Kaplan Living

What Kaplan Living does

Kaplan Living is a UK student accommodation provider operating across 9 cities — Bournemouth, Brighton, Bristol, Essex, Glasgow, Liverpool, London, Nottingham, and York — under the trading entity Kaplan Estates Limited (Company No. 10525185), part of the Kaplan International Pathways group. The company's primary customer is international students enrolled in Kaplan Pathways college programs at partner universities, with a secondary market in general UK university students and a dedicated B2B group-bookings service for institutions booking 5+ students. The accommodation portfolio mixes Kaplan Living-branded and operated residences (Bournemouth, Brighton, Glasgow, Liverpool, Nottingham) with partner-stock beds in London (Chapter Lewisham/Old Street, Urbanest Hoxton/Battersea, The Stay Club Kentish Town, Moonraker Point) and at University of York colleges (Alcuin, Constantine, Langwith).

The underlying technology stack is purpose-built for student housing workflows rather than AI-native: bookings run on the StarRez housing system (kaplanint.starrezhousing.com), integrated with the Kaplan Student Account authenticated via Microsoft B2C OAuth 2.0. A live availability checker on kaplanliving.com lets students filter rooms by city, age, course start month, and length; the Ask4 partnership delivers wired internet up to 100 Mb/s across residences. AI tooling is deployed at the support layer to summarize inbound student queries, auto-answer FAQs, and triage cases to staff, but no proprietary models or training pipelines are disclosed.

Revenue is primarily recurring rental income under all-inclusive contracts (bills, Wi-Fi, maintenance), with ancillary streams from add-ons (bedding/kitchen packs, laundry, room cleaning, mandatory Kaplan Living Special Support for under-18s), a licensing/royalty line from the bundled Howden contents insurance partnership, and promotional mechanics (refer-a-friend credits, rebooker rewards, group-book discounts). Pricing is dynamic — weekly rent varies by residence, room type, contract length, and now floor level — with advance payments of £250 (general) or £1,000 (Pathways) securing a room, and flexible monthly instalments subject to guarantor requirements. Distribution is direct-to-consumer through the booking portal plus Kaplan student-advisor referrals, with a parallel enterprise sales motion for institutional group bookings.

Name

Kaplan Living

Legal name

Kaplan Estates Limited

Website

https://kaplanliving.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Kaplan Living is a UK student accommodation provider operating 25+ residences across 9 cities, primarily serving international students on Kaplan International Pathways programs with all-inclusive rooms, bills, Wi-Fi, and 24/7 wellbeing support.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Student Accommodation

NAICS

Accommodation (721), Other Traveler Accommodation (72119)

SIC

Hotels, Rooming Houses, Camps & Other Lodging Places (7000)

akta.pro primary industry

Student/Academic Serviced Residences (THAGAEAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Student-Focused Co-Living (Flexible, Community-Led) (THAMAGAI), Student & Academic Term Monthly Housing (THAMAFAH), International Student Housing Placement & Management (BPAJAJAL), Student Housing Marketplaces & Booking Platforms (THAMAGAJ)

Keywords

• Student accommodation
• Purpose-built student housing
• International student housing
• Pathway program residence
• UK student lettings

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Infrastructure, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Student Accommodation Rent: Recurring rental revenue from student accommodation contracts. Students pay rent either upfront or in instalments, with a £250 advance payment to secure a room (or £1,000 for Pathways students). Rent includes all bills, wifi, and maintenance costs.
2. Extra Services: Optional add-on services including bedding packs, kitchen packs, laundry services, room cleaning services, and Kaplan Living Special Support (mandatory for students under 18).
3. Contents Insurance Partnership: Partnership with Howden insurance to provide contents insurance for residents, with details shared for policy administration.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Kaplan Living operates purpose-built and partner student residences across nine UK cities (Bournemouth, Brighton, Bristol, Essex, Glasgow, Liverpool, London, Nottingham, and York), offering ensuite, studio, and shared rooms bundled with bills, WiFi, contents insurance, 24/7 student support, and a booking portal integrated with the Kaplan Student Account. It primarily serves international students enrolled in Kaplan International Pathways college programs, with optional add-on services (bedding, kitchen, cleaning, laundry, enhanced wellbeing support) and a separate institutional group-booking service for universities and language schools.

Product overview

Kaplan Living is a student accommodation provider operating across 9 UK cities (Bournemouth, Brighton, Bristol, Essex, Glasgow, Liverpool, London, Nottingham, and York). The core product is student accommodation with various room types including Premium Ensuites (private bedroom and bathroom in shared flats of 6-12 students), Self-Contained Studios, and Shared Rooms. Properties include both Kaplan Living-branded residences (Bournemouth, Brighton, Glasgow, Liverpool, Nottingham) and partner residences (London properties through Chapter, Urbanest, Stay Club; York residences through University of York colleges). Accommodation includes bills and WiFi (provided by Ask4), 24/7 support, and access to social spaces. Optional add-on services include bedding packs, kitchen packs, room cleaning, laundry, contents insurance (via Howden), and Kaplan Living Special Support for under-18s. The Student Assistance Programme provides free 24/7 confidential support. Promotional offers include the Study, Stay and Save 500 pounds discount, rent-free stay prize draw, whole flat group discounts, refer-a-friend credits, and rebooker rewards. Group bookings are available for institutions with tailored services including flexible contracts and additional amenities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Student Accommodation (Premium Ensuite, Self-Contained Studios, Shared Rooms) Rented student rooms (ensuite, studio, shared) in purpose-built and partner UK residences, all-inclusive of bills, WiFi, contents insurance, and 24/7 support. Targeted at international and UK university students.
• Student Assistance Programme Free confidential 24/7 advice line and wellbeing app available to all Kaplan Living residents.
• Kaplan Living Special Support (KLSS) Enhanced wellbeing and support package providing an extra layer of care with dedicated staff for younger students; mandatory for under-18s.
• Contents Insurance (via Howden) Comprehensive contents insurance covering belongings in student rooms, automatically included in accommodation contracts through Howden partnership.
• Group Bookings for Institutions Bespoke accommodation packages for universities, language schools, and institutions booking 5+ students, with flexible contracts, bedding, cleaning, food provision, free WiFi, and 24/7 wellbeing support.
• Optional Extra Services (Bedding, Kitchen, Cleaning, Laundry) Optional add-on services providing bedding packs, kitchen packs, room cleaning, and pay-per-use laundry at residences.

