An agency’s latest acquisition takes its lettings book to almost 10,000.
The agency – loc8me – has acquired Liverpool-based Luxury Student Homes, adding 1,100 beds to its portfolio.
Founded in 2008 by Raffaele Russo, loc8me started with a single office in Loughborough.
It now specialises in student accommodations and operates in 19 major university cities including Durham, Nottingham, Manchester, Leeds, Lincoln, Cardiff, Newcastle, Birmingham, Liverpool, Leicester, Hull, Bath, Bristol, York, Exeter, Swansea, Coventry and Aberystwyth.
It manages close to 10,000 bedrooms nationwide and works with over 600 landlords providing professionally managed student accommodation across the UK.
It employs over 100 staff members.
As part of the acquisition of Luxury Student Homes, all existing 25 members of staff will join loc8me, including 10 office-based employees, with no immediate changes planned to day-to-day operations for tenants or landlords.
The deal follows growing consolidation in the student HMO sector following the Renters Rights Act, as more landlords move towards larger professional operators providing compliance support and management across multiple university cities.
Across the student housing market, established regional portfolios are increasingly being brought into larger national operators as landlords look for greater support, infrastructure and consistency in how their properties are managed.
Russo says: “As regulation continues to evolve, we’re seeing more student landlords move towards experienced operators who can deliver high standards consistently for both students and property owners.
“For us, this is about continuing to invest in key university cities and building long-term stability within the student HMO sector.”
All properties joining loc8me through the acquisition will operate under the company’s Seal of Approval framework, which sets standards around safety, presentation and property quality across its national portfolio.
