No rooms, no growth. That is why Tauranga’s university campus needs more beds, reports Mary Anne Gill
The Selwyn St student accommodation is walking distance from the campus.
As Waikato University’s Tauranga campus continues its rapid expansion, student accommodation is emerging as a critical constraint and a central part of the city’s broader economic development story.
The university currently operates around 100 beds of purpose‑built accommodation in Tauranga, spread across Selwyn Street Studios and Durham Mews, both within walking distance of the campus. Demand is strong, and capacity is tight.
Selwyn Street Studios, located directly across from the campus, provides 88 standard self-contained studio rooms and three accessible studios, while Durham Mews offers six three bedroom flats aimed at students seeking a more independent, apartment style living arrangement.
Together, they form the backbone of the university’s Tauranga accommodation offering but university leaders acknowledge that supply is under pressure as enrolments climb.
Waikato University’s Tauranga campus has grown steadily.
Tauranga’s campus has grown steadily since opening in 2019 and now hosts more than 1000 students across a range of disciplines including business, health, engineering and applied computing. That growth has sharpened the focus on housing, particularly as Tauranga’s private rental market remains tight.
The Selwyn St student accommodation is walking distance from the campus.
From a business perspective, student accommodation is no longer a side issue. It plays directly into Tauranga’s ambitions to grow as a knowledge city, anchoring young people in the CBD and supporting retail, hospitality and transport services year‑round.
Accommodation contracts offered by the university in Tauranga are structured on a 50‑week, full‑year basis, providing cost certainty for students and their families. Weekly rates sit at $323 for Selwyn Street Studios and $276 for Durham Mews, with electricity, internet and pastoral care included.
Waikato University Tauranga campus. Photo: Mary Anne Gill
Associate Director Student Accommodation TJ Cloete, right and chief operating officer Jim Mercer at the new $10 million student apartment complex in Hamilton. Photo: Mary Anne Gill
University chief operating officer Jim Mercer says accommodation has become a decisive factor in student choice.
“If students can’t find somewhere affordable and close to campus, they will look elsewhere,” he says.
“That has implications not just for the university, but for the city.”
The university has previously signalled the need for additional accommodation capacity in Tauranga as enrolments continue to rise and has explored options with development partners. While no new facilities have yet been confirmed, the direction of travel is clear.
For Tauranga, student accommodation is now firmly part of the economic infrastructure conversation – linking education growth, workforce development and CBD revitalisation.
The Durham Mews student lounge.
