By Shaida Faraj, Sales Director, Plentific
When I recently spoke with a group of students about their housing experiences, one remark captured the mood perfectly:
“I can order food and track the delivery minute by minute, but when I report a maintenance issue in my room, it feels like sending it into a black hole.”
That comment speaks volumes about the expectations of today’s students.
Student accommodation has always been about more than just having a roof over your head. It’s the backdrop for learning, building friendships, and navigating independence for the first time. With that freedom, however, comes the reality of “grown-up problems” that many have never had to deal with before; a leaking tap, a broken heater, or a blocked toilet. In these moments, providers have a crucial role: to step in swiftly, resolve issues efficiently, and make students feel looked after.
The gap between then and now is striking. When I was a student, expectations were modest. Today’s students, raised in a world of instant services, digital-first communication, and real-time transparency, simply won’t tolerate slow, opaque, or outdated processes. Anything less than seamless feels unacceptable and undermines the very experience providers are working so hard to deliver.
The UK student housing market is in the midst of a profound transformation. What was once defined primarily by affordability and basic amenities is now being reshaped by a generation of students who expect much more: seamless digital communication, high-quality services, and living spaces that foster both community and study.
Expectations are evolving at pace. Today’s Gen Z students demand intuitive, digital-first solutions, while the next wave Gen Alpha, the first fully AI-native generation, will arrive at universities before the decade is out. Their expectation? Services that not only respond quickly, but anticipate and meet their needs before they even arise.
For providers, this shift presents both opportunity and risk. Demand for purpose-built student accommodation continues to grow, with investment in the sector set to rise from £8.5 billion in 2025 to more than £12 billion by 2033. At the same time, affordability remains a pressing concern, as students face rising costs while still demanding the quality, convenience, and digital integration they experience elsewhere in their lives. To remain competitive, operators must adapt quickly, modernising operations while keeping resident experience at the heart of their strategy.
The Challenges of Scaling Student Housing
Meeting these demands is far from straightforward. Many providers continue to operate on fragmented legacy systems that slow down processes and prevent a clear, real-time view of performance. Maintenance turnaround times remain a common pain point, often creating unnecessary disruption for students and additional pressure on staff. Regulations around compliance and building safety add another layer of complexity, demanding meticulous oversight at scale.
The challenge is compounded by shifting resident behaviour. Bookings are increasingly unpredictable, with some students delaying accommodation choices until late in the cycle. At the same time, research shows that students now expect more than just a room, they expect digital-first living. Fast, reliable Wi-Fi, apps that allow them to communicate instantly with their housing provider, and platforms that make reporting and tracking issues transparent are baseline expectations. A recent survey even found that students value seamless digital services more than certain traditional amenities, reflecting just how central technology has become to their housing experience.
Sustainability adds another dimension. Today’s students, and increasingly Gen Alpha, want to see their housing providers take meaningful action on environmental responsibility. Energy-efficient systems, smart monitoring, and sustainable operations are now part of what defines value in student accommodation.
How Plentific supports Student Housing providers
At Plentific, we have seen first-hand how the right digital solutions can turn these challenges into opportunities. Our partnership with Student Roost, one of the UK’s largest student accommodation providers, is a case in point. With more than 56 properties across 21 cities and 23,000 students in residence, Student Roost recognised the need for a future-proof approach that could keep pace with rapidly changing expectations.They understood that they are now not just being compared to the other Student accommodation provider down the road, they are being compared to the Amazon, Uber and other digital facilities that offer immediate access, engagement and transparency.
Working together, we introduced a fully integrated, data-driven operations platform that modernised the way their teams manage Repairs, Planned Maintenance, Inspections, Compliance, and Advanced Analytics solutions. By integrating Plentific with the Student Roost app, Student Roost can provide residents with full visibility on their maintenance requests, including push notifications when a job is completed, real-time status updates, and full visibility from request to completion. This digital-first approach and level of transparency directly addresses what students themselves say they want: quick resolutions, instant communication, and confidence that issues will not disrupt their living and study experience.
The implementation of Plentific across Student Roost’s properties is intended to have a significant impact on both resident experience and team member efficiency, including:
Real-time tracking, giving residents improved records of their maintenance requests and enhanced communication with their property team
Faster repair times and better control over jobs assigned to both internal maintenance teams and external contractors
Improved and real-time oversight of property safety and compliance, enabling early intervention
Streamlined, live reporting and automation to increase operational efficiency
Improved cost control, feeding back into operating costs and rent prices
As Ashling Fox, Managing Director at Student Roost, puts it: “Tools such as Plentific enable us to ensure every facet of the student living experience is cutting-edge. The platform is making the maintenance request process seamless for both residents and team members, providing a direct link to our in-house maintenance teams and external contractors while giving live updates and an end-to-end process which can be tracked.”
The message is clear. Students expect digital-first living environments: platforms that provide speed, transparency, and a sense of control over their housing experience. At the same time, regulators and investors expect stronger compliance, as well as leaner, more efficient operations. Plentific bridges these demands by embedding automation, analytics, and live reporting into everyday workflows.
This is not simply about operational efficiency. It is about aligning with what students value most: seamless communication, real-time transparency, and sustainable operations while delivering the control, oversight, and cost efficiency that leadership teams require.
The next generation of students will expect nothing less than fully digital, seamless services. Those who act now will not only gain a competitive advantage but also secure long-term resident satisfaction and operational excellence.
We at Plentific are proud to partner with forward-thinking providers like Student Roost, who are leading the way in making student housing smarter, faster, and more resident-centric.
Book a meeting with me to explore how your organisation can scale student housing with purpose and see what it looks like in practice.
