Homestead
Homestead U is a private student housing property management company operating 3,700+ units serving 9,000+ students at colleges including Ohio State, Kentucky, Ohio University, Penn State, and Texas A&M.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2005
- HeadquartersColumbus, United States
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Homestead does
Homestead U is the student housing division of Homestead Companies, a private, for-profit real estate firm headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, with 251-500 employees. Founded in 2019 as a dedicated sub-brand, Homestead U provides full-service property management for off-campus student housing, operating a portfolio of more than 3,700 units that serve over 9,000 students across at least five states (Ohio, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Indiana). The company markets directly to college students and their parents, with leasing conducted through individual property websites, on-site leasing offices, a central phone line, and Instagram as the primary social channel.
The core product is full-service off-campus student housing communities, including six named assets: Signature Apartments at the University of Kentucky, University Village at Ohio State University, and four Ohio University properties in Athens (River Gate, River Park, River's Edge, and River Annex). Service offerings include on-site management and maintenance, complimentary shuttle service at select properties, a roommate matching program, individual leases, guarantor and renter's insurance programs, weekly/monthly resident events, and emergency maintenance supported by a resident portal app. The technology stack consists of standard property management systems, an online application and leasing workflow, and a resident portal — no proprietary AI/ML or platform technology is disclosed.
Revenue is generated from monthly rent on student housing units, structured as recurring subscription-style payments under individual leases. Distribution is direct-to-consumer via property-level websites and on-site offices, with parents/guardians targeted as a secondary decision-making segment through a dedicated 'Parents Corner.' The company is led by CEO Dave Anderson and President of Homestead Living Cory Ratai, and is actively expanding its development pipeline with new groundbreakings in Ohio and Indiana, including the Hayden Park community in Huber Heights, OH.
Homestead firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Homestead
- Legal name
- Homestead U
- Website
- https://homestead-u.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2005
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Short description
- Homestead U is a private student housing property management company operating 3,700+ units serving 9,000+ students at colleges including Ohio State, Kentucky, Ohio University, Penn State, and Texas A&M.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Homestead industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Student Housing Property Management
- NAICS
- Residential Property Managers (531311), Services to Buildings and Dwellings (5617)
- SIC
- Services-To Dwellings & Other Buildings (7340), Services-Facilities Support Management Services (8744)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Student Housing Property Management (BPAJAFAF)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Off-Campus Student Rentals (Scattered-Site/Single-Family) Management (BPAJAJAC), Student Housing Resident Life, Conduct & Community Management (BPAJAJAH), Housing Facilities Management (Repairs, Custodial & Grounds Liaison) (EDALACAE)
Keywords
Where Homestead is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Columbus
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Homestead business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Student Housing Rent: Monthly rental income from student housing units across their portfolio of properties. Residents pay rent on a recurring monthly basis with individual lease options.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels4 records
Homestead product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Homestead U provides full-service property management for off-campus student housing, managing more than 3,700 units across multiple states and serving 9,000+ students at named communities near major universities. Offerings include on-site management and maintenance, individual leases, roommate matching, shuttle service at select properties, renter's insurance requirements, online maintenance requests through a resident portal, and community-building resident events. The company leases directly to students and parents through property websites, on-site offices, and a central phone line.
Product overview
Homestead U is a portfolio of student housing properties managed by Homestead Companies. The core offering is full-service property management for off-campus student housing. The portfolio includes six named communities: Signature Apartments (University of Kentucky, Lexington), University Village (Ohio State University, Columbus), and four properties at Ohio University in Athens (River Gate, River Park, River's Edge, River Annex). Together they manage over 3,700 units serving 9,000+ students.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Homestead U Student Housing Property Management Full-service off-campus student housing property management service covering on-site management, maintenance, leasing, resident events, and resident support across the Homestead U portfolio. Target customers are college students and their parents/guardians seeking managed off-campus apartments near major universities.
- Signature Apartments Homestead U-managed student housing property serving students at the University of Kentucky in Lexington, KY.
