Student development giant Unite saw the average occupancy of its rooms fall to 88% in 2020 following the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, the firm said today.

The figure compares to average occupancy of 98% in 2019, and came as the student housing landlord reported a pre-tax loss for the year of £120m, largely due to a £178m write-down in the value of its properties in the wake of the covid crisis.

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