iQ company logoBroderick House, Birmingham, an IQ student building
IQ Student Accommodation is a British student housing company that owns 70 halls of residence with 30,000 bedrooms. It is owned by Blackstone,[1] one of the world's largest real estate investment firms.
As of February 2018, IQ owned 66 student halls,[2] with 28,000 bedrooms, and a valuation of about £3 billion.[3] IQ is the UK's largest provider of purpose-built student accommodation by value, and second largest by number of bedrooms (after Unite Students).[2] IQ has the largest London portfolio, with 6,700 rooms in 15 sites.[3]
In February 2018, Penny Hughes was appointed as chair, joining Rob Roger who was the chief executive (CEO).[2]
In June 2019, it was announced that IQ Student Accommodation was planning to build a cohabitation development in Manchester, not specifically aimed at students.[1][4] This would be the first development of this kind in Manchester.[1]
In February 2020, Blackstone announced plans to purchase the company for £4.66 billion,[5] in the UK's largest ever private real estate transaction. The deal completed on 15 May 2020.[6]
During April 2023, IQ purchased a 522-bed student accommodation in Nottingham from the Jensco Group for £68.12m (€77.4m).[7]
