It is a far cry from the traditional student experience of living in a cramped, shared house with peeling wallpaper, sticky carpets and a mouldy bathroom. With a private gym, spectacular views and penthouse apartments with flat-screen televisions, double-size showers and mini-bars, you would

expect Sky Plaza to be a five-star hotel. Yet this block of flats in Leeds is one of a new breed opening to cater for today’s teenagers.

The recession may have cast a pall across the luxury housing market but no one seems to have told that to its new student residents, some of whom are paying more than £500 a week for purpose-built accommodation.

Despite having a sky-high price tag to match the name, the Sky Plaza apartments are being snapped up,with many freshers funded by the bank of mum and dad.

Unite, the student accommodation provider, says that it is adapting to changing demand from its young clientele. The quality end of the student rental market is booming and it has created an extra 1,800 rooms for the autumn intake.

Woburn Place, which is in a prime area of Central London, has a mixture of one-bedroom flats and shared apartments. Features include flat-screen televisions, stylish furniture and en suite bathrooms. Some of the one-bedroom flats cost £513 a week. The cheapest is £213.

Rachel Storey, 21, from Weymouth, Dorset, moved in earlier this year. Her parents are paying £300 a week for her to share a two-bedroom flat. She is studying at London College of Beauty Therapy.

She said: “I looked at other places, and this was the nicest, safest and cleanest. The rent is more than I expected to pay but it’s worth it, as there is someone on security 24/7. Because I was moving to London on my own my parents wanted me to be somewhere safe and central.”

Nathan Goddard, sales and marketing director for Unite, said: “We are seeing a growing demand for high-specification accommodation. To meet students’ needs we’ve mixed stylish living with practicality and convenience.”

The finishing touches are being put to Sky Plaza which, at 37 storeys, will be the highest point in Leeds when it opens in September. The 533 rooms include studios, one-bedroom flats and en suite flat-shares for up to five people.

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