You’ll be able to select your preferred arrival date when applying for accommodation through the booking portal. The earliest possible arrival date is 1 September 2026. Any early arrival will be added to your contract, and a daily rate for the selected room will be charged for each additional day. Please note that early arrival requests are subject to review and confirmation by the Accommodation Office, pending availability.
If you are travelling internationally, students will need to check that their visa allows an early arrival. Students who have sessions before the start of term will need to get in touch with the Accommodation Office to arrange an arrival before 1 September 2026.
Am I guaranteed on campus accommodation throughout my time studying at St Edmund’s?
All undergraduate students, Foundation Year students and Graduate Medicine students are guaranteed accommodation in College for the duration of their degrees. For postgraduate students, we cannot guarantee College accommodation, and it is offered on a first-come, first-served basis.
How are the rooms furnished?
A typical study bedroom contains:
one single bed (base mattress, pillow, duvet)
one chair
desk, desk chair and desk lamp
wardrobe (closet)
bookshelves
washbasin*
bedside cupboard and chest of drawers
mains electric connection point.
The College does not supply bed sheets, duvet covers or pillowcases. The College does not provide coat hangers. However, if some have been left by the previous occupant and are in good condition these may be left in the room for the next occupant.
In our couples’ and family accommodation where a kitchen/kitchenette is within the accommodation the College does not supply plates, crockery, pots or pans. However, if some have been left by the previous occupant and are in good condition these may be left in the room for the next occupant.
Bedding packs are available and can be purchased from Reception for the following prices:
Single duvet set (single duvet cover, 1 pillowcase, 1 single fitted sheet) – £25.00Individual items
Double duvet cover – £15.00
Single duvet cover – £10.00
Pillow – £6.00
Pillowcase – £5.00
*Washbasins are not provided in all rooms
How many students share bathroom/shower/toilet?
If you do not book an en-suite room, all rooms have shared bathroom facilities. Showers are usually shared between 2 to 4 people, while toilets are shared between 3 to 5 people. Communal facilities are cleaned regularly by College staff.
Can students cook for themselves?
Members are expected to take most meals in College. However, the College buildings offer self-catering options as follows:
Norfolk Building has 10 kitchens (5 to 7 bedrooms to 1 kitchen)
White Cottage and Benet House have their own kitchens.
Richard Laws Building has a small kitchen on each wing (8 in total)
Brian Heap Building has the use of a large kitchen on each wing (10 in total)
Mount Pleasant Halls single en-suite residents have the use of shared kitchens (8 bedrooms to 1 kitchen)
Mount Pleasant Halls studios, along with flats on the main college site, have their own individual kitchens
A typical kitchen includes an oven, hob, fridge/freezer, sink etc. Because of hazards to personal safety and the risk of damage to furnishings and fittings, cooking is only allowed in the kitchens provided. Cooking is not allowed in any College rooms, except for the use of electric kettles, which must be used on a tray. All other appliances may only be used in the kitchens. Refrigerators and conventional electric ovens must not be brought into College.
Are there laundry facilities?
Washing machines and tumble driers are available in the College launderettes. One is located beneath the College flats (next to the Richard Laws Building) and the second one next to the Common Room in Mount Pleasant Halls. Irons and ironing boards are also available. The machines can be operated using the laundry mobile app or by contactless card payment. For further information on how the laundry operates, please visit the operator’s website. Visit www.circuit.co.uk to download the app and top up your account.
Laundry services are additionally available via local private companies but are expensive. Members must make their own arrangements and bear their own costs if they decide to do this.
Can I park my car on site?
The parking of motor vehicles in the College grounds is not permitted. Both graduates and undergraduates, unless they can provide evidence of special circumstances (e.g disability), should not expect to be granted permission to keep a car in Cambridge. Please see section 4.9 of the Blue Book for details.
Am I allowed to have a guest?
All students must sign in any guests at the Porters’ Lodge. This is to comply with fire and safety regulations and failure to do so is taken very seriously. Other than during the first fortnight of the academic year, students may have a guest in their room for a maximum of nine nights per term. However, the guest may not stay for longer than three nights consecutively. An extension request can be made to the Senior Tutor in writing for a stay of up to 5 nights maximum. A fold up bed can be requested (with advance notice only) from Reception at a cost of £10 per night. Please note that we cannot guarantee a guest room to anyone who arrives without having booked ahead and anyone who arrives without a booking may be turned away.
College staff and others who in the course of their normal duties encounter a person unknown to them may enquire as to their identity; students and their guests must comply with this request. Students must accept full responsibility for their guests. Since space is limited, guests may not park cars on College premises except to load or unload.
Official visitors and members’ guests
Official guests and members of St Edmund’s are welcome to stay in College guest rooms at their own expense, subject to availability.
The 2025/2026 Daily Room Rents for guests (including VAT) are as follows:
Cancellations must be made in advance, otherwise the room will be charged to the member’s account.
Can I have a TV or laptop in my room?
