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RNS Number : 0965V Unite Group PLC ( The ) 17 September 2026 PRESS RELEASE 17 September 2026 THE UNITE GROUP PLC ( ' Unite Group , ' Unite ' , the ' Group ' , or the ' Company ' ) RESERVATIONS UPDATE Unite Group , the UK's leading owner , manager and developer of student accommodation , today provides an update on current trading , ahead of the start of the 2026/27 academic year . Highlights . • • 95 % of Unite beds reserved for the 2026/27 academic year ( 2025/26 : 95 % ) Expect 0.5-1.0 % like - for - like income growth for 2026/27 ( Unite share ) 91 % of Empiric beds reserved for 2026/27 academic year ( 2025/26 : 84 % ) 719 - bed Hawthorne House development fully let on opening for 2026/27 Guidance reiterated for adjusted EPS of 41.5-43.0p in FY2026 Joe Lister , Unite Group Chief Executive Officer , commented : " We've seen student demand and university behaviour evolve during this sales cycle and we have responded well . Our portfolio is concentrated around the UK's strongest universities , where student numbers continue to grow , and we've adapted our sales strategy to capture that demand . As a result , occupancy is slightly ahead of last year and we have secured income growth in line with our expectations , supporting our earnings outlook for FY2026 . " 2026/27 student numbers UK universities have increased acceptances of undergraduate students , who make up 82 % of our customer demand , by 1 % for the 2026/27 academic year . The UK's strongest universities , to which our portfolio is aligned and is increasing further , continue to outperform the wider sector with high - tariff institutions growing acceptances by 6 % . Current trading 2026/27 lettings performance Across the Unite Students portfolio , 95 % of beds are now reserved for the 2026/27 academic year ( 2025/26 : 95 % ) ( guidance : 94-96 % ) . This includes 54 % of beds let to universities under nomination agreements and 41 % of beds let through direct - let sales ( 2025/26 : 59 % and 36 % respectively ) . Since A- Level results , we have agreed nominations with universities for an additional 400 beds for the 2026/27 academic year reflecting increased acceptances at the strongest universities . Entering the final weeks of the sales cycle , our leasing performance supports 0.5-1.0 % growth in like - for- like income ( Unite share ) . Income growth reflects a modest increase in occupancy and broadly flat rents ( previous guidance : 0-2 % like - for - like income growth and 1-2 % rental growth ) . We have been proactive in adapting our commercial approach through marketing , enhancements to our sales platforms and targeted price adjustments to grow our market share through both direct - let sales and nomination agreements . Income growth reflects a sales shift towards undergraduate students over postgraduates , which has impacted direct - let pricing through shorter average tenancy lengths . This