UCC student accommodation firm makes €2.8m profits

UCC's impressive Crows Nest student accommodation. The company which manages student accommodation on behalf of the university recorded profits of €2.8m in 2025, with turnover rising to €13.6m.

A company which manages student accommodation on behalf of UCC has recorded profits of €2.8m, with turnover rising to €13.6m.

Campus Accommodation manages student apartment complexes on behalf of the university, whic is its “ultimate parent” and controlling party.Campus Accommodation UCC recorded a profit of €2.8m for the year ended September 30, 2025, slightly down from €2.9m in 2024.

UCC’s campus accommodation options include University Hall, Victoria Lodge, Castlewhite, Victoria Mills, Mardyke Hall, and the Crows Nest.

“UCC Campus Accommodation provides 1,536 beds at rates that are below the fees charged by private student accommodation providers. All income is ringfenced for the running and maintenance of our buildings," a UCC spokesperson told the Irish Examiner.

The balance sheet shows that the company has net assets of €32.8m (from €30.1m in 2024) and net current liabilities of €6.9m, down from €9.1m in the previous year.

“Campus accommodation continues to experience significant demand from students during the academic year and so room allocations are assigned on a lottery basis from March annually,” the financial statement said.

Turnover in 2025 was €13,678,823, up slightly from €13,288,031 in 2024. Turnover included student rental income of €9,697m (from €9.57m in 2024) and summer rental income of €2,806,697. “Summer business is growing annually, up by €300,000,” the report said.

The average monthly number of persons employed by the company during the year was 52, including 24 housekeeping and maintenance staff, 20 administrative staff, and eight management staff. Payroll costs amounted to just over €2m.

“The industry in which the company operates is highly competitive and challenging. However, the directors have a detailed knowledge and experience in the sector,” the financial report said. “In common with all companies operating in Ireland in this sector, the company faces the risk of increasing costs. The directors are of the opinion that the company is well positioned to manage these costs.

“The company is affected by factors beyond the control of the company which directly affect the ultimate controlling party, University College Cork. Such factors include; student numbers, increasing tuition fees, national and international government policies, the general economic environment and the level of state and European funding. All of these factors are continually reviewed by the company’s management and board of directors to minimise these risks.”

The €35m, 255-bed Crows Nest complex opened in 2023. A double en-suite bedroom costing €8,585 for the 2025-2026 academic year. Rates at Mardyke Hall for a single non-ensuite for the 2025-2026 academic year started at €5,955; €6,305 for a single ensuite at University Hall, Victoria Mills, and Victoria Lodge. The cheapest option at Campus Accommodation UCC for the 2025-2026 academic year was a twin non-ensuite bedroom in Castlewhite Apartments, for €3,816.

The Government's Student Accommodation Strategy aims to boost bed numbers between 2026 and 2035 by 42,000, with 32,000 places expected to be delivered through public-private partnerships, with developers building on campus sites.