Think about it: if your child rents a place, your money is helping the landlord pay his or her mortgage and other costs. If you buy a place instead and rent it to the student, you have a real estate investment with a guaranteed tenant: your child! If the investment goes up in value, you will make money. Remember: you may not make money if you buy a student condo...But there are other reasons you may decide to go ahead. At the very least, you can provide your child with a nice place to live in a good neighbourhood while they go to school.