Student Tribe
Student Tribe is a UK-based owner-operator of student rental housing that owns and manages approximately 60 furnished Houses in Multiple Occupation across five university cities — Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds, Lincoln, and Exeter — letting them on annual tenancies to undergraduate and postgraduate students.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2014
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Student Tribe does
Student Tribe is a UK-based owner-operator of student rental accommodation, founded in 2014 by Calum MacInnes. The company directly owns and manages Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs) and furnished flats across five university cities — Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds, Lincoln, and Exeter — letting them on annual (July-to-July) tenancies to undergraduate and postgraduate students. Its largest single transaction was the mid-2019 acquisition of 27 HMOs in Manchester, which established that city as the operational core of an estimated 60+ property portfolio.
The technology layer is modest and consumer-facing rather than platform-oriented. It consists of a web-based property search and listing portal (filterable by city and bedroom count), a tenant mobile application for logging maintenance issues and accessing Assured Shorthold Tenancy documents, a Zoom-based virtual viewing workflow offered as a precursor to physical viewings, and a paperless online tenancy contract signing system. None of these components employ AI, machine learning, or data-driven matching; they are conventional web and mobile tools aimed at simplifying the rental journey for students and their guarantors.
The business model is that of a small-scale institutional landlord rather than a marketplace or SaaS platform. Revenue is generated almost entirely from recurring annual rental income, priced per person per week (pppw), with optional bills-inclusive utility packages and ancillary fees (holding deposit of £50 per person, security deposit of £250 per person). The company is privately held, founder-led, has disclosed only one funding round of approximately $2.4M in 2019, and employs 1-10 staff. Customer acquisition is direct-to-consumer via the website, supplemented by listing on the StuRents third-party marketplace.
Student Tribe firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Student Tribe
- Legal name
- Student Tribe Limited
- Website
- https://studenttribe.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2014
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Student Tribe is a UK-based owner-operator of student rental housing that owns and manages approximately 60 furnished Houses in Multiple Occupation across five university cities — Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds, Lincoln, and Exeter — letting them on annual tenancies to undergraduate and postgraduate students.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Student Tribe industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Student Accommodation
- NAICS
- Rooming and Boarding Houses, Dormitories, and Workers' Camps (72131)
- SIC
- Operators Of Apartment Buildings (6513), Services-To Dwellings & Other Buildings (7340)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Student Housing Property Management (BPAJAFAF)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Off-Campus Shared Student Houses (Room-by-Room) (THAMAGAC), Off-Campus Student Rentals (Scattered-Site/Single-Family) Management (BPAJAJAC)
Keywords
Where Student Tribe is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices6 records
Markets served
Student Tribe business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Supply Chain, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Student Property Rental: Revenue generated from renting fully furnished student accommodation properties to university students. The company owns and manages all properties directly, providing bills-inclusive and bills-exclusive rental packages with terms typically running July-to-July annually.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Bills Inclusive Package |
| Subscription | Annual | Bills Exclusive Package |
| Unit Pricing | One time | Holding Deposit |
| Unit Pricing | One time | Security Deposit |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
Student Tribe product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Student Tribe owns and operates fully furnished student rental accommodation across five UK university cities (Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds, Lincoln, Exeter), leasing directly to students on annual tenancies. The company supports its rental operations with a web-based property search platform, virtual and physical viewings, paperless online contract signing, a tenant mobile app for maintenance and document access, and an optional bills-inclusive utility package covering water, gas, electricity, and Wi-Fi.
Product overview
Student Tribe is a student accommodation platform consisting of a web-based property search marketplace and direct property management services. The platform enables students to search and view properties across five UK cities (Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds, Exeter, Lincoln), with supplementary services including a tenant mobile app for maintenance reporting, virtual viewing capabilities via Zoom, online contract signing, and a bills-inclusive utility package. The company operates as both owner and manager of its property portfolio (approximately 217 properties), providing dedicated property management, maintenance support, and renewal incentives to students.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Student Accommodation Search Platform Web-based property search platform allowing students to search for fully furnished student accommodation by city (Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds, Lincoln, Exeter) and number of bedrooms, with photos, maps, floor plans, costs, and availability displayed. Supports booking of virtual and physical viewings and links to the company's paperless online contract signing flow.
