Accor Enters Australian Rental Housing Through Freecity Partnership
Global hospitality group Accor is entering Australia’s purpose-built rental housing sector through a new partnership with Sydney-based developer Freecity. Under the agreement, Accor will become Freecity’s Living Sector Management Partner and oversee operations across its build-to-rent, co-living and purpose-built student accommodation portfolio.
Accor expands into Australian rental housing
The partnership marks Accor’s first move beyond hotels and serviced apartments into purpose-built rental housing. The company will provide management services covering leasing, marketing, building operations, resident services, community programming and amenity operations. The arrangement will operate on a white-label basis, with properties continuing under Freecity’s consumer-facing brand.
Bookings and reservations across Freecity’s living portfolio will also be handled through its new consumer-facing website and brand. The companies said the arrangement is intended to combine Freecity’s modular construction approach with Accor’s hospitality and operational experience.
Freecity currently has three purpose-built student accommodation projects under construction in Sydney, at Macquarie Park, Forest Lodge and Rockdale. Together, the developments comprise 763 units. The Macquarie Park project is planned as a 20-level building and, according to Freecity, will be Australia’s tallest volumetric modular construction building when completed.
The developer is also expanding its build-to-rent pipeline. In Rouse Hill, Freecity has received approval for a residential development comprising three towers and 548 rental homes. The project will include 332 build-to-rent apartments and 216 co-living studios and is located opposite Rouse Hill Metro station and next to Rouse Hill Town Centre.
Freecity is also working on a proposed mixed-use precinct on 2.2 hectares next to the new Metro station in Sydney Olympic Park’s emerging Town Centre. The proposal includes retail space, a community centre, a hotel and residential accommodation covering both build-to-sell and build-to-rent homes.
Accor said its experience in extended-stay accommodation provides a foundation for its expansion into the living sector. The group has more than 125 extended-stay properties in the Pacific region, according to the company.
