A NEW Belfast student accommodation scheme that used ‘TikTokers’ to help sell its rooms costing up to £290 per week has completely sold out.
Vita Student’s high-rise tower on Bruce Street is preparing to open for the new academic term.
With prices starting at £184 per week, the 269 units are among the most expensive of the new wave of student accommodation options coming onto the market in Belfast.
According to online listings from third parties, the serviced accommodation packages can cost up to £290 per week, depending on duration of tenancy.
But Vita Student has had little difficulty in finding tenants following a promotional campaign that used social media and influencers.
@vitastudent Go behind the scenes with us on our latest room shoot in Belfast. #vitastudent #studentacommodation #queensuniversitybelfast #belfast #belfaststudent #behindthescenes #photoshoot #roomhptography ♬ NANANA COLA IAN ASHER EDIT Out Now On SoundCloud - Ian Asher
The 14-storey structure between Great Victoria Street and Dublin Road was built by the Cookstown-based construction group McAleer and Rushe, but is operated by Vita Student, which is part of the Vita Group.
Vita opened its first purpose built student accommodation (PBSA) scheme in Liverpool in 2013, and now has around 10,000 rooms across 29 locations.
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But Vita is not an outlier when it comes to the cost of living in the new wave of PBSA opening around Belfast.
A new student block being built over the rail line at Bradbury Place by Dublin investment house Elkstone will feature accommodation ranging from £190 to £295 per week, when it opens in January 2024.
The £20 million development, which includes 156 units, will be operated by Mezzino, which has student schemes at 24 locations across Ireland and Britain.
According to its website, Mezzino’s entry-level package in Belfast will cost just under £6,500 for a 34-week stay, with its top of the range package coming in at around £10,000 for the same duration.
Both PBSA schemes have been marketed as luxury packages, with bills and gyms factored in with studio-style living quarters.
@missceaford My top three student spots close to the new @Vita Student accommodation on Bruce Street (just off Dublin Road)✨ This accommodation is a short walk from Queen’s University and is in such a prime location! Go back to my last video for a look at the facilities 1 - Trademarket (Dublin Road) 2- Filthys (Dublin Road) 3- The Avenue (CastleCourt) #belfast #belfaststudent #studentlife #studentaccomodation #vitastudent #filthymcnastys #theavenue #trademarket #belfastfood #belfastbars #belfaststudentlife #theavenuebelfast ♬ Summer - Croquet Club
The latest analysis by PropertyPal put the average rental property in Belfast at £908 per month (£227 per week) in the second quarter of 2023, which included everything from one-bed apartments to larger houses with multiple bedrooms.
According to online comparison websites, most of the new wave of PBSA schemes in Belfast city centre range from around £150 to £190 per week,
One of the biggest schemes to open in recent years, LIV Student, which includes 717 units on York Street, lists its rooms in the £163 to £195 per week range.
It comes as a survey from CompareNI.com suggests many students don’t believe university is worth the money.
Of the 500 students surveyed in the north last month, 72 per cent admitted to being shocked at how expensive university was, while 47 per cent felt it wasn’t worth it.
Some 15 per cent of those surveyed put their annual costs to attend university at between £10,000 and £15,000.