- Student Property Rental Service Annual fully furnished student rental accommodation (HMO houses and flats) leased directly by Student Tribe to university students, available in bills-inclusive and bills-exclusive packages with annual tenancies typically running July-to-July. Includes standard in-property amenities such as microwave, dishwasher, dryer, washing machine, and fridge freezer.
- Tenant Mobile App Standalone mobile application for Student Tribe tenants to log maintenance issues and access their Assured Shorthold Tenancy (AST) documents throughout the tenancy lifecycle.
Quantifiable outcome
- 27 HMOs acquired in single Manchester transaction (mid-2019)
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Student Tribe
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Student Tribe technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Student Tribe partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators5 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Student Tribe competitors and assessment
Company assessmentOthers
- Student.com: Global student accommodation marketplace covering the UK; comparable on platform/discovery layer even though Student Tribe is owner-operator while Student.com is purely a marketplace.
- StuRents: UK student accommodation marketplace and listing aggregator — listed partner of Student Tribe and a complementary distribution channel rather than a direct operational competitor.
Direct peers
- CRM Students: UK-based student accommodation operator running a multi-city PBSA and managed-house portfolio with similar D2C student-focus, technology-enabled letting platform, and room-by-room pricing — directly comparable vertically-integrated model.
- Hello Student: UK student accommodation provider operating purpose-built and converted student housing across multiple university cities, competing for the same domestic student customer with annual tenancies and bills-inclusive packages.
- Homes for Students: Mid-market UK student accommodation operator and asset manager with a comparable portfolio of managed student houses and PBSA beds across provincial UK university cities.
- Accommodation for Students: UK student accommodation aggregator and private-hall operator running a marketplace + managed listings model across UK university cities, comparable lead-gen/letting flow.
Broad incumbents
- Unite Group: Largest UK-listed PBSA operator (~75k beds), a broader incumbent competing in the same student accommodation space but at scale and via purpose-built developments rather than HMO conversion.
- iQ Student Accommodation: Major UK PBSA operator backed by Blackstone with ~30k beds — competes for the same UK student tenant across multiple university cities but at significantly larger asset scale and via purpose-built stock.
- Student Roost: Large UK PBSA operator (managed by Brookfield) operating ~30k+ beds in provincial university cities directly comparable to Student Tribe's footprint, including Manchester, Leeds and Birmingham.
- Fresh Student Living: UK PBSA operator (Invesco-backed) operating purpose-built student accommodation across UK university cities including Manchester and Exeter — adjacent vertical but at institutional scale.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Student Tribe social profiles
Digital presenceStudent Tribe financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Student Tribe leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Student Tribe funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Student Tribe M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Student Tribe
What does Student Tribe do?
Student Tribe owns and operates fully furnished student rental accommodation across five UK university cities (Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds, Lincoln, Exeter), leasing directly to students on annual tenancies. The company supports its rental operations with a web-based property search platform, virtual and physical viewings, paperless online contract signing, a tenant mobile app for maintenance and document access, and an optional bills-inclusive utility package covering water, gas, electricity, and Wi-Fi.
Is Student Tribe a public or private company?
Student Tribe is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Student Tribe founded?
Student Tribe was founded in 2014. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Student Tribe based?
Student Tribe is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Student Tribe make money?
One revenue line is on record: student Property Rental.
Who are Student Tribe's main competitors?
Others on record are Student.com and StuRents. Direct peers are CRM Students, Hello Student, Homes for Students and Accommodation for Students. Broad incumbents are Unite Group, iQ Student Accommodation, Student Roost and Fresh Student Living.
Does Student Tribe have an API?
No public API is recorded for Student Tribe.
What industry is Student Tribe in?
Student Tribe's product category is Student Accommodation. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAJAFAF, Student Housing Property Management, with a secondary code of THAMAGAC, Off-Campus Shared Student Houses (Room-by-Room). Its NAICS code is 72131 and its SIC code is 6513.