Unite / Empiric merger inquiry

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) investigated and cleared the anticipated acquisition by Unite Group Plc of Empiric Student Property Plc.

• From: Competition and Markets Authority
• Published: 16 September 2025
• Last updated: 5 December 2025 — See all updates

• Case type: Mergers
• Case state: Closed
• Market sector: Distribution and service industries
• Outcome: Mergers - phase 1 clearance
• Opened: 16 September 2025

Statutory timetable

Date	Action
27 November 2025	Phase 1 decision announced
23 October 2025	Launch of merger inquiry
16 September 2025 to 30 September 2025	Invitation to comment

Phase 1

CMA clearance decision

27 November 2025: The CMA has cleared the anticipated acquisition by Unite Group Plc of Empiric Student Property Plc.

• Full text decision (PDF, 286KB) (5.12.25)

Launch of merger inquiry

23 October 2025: The CMA announced the launch of its merger inquiry by notice to the parties.

• Commencement notice (PDF, 110KB) (23.10.25)

Invitation to comment: closed

16 September 2025: The CMA is issuing this ‘invitation to comment’ to allow interested parties to submit to the CMA any initial views on the impact that the transaction could have on competition in the UK. The CMA has not yet launched its formal investigation into this transaction. This invitation to comment is the first part of the CMA’s information-gathering process.

This invitation to comment closed on 30 September 2025.

Pre-notification

The CMA has received the necessary information from the parties to commence pre-notification.

Contact

Please send written representations about any competition issues to general.enquiries@cma.gov.uk

Privacy notice

Your name and contact details are your personal data. In collecting, receiving, storing, accessing and using your personal data, the CMA, as controller, is processing your personal data. The CMA processes personal data in accordance with data protection law. The CMA is processing your personal data so that it can contact you again, should it need further help or information from you, in order to carry out its merger work under Part 3 of the Enterprise Act 2002. For more information about how the CMA processes personal data and your rights relating to that data, please see our Privacy notice.

Published 16 September 2025

Last updated 5 December 2025 + show all updates

1. 5 December 2025

   Full text decision published.

2. 27 November 2025

   Phase 1 decision announced.

3. 23 October 2025

   Merger inquiry launched.

4. 16 September 2025

   First published.