Paris tops for student property - what about Edinburgh?

In a recent poll by Knight Frank, Paris just topped London for the title of best place to invest in student property, closely followed by Vienna, Dublin and Barcelona. So where does that leave Edinburgh? Should we take our eyes off the city and look for investment opportunities elsewhere?

Not so fast. First, the Scottish capital comes fourth in Knight Frank’s UK-wide student property report – after London, Kingston and Brighton – and is far ahead of St Andrews and Glasgow. No other Scottish city made the top 20.

Second, the UK student property market has been a safe investment throughout the credit crunch, not just according to our own findings which have seen Edinburgh properties delivering constant high rental yields. Knight Frank’s Head of Student Property James Pullan agrees that student accommodation has delivered solid and consistent returns throughout every year of the economic downturn.

Third, property investment in Edinburgh is by far more accessible than in London: there’s a larger number of suitable properties available and they can usually be purchased at more reasonable prices. Another advantage is the capital’s size – whilst it offers all the amenities of a large cosmopolitan city, it’s also easily navigated on foot or by bike, making Edinburgh more accessible and affordable for future students. The growing applicant numbers across Edinburgh’s universities prove the city’s popularity even further.

So, while Paris might have topped this survey, Edinburgh is certainly more than second best when it comes to student accommodation.