Some students said dedicated student housing offered greater convenience, stronger security, more predictable costs and a better living environment, helping offset higher rents and, in some cases, longer commutes.

Qi Zhonghao, a mainland Chinese student pursuing a master’s degree in robotics at the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), said he spent a year living in a subdivided unit – converted from a village house near the university – because of the limited availability of on-campus housing, before moving to an off-campus student residence.

“Rents for this type of subdivided unit are relatively low,” he said. “A single room with a private bathroom costs around HK$7,000 [US$890] to HK$8,000 a month, and it’s quite close to university.”