Strong student appeal. Opto Student Cardiff will be delivered with plenty of features that will maximise its appeal to students, from rooftop workstations, a library and high-speed Wi-Fi to cinema rooms, games rooms and rooftop entertainment including a sky bar with a barbecue. There will also be a host of facilities to help residents stay fit and healthy during their studies, including a yoga and pilates studio, a wellness salon, outdoor basketball, and tennis courts, a climbing wall and a spa treatment room. An on-site student support and management team, along with 24/7 reception service and CCTV coverage, will provide peace of mind for those who are living away from home for the first time. 

Another big benefit of Opto Student Cardiff is its location close to the city centre, which will give tenants easy access to all the experiences, amenities and culture the Welsh capital has to offer. These features will help to ensure the development appeals to students from around the UK and overseas, making it a strong option for investors looking for reliable rental yields. Developments like this are particularly welcome at the moment, in light of recent reports highlighting the lack of high-quality housing on offer to students in Cardiff.

An opportunity for investors.  If you’re looking for investment opportunities in the UK’s purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA) market, Cardiff is certainly a destination worth considering at the moment. Opto Student Cardiff will offer a choice of self-contained studio apartments at prices starting from £82,950, with the additional benefit of 7.5 per cent net rental returns assured for three years. The units will come fully furnished, with all investors receiving a free furniture pack as part of the deal.

In addition to its extensive range of specialist on-site features, the development has some key advantages that will reassure investors looking for strong rental yields. More than a quarter (26 per cent) of the overall student population in Cardiff in the 2017-18 academic year came from overseas, according to Knight Frank. International students are a key target market for property investors, since they are often willing to pay higher-than-average rents to secure high-quality, well-equipped accommodation close to their campus. Furthermore, there is a significant undersupply of PBSA in the city. Knight Frank revealed that more than half (55 per cent) of the local student population – just over 21,000 people – are currently unable to access bespoke university or private sector accommodation.

With so many factors in its favour, there’s no doubt Opto Student Cardiff – the fifth PBSA project from the award-winning Opto Property Group – will be a welcome addition to the UK’s thriving student property sector.