The provider will begin with four cities in the US – New York, Los Angeles, Boston and Chicago – in addition to London, Manchester and Birmingham in the UK.

“Entering the US and the UK was clearly the next step for HousingAnywhere, as we aim to match the rising demand of internationally-mobile students and young professionals in our new active cities,” Djordy Seelmann, CEO of HousingAnywhere, said in a statement.

“With this expansion, and thanks to the constant innovations to create more easy-to-use and secure digital rental solutions through our platform, now we are enabling people to safely find a new home not only in mainland Europe, but in more corners of the world.”

Earlier this year, Seelmann noted plans to open in the UK and the US in an interview with The PIE News, where he also mentioned plans in the pipeline to open in APAC. Sydney and Melbourne are “very big destinations”, but also Singapore and Tokyo, he said.

It comes as several study destinations are facing accommodation shortages, which have been exacerbated as international students rushed back to in-person studies following the Covid-19 pandemic.

The US expansion will seek to meet a “growing demand” for furnished mid-to-long term rentals for international and interstate mobility, HousingAnywhere said.

“Highly attractive US cities are witnessing that the lack of residential housing supply could affect the enrolment”

The market place pointed to the US 3.8% international student number rebound that the Open Doors showed in the last academic year.

“As is the case in some European cities, highly attractive US cities are witnessing that the lack of residential housing supply could affect the enrolment of students facing challenges to find a place to live,” the company said.

Similarly, the UK expansion is responding to the “increasing need” for “accessible” rental properties in London, Manchester and Birmingham, it added.

Its own data shows that searches for London rose by by 37.7% in 2022 compared to the previous year, and have continued its growth by 37.9% in the first quarter of 2023.

HousingAnywhere partners with around 300 European universities to help both inbound and outbound students find accommodation. It now offers solutions for more than 125 cities on its portal.