with 18% of the portfolio sold on direct let tenancies to international
students for 2024/25 (2023/24: 19%). We have not seen a meaningful impact from
the removal of visas for family members of international postgraduate taught
students, which reflects the single-occupancy nature of our properties.

 

Our strong progress with sales gives us confidence in delivering rental growth
of at least 7% (previously 6%) and occupancy of 98-99% for the 2024/25
academic year. Rental growth will be further enhanced by the £47 million of
asset management initiatives completing this year (Unite share: £40 million)
at a yield on cost of 8%. Our balanced approach to rent increases and ongoing
investment to improve our properties supports sustainable growth over the long
term, while also ensuring our offer remains good value for students.

 

HE policy update

The Labour Party manifesto recognised the soft power and economic value of UK
Higher Education and stated an ambition to improve access to university for a
growing 18-year-old population. Encouragingly, there is also recognition that
university funding arrangements are not meeting the needs of students and
universities and the new Government has committed to creating a secure future
for UK Higher Education.

 

In May, the Migration Advisory Committee's review of the Graduate Route for
international students recommended no change to visa policy, which was
accepted by the previous Government prior to calling the election.

 

Development update

Our Central Quay development in Glasgow has received resolution to grant
planning permission and we anticipate securing full planning consent in the
coming months, supporting delivery for the 2027/28 academic year. Having
secured additional beds through planning, the scheme comprises 934 beds with a
total development cost of £124 million and will deliver a 7.5% yield on cost.
Around half of the beds are expected to be let on a multi-year nomination
agreement to a leading university.

 

At Castle Leazes in Newcastle, our joint venture with Newcastle University,
planning consent has been granted to demolish the existing buildings which
will start in the coming weeks. We recently submitted a planning application
for 2,000 new beds on the site, which supports entry into the joint venture in
Q4 this year.

 

We are tracking further opportunities for development, university partnerships
and acquisitions in London and strong regional markets at attractive returns
and expect to add to our pipeline in the second half of the year.

 

Quarterly fund valuations

At 30 June 2024, USAF's property portfolio was independently valued
at £2,931 million, a 3.2% increase on a like-for-like basis during the
quarter. The valuation increase reflects quarterly rental growth of 3.3%.
Property yields were unchanged over the quarter at 5.2%. The portfolio
comprises 25,602 beds in 66 properties across 19 university towns and cities
in the UK.

 

LSAV's property portfolio was independently valued at £1,995 million, a 2.8%
increase on a like-for-like basis during the quarter. The valuation increase
in LSAV is driven by quarterly rental growth of 2.9%. Property yields were
unchanged over the quarter at 4.5%. LSAV's portfolio comprises 9,708 beds
across 14 properties in London and Aston Student Village in Birmingham.

 

       Drivers of LfL capital growth (Q2)
       Valuation   Rental growth  Yield movement  Capital growth*

       June 2024                  (bps)
 USAF  £2,931m     3.3%           -               3.2%
 LSAV  £1,995m     2.9%           -               2.8%

 

                            Drivers of LfL capital growth (H1)
       Valuation   Rental growth     Loss of Multiple Dwelling Relief  Yield movement  Capital growth*

       June 2024                                                       (bps)
 USAF  £2,931m     5.1%              (2.0%)                            -               2.8%
 LSAV  £1,995m     4.2%              (0.3%)                            -               3.6%

 

 

* Capital growth presented net of capital expenditure for property maintenance
and improvement, but excludes fire safety spend

 

 

ENDS

 

 

For further information, please contact:

 

Unite Students

Joe Lister / Mike Burt / Saxon
Ridley                            Tel: +44 117 302
7005

Press
office
   Tel: +44 117 450 6300

 

Powerscourt

Justin Griffiths / Victoria Heslop
      Tel: +44 20 7250 1446

 

 

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 157
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 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
(http://www.unitegroup.com/) or the Unite Students'
site www.unitestudents.com (https://www.unitestudents.com/)

 

 

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