Purpose-built student accommodation

: PBSA : the new reality of student housing in Lisbon

Abstract

The real estate market has been in flux. This is also true for the student housing subindustry, being part of this overall market. In more developed countries (such as the United States of America or the United Kingdom) which are leading indicators of trends, the supply of student accommodation is already relatively stable, professional, and a modern offering in the form of PBSAs (Purpose-Built Student Accommodation). PBSAs, as the name implies, are accommodations built with the purpose of being sold to students, offering all the necessary amenities for clients (private bedrooms with bathrooms and sometimes kitchens or kitchenettes) while promoting conviviality and sociability through its set of services (lounges, gym, study rooms).In Portugal, this kind of accommodation is beginning to appear, however it still constitutes a relatively small share of the market. With the growing number of students in higher education, together with the growth of international students studying in the country, there has been an increase in interest from international companies seeking to invest in the country and in this sector as seen through the number of pipeline projects in development. This thesis, therefore, aims to study the Portuguese student housing sub-industry, and how PBSA will influence / change the student accommodation market in Portugal, namely in Lisbon, and which disruptors are leading to this change.

Date of Award	27 Apr 2021
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Supervisor	Peter V. Rajsingh (Supervisor) & André de Almeida Pinho (Co-Supervisor)