- University Village Homestead U-managed student housing property serving students at The Ohio State University in Columbus, OH.
- River Gate Homestead U-managed student housing property located at Ohio University in Athens, OH.
- River Park Homestead U-managed student housing property located at Ohio University in Athens, OH.
- River's Edge Homestead U-managed student housing property located at Ohio University in Athens, OH.
- River Annex Homestead U-managed student housing property located at Ohio University in Athens, OH.
Companies that use Homestead
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Homestead technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Homestead partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators2 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Homestead competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Asset Living: National multifamily and student housing property manager that operates third-party management contracts across hundreds of communities, including dedicated student housing portfolios. Comparable as a scaled student housing property manager serving institutional owners and developers.
- The Scion Group: Mid-to-large off-campus student housing owner, developer, and manager focused on flagship Midwestern and Southern university markets. Directly comparable to Homestead U's off-campus, full-service management model and university-anchored portfolio strategy.
- Landmark Properties: Student housing developer and operator with a national portfolio of off-campus purpose-built student communities. Comparable to Homestead U in serving the same student tenant base at flagship universities with similar amenitized communities.
- Capstone On-Campus Management: Student housing operator managing both on-campus and off-campus student communities, including university-affiliated developments. Comparable to Homestead U's university-anchored, full-service student housing management approach.
- Balfour Beatty Campus Solutions: Developer and operator of student housing, including on-campus P3 partnerships and off-campus communities. Comparable because it serves the same university-anchored student housing market with full-service operations.
- Campus Advantage: Specialist in off-campus student housing management, development, and consulting serving universities and private developers. Closely comparable to Homestead U's focus on the off-campus student resident experience and developer-led inventory.
Broad incumbents
- American Campus Communities: Now owned by Blackstone, one of the largest publicly-traded student housing REITs before take-private, with a portfolio of on-campus and off-campus student communities. Comparable as a major institutional competitor in purpose-built student housing.
- Greystar Real Estate Partners: Largest multifamily and student housing operator in the U.S., managing hundreds of thousands of units including a major student housing platform. Relevant as the dominant incumbent against which Homestead U competes for institutional management contracts.
Emerging players
- College Pads: Off-campus housing marketplace and management platform serving college students and property owners near university campuses. Comparable because it operates in the same off-campus student housing niche, though more focused on listings and SaaS than full-service property management.
Others
- PlacePro (Places4Students): Provider of off-campus housing listing services and roommate matching tools for students and landlords across Canadian and U.S. university markets. Adjacent to Homestead U's roommate matching and off-campus housing focus, with overlap in the student housing services ecosystem.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Homestead social profiles
Digital presenceHomestead financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Homestead leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
Homestead funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Homestead 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 Homestead
What does Homestead do?
Homestead U provides full-service property management for off-campus student housing, managing more than 3,700 units across multiple states and serving 9,000+ students at named communities near major universities. Offerings include on-site management and maintenance, individual leases, roommate matching, shuttle service at select properties, renter's insurance requirements, online maintenance requests through a resident portal, and community-building resident events. The company leases directly to students and parents through property websites, on-site offices, and a central phone line.
Is Homestead a public or private company?
Homestead is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Homestead founded?
Homestead was founded in 2005. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is Homestead based?
Homestead is headquartered in Columbus, United States, in the North America region.
How does Homestead make money?
One revenue line is on record: student Housing Rent.
Who are Homestead's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Asset Living, The Scion Group, Landmark Properties, Capstone On-Campus Management, Balfour Beatty Campus Solutions and Campus Advantage. Broad incumbents are American Campus Communities and Greystar Real Estate Partners. College Pads is listed as an emerging player. PlacePro (Places4Students) is listed as an others.
Does Homestead have an API?
No public API is recorded for Homestead.
What industry is Homestead in?
Homestead's product category is Student Housing Property Management. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAJAFAF, Student Housing Property Management, with a secondary code of BPAJAJAC, Off-Campus Student Rentals (Scattered-Site/Single-Family) Management. Its NAICS code is 531311 and its SIC code is 7340.