Frequently asked questions
Early Arrivals
If you wish to arrival early please contact us via accommodation@st-edmunds.cam.ac.uk to discuss.
If you are traveling internationally, Students will need to check that their visa allows such early arrival and students who have sessions before the start of term will need to get in touch if they need to arrive very early (before 1st September).
How are the rooms furnished?
A typical study bedroom contains: one single bed (base, mattress, pillow, duvet), easy chair, desk, desk chair, desk lamp, wardrobe (closet), bookshelves, washbasin*, bedside cupboard, chest of drawers & mains electric connection point. The college does not supply bed sheets, duvet covers or pillow cases.
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.
The following bedding packs are available and can be purchased from Reception for the following prices:
Sets:
Double Bedding Set (double duvet, 1 pillow, double duvet cover, 1 pillow case, 1 double flat sheet) = £40.00
Single Bedding Set (single duvet, 1 pillow, single duvet cover, 1 pillow case, 1 single fitted sheet) = £30.00
Double Duvet Set (double duvet cover, 1 pillow case, 1 double fitted sheet) = £30.00
Single Duvet Set (single duvet cover, 1 pillow case, 1 single fitted sheet) = £25.00
Individual 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?
All rooms are within easy reach of a bathroom/shower/toilet. Usually these serve 2-4 per shower and 3-5 per toilet or lavatory, if not in en-suite accommodation. 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 (5-7 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 ensuite 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?
Yes. 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. Payment to operate the machines can be either via the Laundry App or a pre-paid laundry card. Visit www.circuit.co.uk to download the app and top up your account. Laundry cards can be purchased from the Mount Pleasant Halls Laundry.
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?
No. 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.
Can my accommodation licence be shared with my partner?
No, this is not possible. All licences are in the sole name of the college member taking the accommodation.
Am I allowed to have a guest?
Yes. All students must sign in any guests at the Main Reception or Mount Pleasant Halls 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 rents for guests (including VAT) are as follows:
Daily Room Rent – 2024/25
Single en-suite room – £82.00
Double en-suite room – £107.00
For further details and to enquire about availability, please complete the Guest Room Booking form.
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 in various places around the campus. See here for more information.
How much is the rent and when does it have to be paid?
Please see the following:
When are rooms available?
If you plan to arrive earlier than what your accommodation contract states as the arrival date, you must get in touch with accommodation@st-edmunds.cam.ac.uk to let us know the date you plan to arrive. You will be charged a daily rate, from the date you move in (if arriving before the start date on your accommodation contract).
Under what circumstances may I change my room?
Room changes will only be permitted in exceptional circumstances, normally on medical or psychological grounds. The Rooms’ Tutor would like to stress that the reason must be specific to the individual making the request, i.e. another individual being accommodated in the same room must not be subject to the same problem. Medical evidence explaining why a room move is required will need to be supplied and given to individual’s College Tutor to whom all appeals of this nature must be referred. N.B. no rooms moves are permitted before the division of the Michaelmas term and can and will only be facilitated if and when a suitable room is available.
What should I do if I have a maintenance or IT issue?
You should raise a ticket via the online ticketing service: https://webapps.st-edmunds.cam.ac.uk/support
Is Wi-Fi included?
Wi-Fi is available accross the whole of the St Edmund’s College site, with no additional charge. Please see our Getting Connected page for how it works.
If you want to learn more about accommodation, please follow the link below and download the Accommodation Handbook: