Unite confident about Empiric student dorms deal ahead of likely UK merger probe
By Jon Menon ( September 1, 2025, 12:56 GMT | Comment) -- An acquisition by the UK’s largest student lodgings provider of a smaller rival looks likely to be studied by the country’s antitrust regulator. Unite Group, which already owns around a quarter of all student accommodation in the UK, last month agreed a buyout of Empiric Student Property to create a company with 10.5 billion pounds of real-estate assets. Recent deals that the CMA has probed in the sector have been cleared, and Unite says it is confident.With a fresh UK university year looming this month, an acquisition by the country’s largest student lodgings provider of a smaller rival looks likely to come under domestic antitrust scrutiny....
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