Ask An Expert: Inside Student Housing with Jennifer Love

“Student housing isn’t for the faint of heart. It’s fast-paced, high-stakes, and one chaotic move-in day can derail the entire academic year.”

Meet
Jennifer Love

 She knows this world inside and out. After a decade of working alongside operators and owners, she’s mastered what it takes to keep student housing running smoothly—even during Turn, the most intense two weeks of the year.

How did you get into Student Housing
AND WHAT’S KEPT YOU IN THE SPACE?

“I began my career in apartment housing on the multifamily side. My initial exposure to student housing occurred when I was asked to attend Interface Student Conference at the last minute in place of a colleague. The conference was abuzz with energy, innovative ideas, and impactful conversation. It was contagious, and I was immediately hooked. As I have often said, Student Housing is the most fun asset type!”

What unique dynamics make student housing different
FROM CONVENTIONAL MULTIFAMILY?

“Like multifamily, student housing puts residents first—but the dynamics behind the scenes are more layered. While students are the leaseholders and the ones living on-site, operators also need to account for the guarantors, usually parents, who are often financially responsible and deeply invested in their student’s experience.

Students expect convenience, autonomy, and a digital experience. They want self-service options, seamless systems, and quick fixes when something breaks. They often skip the fine print. Guarantors, on the other hand, expect transparency, accuracy, and responsive support, especially when it comes to utility billing. The needs of both audiences must be met.

Unlike conventional multifamily, student housing operates by the academic calendar, which adds pressure and complexity, especially during “Turn”. Leases are structured by the bed, not the unit, and move-ins happen all at once. Billing mistakes or service delays don’t just inconvenience a household—they impact individual residents and their guarantors in a time-sensitive environment.”

Turn has a big reputation in student housing.
WHY DOES IT MATTER SO MUCH?

“Turn is the Super Bowl of student housing. It’s defined as the 2-3 week time span from when residents move out at the end of July to when new students move in at the beginning of the academic year. During this time, entire properties move out every resident, refresh units, and prepare for a single high-pressure move-in day. And we’re not talking about a few dozen residents. The average student property has 500+ beds, which means hundreds of move-ins happening at once, with no room for error.

What people don’t see is months of behind-the-scenes planning that make Turn possible. Teams coordinate with vendors, replace and order furniture, paint all units, replace carpeting, broken appliances, etc, in the span of 2 weeks, schedule maintenance, and triple-check that every piece is in place. I’ve seen the full range of property Turns, from the smooth, high-fiving-the-team flawless move-ins to those days that the team literally thinks about changing careers. I was on a property at Turn where the property manager actually quit in the middle of move-in day! And I’ll never forget a time when master keys went missing and literally no keys could be cut for multiple units, with many of the rooms still needing to be painted. 

With renewals for the following academic year right around the corner in September, just weeks after residents arrive, that initial experience heavily influences whether they’ll renew.

This is just one of the many reasons why having strong vendors is crucial. We at Conservice work hard to be the partner our clients can count on during their “make or break” times.”

What utility issues tend to pop up during Turn?
HOW CAN OWNERS AND OPERATORS PREPARE?

“Turn tends to reveal the little things that get overlooked. Sometimes, utilities are still in the name of a former student, and they never paid their final bill, leaving balances owed and the unit at risk of having utilities shut off.  That’s not just ruining your new residents’ experience but also hitting your bottom line.

Other times, a new acquisition may still have utilities in the prior ownership’s name, and the account is deeply in the arrears.

Partnering with Conservice Student takes the guesswork out of your billing. We directly integrate with your PMS to ensure that billing matches your rent roll and is applied by the bed “leaseholder”. This includes details on any last-minute roommate transfers or assignments. We get utilities right from day one to maximize your recovery.”

How can operators better manage utilities
DURING PEAK SEASONS?

“By partnering with Conservice! Seriously, don’t go it alone. Utilities are the third-largest operating expense at a property, and mistakes come with serious financial risk. Billing and usage errors, missed bills, incorrect account setups, and shutoffs during Turn can throw everything off and impact NOI.

Having the right systems and support in place makes all the difference. Our model is built for student housing. We directly sync with your PMS to track your occupancy in real time, unit  assignments, and offer estimated final billing at move-out to ensure the highest recovery from your students before they leave your property.”

What utility strategies improve
THE RESIDENT (AND PARENT) EXPERIENCE?

“Bills all included or flat-rate is historically what Universities used, but privatized Student Housing quickly realized it left their properties absorbing huge usage costs and gave students no incentive to conserve. Today, usage-based billing creates accountability and gives students some skin in the game, creating a fairer model for both the property and the residents and conservation for the environment

Resident experience matters more than ever. Students expect fast resolutions, and offloading utility questions to a dedicated support team reduces pressure on the leasing staff and ensures your residents’ needs are addressed quickly. We work as an extension of your leasing team to handle those calls so the onsite team can stay focused on leasing and serving your students.”

Where do operators lose money?
AND HOW CAN THEY RECOVER IT?

“Utility allowances are a common leak. When billing isn’t based on actual usage, operators end up paying more for utilities and reducing their utility recovery.

Water is also a big opportunity. Student housing only began charging back for water in the last five to six years, and many properties still aren’t recovering these costs, which leaves money on the table

Vacant recovery is another challenge. Because utilities usually stay in the property’s name, it’s tough to track and bill for usage in unoccupied beds. That’s where tools like Conservice’s Synergy help. We pinpoint usage anomalies, ensure charges align, and recover revenue that might otherwise get missed.

WasteX, our waste management solution, saved, on average, 17% of waste spend on contracts negotiated in 2024 alone.”

What should operators know
ABOUT UTILITY REGULATIONS?

“Regulations and laws vary by municipality and by state, but liability doesn’t. If you’re not following proper disclosure rules or billing practices, you open yourself up to fines or to breaking trust with residents and their guarantors.

The good news is you don’t have to manage it alone. A utility partner like Conservice with regulatory expertise will help you stay compliant without adding more admin work to your plate.”

Anything else operators should keep in mind?

“Privatized student housing is a relatively young but rapidly maturing asset class with its modern form taking shape in the late 1990s to early 2000s. Student housing tends to perform well even in economic downturns, as higher education often sees increased enrollment during recessions. 

That trend accelerated post-COVID, when universities relied on privatized housing providers to safely accommodate students. The success of those partnerships led many schools to relax on-campus living requirements, opening the door to more growth and raising the bar for service and performance. 

All that to say, student housing is a solid, high-producing revenue asset class. And as I said before, the most fun asset class! But with its high operational needs, partnering with Conservice ensures that utilities, your third largest expense, is accurate, seamless, and profitable.”

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Lauren Bevilacqua

Lauren is the Content Marketing Manager at Conservice. She is an avid reader, fitness enthusiast, Dolly Parton fan, and will never turn down chips and salsa.