Landmark Prime Central London PBSA asset hits market for £191 million

Located at 15-25 Talbot Square, London W2 1TR, in the heart of Paddington, the ESG-led scheme comprises 357 beds, arranged across eight floors. The development holds a range of high‑quality studios designed to meet the strong and growing demand from both international and domestic postgraduate students.

Citi View has been fully operational since the start of the 2024/25 academic year, operated by Prestige Student Living. The asset benefits from a secure, guaranteed gross income of £11.2 million for the 2025/26 academic year, due to rise to £11.4 million in 2026/27, strengthened by an agreement with Londonist DMC Ltd.

Naresh Abrol at Union Property Developments, said: “We acquired Citi View from the University of London in September 2022 and undertook a full refurbishment to deliver a modern, resilient PBSA asset that has now been fully operational for 18 months. Having proudly established the scheme, we are now ready to pass the baton to a new investor as we progress our broader ambitions.”

London is home to more than 42 Higher Education Institutions, including five Russell Group universities. Citi View benefits from exceptional proximity to many of these leading institutions, supporting broad and resilient student catchment.

This includes Bloomsbury’s renowned ‘Knowledge Quarter’, home to University College London and the University of London located approximately 9 minutes away. Imperial College London’s White City Campus and main South Kensington campus are accessible in around 10 and 20 minutes respectively, while both the London School of Economics and King’s College London can be reached in approximately 20 minutes.

Rupert Strutt, Partner in the Student Property team at Knight Frank commented: “We are incredibly proud to bring Citi View to the market; the sale represents a standout opportunity for investors. The scheme is institutionally scaled, modern, and truly best‑in‑class, offering something unique for both established players and new entrants, seeking exposure to a prime Zone 1 location.

“With continued demand for high‑quality, well‑located operational assets, combined with a lack supply in the capital, Citi View is exceptionally well‑positioned to attract strong interest.”

According to the latest research, London is also the largest and most structurally undersupplied PBSA market in the UK, with 74% of students unable to access purpose-built accommodation. According to HESA data, London is home to 476,000 full‑time students and has a student‑to‑bed ratio of 2.98:1, demonstrating the pool of demand. Data suggests international students now account for 55% of the city’s student population, with non‑EU numbers rising by 80% since 2019.

Russell Hefferan, Head of Student Accommodation Capital Markets at Cushman & Wakefield, said: “This type of investment opportunity only emerges once every few years. We are incredibly excited to be mandated on Citi View - a premium product in the prime West End submarket of London, the leading global destination for students.”

Paddington is supported by exceptional transport connections. Citi View is just a two‑minute walk from Paddington Station, providing access across London and the UK via the Elizabeth line, Bakerloo, Circle & District, and Hammersmith & City lines, as well as direct services to Heathrow Airport.

ENDS

Notes to Editors

Knight Frank LLP is the leading independent global property consultancy, serving as our clients’ partners in property. Headquartered in London, Knight Frank has more than 20,000 people operating from 487 offices across 53 territories. The Group advises clients ranging from individual owners and buyers to major developers, investors and corporate tenants. For further information about the Firm, please visit knightfrank.com.