Quantifiable outcome

• Students in college accommodation achieve better academic results according to Kaplan student outcomes data 2024-25
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration13 records

AI capability3 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Howden InsurancecoreOthersHowden is Kaplan Living's insurance partner providing comprehensive contents insurance for all residents. The partnership is recommended by NUS and includes coverage for belongings inside student rooms. Details are shared with Howden for policy administration purposes. Students are automatically covered under this policy at no additional cost.
• Welcome to Rent GuarantorminorOthersRecommended guarantor service for students who do not have a UK resident to act as their guarantor. Welcome to Rent Guarantor can act as guarantor for a fee, enabling international students to pay rent in instalments.
• Ask4coreTechnology or IntegrationAsk4 provides high-speed internet services across Kaplan Living residences. Services include wired connections up to 100 Mb/s (or 92 Mb/s average wifi at Glasgow Argyle Street), with ability to register up to 10 devices (extendable to 14 for £15 one-off fee). Additional services including unlimited cloud backup storage available for purchase.
• ANUK (Accommodation Notification UK)minorOthersKaplan Living adheres to the Code of Standards for providers of student accommodation. ANUK provides external resolution of complaints if internal stages are exhausted. The code complaints procedure covers specific issues related to student accommodation standards.
• National Union of Students (NUS)minorOthersNUS recommended Howden as the insurance provider for student accommodation, establishing the partnership through which Kaplan Living provides contents insurance to residents.
• University Partners (Various)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKaplan Living operates in partnership with universities and pathway colleges including Bournemouth University, University of Brighton, University of Liverpool, Nottingham Trent University, University of Nottingham, University of Glasgow, University of West England Bristol, and University of York. Accommodation is exclusive or prioritized for students at these institutions' pathway programs.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Homes for Students: UK PBSA operator (backed by Brookfield) providing purpose-built student accommodation across multiple UK university cities. Directly comparable operating model with a similar mix of direct-let student rooms and value-add services.
• CRM Students: UK-based student accommodation provider operating in 27+ cities with a mix of owned and managed stock. Directly comparable in offering and target student demographic, including strong presence in mid-tier university cities similar to those where Kaplan Living operates (e.g., Liverpool, Nottingham).
• iQ Student Accommodation: Major UK PBSA operator owned by Blackstone, serving students in ~30 cities. Directly comparable to Kaplan Living's product offering (ensuites, studios, social spaces) and target demographic, with similar city coverage including London and other university hubs.
• Urbanest: Premium student accommodation operator with significant London presence (Hoxton, Battersea). Kaplan Living's London portfolio includes Urbanest Hoxton and Urbanest Battersea residences via partnership, indicating Urbanest is both a supplier/partner and a direct peer in the premium London PBSA segment.
• Chapter Living: Greystar-owned PBSA brand operating in London and other UK cities. Directly comparable to Kaplan Living — Kaplan Living actually partners with Chapter for its Lewisham and Old Street London residences, highlighting Chapter as a benchmark competitor in the same London submarket.
• Host Student Homes: UK student accommodation provider operating purpose-built student residences in key university cities. Comparable as a direct PBSA peer in the mid-market segment, often overlapping with Kaplan Living's target cities.
• The Stay Club: London-focused student accommodation brand (Kentish Town). Directly comparable as a London PBSA operator and an existing Kaplan Living partner — Kaplan Living offers Stay Club Kentish Town within its own portfolio, indicating overlapping product positioning.
• Vita Student: Premium student residence operator in the UK and Spain, focused on high-end studio living with community-led amenities. Comparable to Kaplan Living in its emphasis on resident experience and community differentiation, including award-winning positioning in the premium segment.
• Unite Students: The UK's largest Purpose-Built Student Accommodation (PBSA) operator, listed on the London Stock Exchange, providing accommodation across ~25 university cities. Directly comparable to Kaplan Living as a UK PBSA provider serving university students, though at materially greater scale and with a predominantly owned/leased portfolio.

Emerging players

• Hello Student: Growing UK student accommodation provider focused on affordable, high-quality PBSA across regional university cities. Comparable to Kaplan Living in city portfolio (e.g., Liverpool, Nottingham) and in targeting both international and domestic students.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kaplan-living
• Facebookfacebook.com/KaplanLivingGlasgow

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Kaplan Living