Major portfolio boost as MCR Property Group acquires Parham Student Village, Canterbury
The freehold campus comprises 606 student bedrooms across nine residential blocks, including 43 townhouses, three studios and 85 flats, making it one of the largest PBSA assets in the city.
Located within walking distance of Canterbury Christ Church University, the University of Kent and the University for the Creative Arts, the scheme benefits from sustained demand in a city with a full-time student population exceeding 48,000.
Developed between 2003 and 2010, Parham Student Village presents a clear value-add opportunity. MCR Property Group will deliver a full refurbishment and enhancement programme ahead of the 2026/27 academic year, upgrading accommodation, communal spaces and environmental performance. On completion, the scheme is expected to have a gross development value of circa £60 million, delivering a modern, high-quality student living offer aligned with current market demand.
The transaction was led by William Mullery, Acquisition Manager, under Fund Director Nick Lake, and forms part of MCR’s disciplined PBSA growth strategy. In 2025, the group acquired seven student assets, adding 2,400 operational beds and expanding its total UK PBSA portfolio to 5,000 beds.
Nick Lake, Fund Director at MCR Property Group, commented:
“Parham Student Village represents exactly the scale and opportunity we continue to target in high-demand university cities. Canterbury’s strong fundamentals, diverse student population and structural undersupply of purpose-built accommodation make it an ideal location for long-term investment and repositioning. This acquisition also positions MCR as one of the city’s largest student accommodation providers through a single scheme.
Our ability to move quickly on complex opportunities reflects the depth of in-house capability we’ve built across the business from refurbishment and asset management through to marketing and design. This integrated approach enables us to reposition assets efficiently, enhance the resident experience and create sustainable value across our growing PBSA portfolio.”
The acquisition also supports MCR’s preparations to launch its new student living brand platform at the end of the month. Positioned as the new standard for student living, the brand will unify the group’s expanding PBSA portfolio under a single identity focused on wellbeing, connectivity and value for money. In practice, this means well-designed, thoughtfully managed homes that are easy to live in, easy to belong to and built around how students actually study, socialise and live today, setting a new benchmark for modern student accommodation.