Yes. These are termed ‘Permitted Appliances’. Electric appliances with low current consumption may be used but other appliances with heavier consumption (e.g. electric fires, fridges, microwave ovens, slow cookers/rice cookers) are strictly forbidden. The safety of any privately-owned electrical appliance is the responsibility of its user. All electrical equipment must be tested for safety at the owner’s expense and an appropriate certificate obtained; safety testing by College maintenance staff is arranged via the Maintenance Department. We make every effort to provide sufficient discrete power outlet sockets for your use. In the event that more sockets are required (for a PC) a single 4-way trailing socket may be used if it is fitted with a mains isolation switch; this also must be tested for safety by maintenance staff. Enquiries as to the use of electrical apparatus should be addressed, in the first instance, to the Maintenance Department. Use of socket adaptors (normally 2 or 3 way) is not allowed under any circumstances. If additional outlets are required for good reasons, application should be made to the Maintenance Department. It is in the interest of everyone’s safety that these rules should be strictly observed and adhered to. Modification or addition to the electric wiring in any room by residents is strictly forbidden.
Note also that a television will require a licence, which is your responsibility to obtain.
Whereabouts in the College are the rooms?
The rooms are located in various areas across the campus. For more information, please visit Explore Our Accommodation Page .
How much is the rent and when does it have to be paid?
Room changes will only be permitted in exceptional circumstances, normally on medical grounds. The Wellbeing Director will consider reasons specific to the individual making the request.
The student requiring a room change should contact the Wellbeing Director with their request, providing supporting medical evidence. Valid requests for a change of room are subject to availability of appropriate accommodation.
What should I do if I have a maintenance or IT issue?
Please submit a request through the online ticketing service:
Wi-Fi is available across the whole of the St Edmund’s College site, with no additional charge. Please see our Getting Connected page for how it works.
Can I extend my contract?
In February each year, students are sent an email giving them the opportunity to request an extension to their contracts. The decision to agree or deny the extension will be communicated before the end of March each year. Students living in the Brian Heap and Richard Laws buildings must vacate their rooms by 30 June each year.
When do I need to pay my first invoice?
Billing for Michaelmas term is organised by the student finance department during the first two weeks of the term, along with caution money.
How often my room will be clean?
The College housekeeping will need to gain access to the student’s room between 9.00am and 3.00pm on the allocated day according to the cleaning rota. The room/flat will be cleaned every 2 weeks, rubbish bins emptied once a week. Students need to make sure that their room is ready for cleaning i.e. surfaces are clear to allow the Housekeepers easy access.
Caution money is a deposit held against possible damage or loss to decorations, fabrics and furnishings for those living in College accommodation. It’s charged at the beginning of the license period and is currently £600. Caution money is returned at the end of the lease, if the accommodation is left in a satisfactory condition and if a form is completed by the student.
The minimum contract length for selected rooms is 30 weeks, while the standard contract length for most accommodation is 39 weeks. For a selection of premium studios and some ensuite rooms in MPH, the minimum contract length is 42 weeks.
Please note that the latest possible contract end date is 24 September.
During the booking process, students can select the date they wish their contract to begin during September. Students may arrive after 1 September. Students’ contracts should begin no later than 1 October 2026 and end the earliest 30 June 2027. Students living in the Brian Heap and Richard Laws buildings must vacate their rooms by 30 June each year.
Can I bring my bicycle with me?
Yes. Bicycles should be stored in the racks situated adjacent to the College car park, Richard Laws Building and Mount Pleasant Halls bicycle storage.
For health and safety reasons, electric bicycles and electric scooters are not permitted within College buildings, student rooms, or anywhere on the College grounds.
Postal deliveries
All students are given a pigeonhole (individual or shared) located in the student mailroom in either MPH or main College site. Any parcels or recorded/registered letters received for students are kept in the Porters’ Lodge for safe-keeping and an email will be sent to the intended recipient advising them of the delivery.
Access to the pigeonholes located in the MPH student mailroom requires a code assigned to the specific pigeonhole. This code can be obtained from the Porters’ Lodge.
Please note that, due to Health and Safety regulations, the Porters’ Lodge is unable to accept deliveries containing fresh food. Students who order fresh food deliveries must ensure that they are present at the time of delivery and able to collect the parcel in person.
Medication delivery to Porter’s Lodge:
The Porters’ Lodge cannot accept deliveries of chilled or refrigerated medication, as the College is unable to meet MHRA guidelines for the receipt and storage of such items. Arrangements for the delivery of refrigerated medication therefore remain the student’s responsibility.
Students who require chilled medication deliveries should liaise with the Student Wellbeing Team to make them aware of their needs and to obtain advice on how the College can best support them. This support may include the provision of a fridge in College accommodation, in accordance with the Accommodation Handbook. Students are not permitted to supply or install their own fridges in College rooms.
On rare occasions, where a student is unable to meet a courier in person, the student may request—via the Porters’ Lodge and in liaison with the Student Wellbeing Team—that a courier be escorted by a Porter directly to the student’s room to deliver the medication direct to their college provided fridge, subject to operational availability and with the student’s explicit permission. Students must confirm in advance that the courier company is willing to deliver under these arrangements. Where pre‑arranged, Reception may alternatively contact the student so they can attend promptly to collect the delivery in person.
In the event the student is unable to meet the courier, or the Porters’ Lodge is unable or not permitted to escort the courier to the student’s room, the delivery will be refused and returned with the courier.
What is the Main College address?
St Edmund’s College,
Mount Pleasant,
Cambridge, CB3 0BN
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