Student accommodation in Cambridge

Student accommodation in Cambridge starts at £115 and can cost over £300 per person per week (pppw). The average rental cost for student housing in Cambridge is around £135 pppw, excluding bills. For purpose built apartments, the average is £206 pppw. How much you spend all depends on your preferences and whether you choose to opt for a student house share in Cambridge or luxury student accommodation in Cambridge. Your chosen neighbourhood can have a huge influence on your monthly rental cost too.

Yes, Cambridge University has its own accommodation options on campus.

Yes, many students choose to live off-campus in private student accommodation in Cambridge.

While Cambridge tuition fees are some of the most expensive in the UK, living costs are reasonable and there are many ways to save costs on accommodation, food and socialising as a student. Choosing to live in a student house share in Cambridge is one way to save a significant amount on your monthly accommodation expenses.

This is completely subjective, depending on your preferences. On paper, Oxford ranked higher than Cambridge in the QS University Rankings 2022. Oxford takes second place while Cambridge comes in at the joint third position.

Cambridge University is certainly more difficult to get into than many other UK universities, and many students who are successful in securing a place - achieve a full suite of A*/A grades in their GCSE exam results.

Many student properties in Cambridge are now advertised with bills included in the price. Where this is the case, your rental price could include electricity, gas, internet, TV licence and water bills and this is clearly stated on the listing. Properties without bills included are also available, giving you the flexibility to choose your own energy and water suppliers and internet service provider.

It is normal for property managers to require you to pay a security deposit at the time of booking or before you move in. Where a deposit is required and you are signing a tenancy agreement, your property manager must protect your deposit in a legally recognised tenancy deposit scheme. As long as you look after the property and have no deductions for damage or unpaid rent, your deposit will be returned to you after your tenancy agreement ends. Tenancy deposits are legally capped at five weeks’ rent per person, so if your own portion of the rent is £100 per week, the maximum deposit would be £500. It is more common however for student deposits to be in the £100-250 range.

The majority of student accommodation in Cambridge is rented for fixed contract lengths. For purpose built student accommodation, 43 and 51 week fixed term contracts are the most common. For shared houses, 52 week stays are the most common and generally start in July to September.

Short-term student rentals in Cambridge are becoming more popular every year. As a result, property managers are increasingly offering shorter tenancy lengths, whether for the summer period or for individual semesters and terms. This is more common in the purpose built student accommodation sector than in shared student rental houses in Cambridge.