Student accommodation landlord Empiric has said it is anticipating a rush of bookings for digs from people that were waiting for clarity on A-Level results.
The company, which has over 8800 student rooms, said booking levels across the estate for the upcoming academic year currently stand at 65%, compared to 85% as at August 19 last year.
Finance chief Lynne Fennah said a number of would-be tenants had delayed booking accommodation until they got exam results, which this year had to be estimated due to Covid-19 disruption.
People were also uncertain about whether travel restrictions would be in place, potentially impacting university start dates.
Empiric Student Property saw revenues in the six months to June 30 decline 5% to £34 million. It offered to forgo rent for students who did not use their rooms and went home during the lockdown.
Mark Pain, chairman of the firm, said: "We are confident that we have a business which will be able to work through the current pandemic and provide a platform for growth moving forward.”
He added: “The attractive fundamentals of increasing structural demand from both domestic and international students for premium, responsibly managed student accommodation focused in high demand UK towns and cities remains strong, whilst the supply of such accommodation continues to be restricted.”
