Student accommodation has nearly doubled in the past decade, according to new analysis of the sector.

The number of student accommodation beds has increased on the back of a surge in private developers moving into the purpose-built student accommodation sector. The Student Accommodation Benchmarks report shows there are 132,700 student accommodation beds in Australia, over half (53 %) of which are owned or managed by the private sector.  Victoria has the highest level of student accommodation with 43,982 beds, followed by New South Wales (34,069), Queensland (23,353), ACT (10,226) and South Australia (9,133).

Student Accommodation Council Executive Director Torie Brown says there is another 29,500 beds in the supply pipeline, with about 7,400 already in the construction stage, 14,900 approved, and 7,200 awaiting development approval. It comes as the latest Rental Affordability Index shows the private rental market has never been less affordable and students are struggling to even afford share homes.