Accommodation

The information below concerns the accommodation provided by The College, much of it can be found in the Student Handbook. This is a lengthy page, though the information is hopefully useful, so there is a Table of Content below, please make reference to it for the relevant sections. The College Rules, as well as other relevant accommodation information, may be found here. If you have any questions about accommodation or any of the College facilities, please contact the JCR Catering, Accommodation and Facilities Officer.

Table of Contents

Guests

College Guest Rooms

The College has one double ensuite guest room, which may be booked by students for use by their guests: a maximum of one guest room for up to three nights maximum.

Guest rooms are booked through the Accommodation Office at: accommmodation@corpus.cam.ac.uk

Rooms are available for occupation from 2pm and keys should be collected from the Porter’s Lodge.  Guests are asked to vacate their rooms by 10 am on the morning of departure and to hand the keys back to the Porter’s Lodge.  Failure to comply with this requirement may result in the cost of a further night’s occupation being added.  Breakfast is not included in the overnight, the Porter’s Lodge can advise guests on nearby eateries if breakfast is not available in college.

Animals may not be brought into or kept in College accommodation.

Leases

Before arriving in Cambridge, you are advised to read the generic tenancy agreement, as there is often not much time to look through it before you have to sign it in the Porters’ Lodge in order to collect your room keys.

Allocation of Rooms 

The Accommodation Manager is responsible, in consultation with the Tutorial Office and Senior Tutor, for allocating rooms for both undergraduates and postgraduates in college and college hostels, as far as possible in accordance with each student’s requirements.  

The allocation of rooms for undergraduates in their second and subsequent years is effected by means of a ballot organised in Lent Term by the JCR Committee. You can find out more about this ballot here. The postgraduate ballot is organised by the Accommodation Office in the summer vacation in coordination with the MCR Committee. 

Undergraduates wishing to apply for permission to live outside of college accommodation should first consult their Tutors in good time and before entering any commitment. They must also seek permission from the Senior Tutor by emailing senior-tutor@corpus.cam.ac.uk. 

Licence periods 

Undergraduate rooms are allocated to one of three licenses: 

  • Termly Licence – in selected properties only, three fixed term periods of 10 weeks for the Michaelmas, Lent and Easter Terms. 

  • Continuous Licence – in selected properties only, allowing students to retain their room from the start of the Michaelmas Term licence period to the end of the Easter Term licence period, including vacations. 

  • Freshers’ Termly Licence – a 9-week licence for the Michaelmas Term from the Saturday prior to the start of full term to the Saturday after the end of full term, and two fixed term periods of 10 weeks for the Lent and Easter Terms. 

The termly licence entitles undergraduates to ten weeks’ accommodation (70 nights) for each term for fixed periods, as set out on the licence agreement. Freshers have a similar licence, with the same licence dates for the Lent and Easter terms. The exact term dates differ based on your year of study, as Finalists typically remain in college for an additional week in Easter Term for Finalists Week, and Freshers arrive a week later in Michaelmas Term in preparation for Freshers Week.

Refunds are not given for occupancy of fewer nights than the licence period. It should be noted that undergraduates on a continuous lease may remain in their accommodation over vacation periods, though they are required to sign in and out of term. Furthermore, students with a termly licence must obtain permission from the Tutorial Office in advance if they wish to remain in residence outside of the fixed period – see the paragraphs below on Vacation Residence.   

Some (non-fresher) rooms are only available on a continuous licence term; this should be checked when choosing a room in the ballot.  Contact the Accommodation Office with any queries by emailing accommodation@corpus.cam.ac.uk  

Undergraduates are required to sign in at the Porters’ Lodge at the start of each term and to sign out at the end of term.  This registration is important to confirm:  

  1. that term has been kept (required by the University before a degree can be awarded) 

  1. Where additional rent is due for stays beyond the period of residence 

Undergraduates are permitted into residence from 4pm on the first day of the licence period, and should vacate their room by 10am on the last day of the licence period, unless otherwise advised.  Late check outs must be organised through the Accommodation Office as rooms often need to be serviced ready for vacation guests from 10am.  Charges will be applied for late departures where no prior arrangement has been sought.   

Vacation Residence 

Undergraduates who need to reside in College outside the University Term need to make a prior arrangement for Vacation Residence by completing an online form which will be circulated via the Tutorial Office each term. The deadline for completing this online form will be communicated by the Tutorial Office but is normally at least two weeks before the end of Full Term. 

Vacation Residence is permitted for academic study, and in certain other circumstances.  Authorisation is required from a Tutor or Director of Studies who must endorse the online form appropriately.   For those occupying rooms under a Termly Licence, the Accommodation Office will let students know if it is possible for them to occupy the same rooms in vacations as during term. Undergraduates that followed the above-mentioned procedure and are permitted to reside in college accommodation outside of the licence periods will be charged their usual rent. If students are requested to move to an alternative room during the Vacation they will be charged the Academic Rate (£173.25 per week).

Rent during vacations is charged for the entire period in which a student occupies a room. No rebates are given in respect of nights spent away. Undergraduates who have opted for the continuous licence will normally occupy the room for which they hold the Licence. 

End of Licence Arrangements 

At the end of each licence period, all students are required to remove all personal belongings from their rooms.  Failure to do so may result in rent continuing to be charged for the room. Alternatively, the College may remove items and levy a removal and disposal charge, or a storage charge.  Students must also clear their gyp rooms or kitchens (cupboards and fridges) and bathrooms; any items left behind will be disposed of.  

 College keys should not be retained over vacations.  If college keys are not returned at the end of each licence agreement, the Head Porter will contact students and request for their immediate return. 

Key information regarding the lease is laid out below, this details the College’s policies concerning periods of absence and periods of notice for terminating the lease, and information concerning May Ball Residence.

Period of Notice 

Two months’ written notice to the Senior Tutor (senior-tutor@corpus.cam.ac.uk) is required from students wishing to terminate the accommodation agreement. Students failing to give adequate notice will be charged rent for two months from the date the College learns of their intended departure. 

If a student intermits, their accommodation licence will end, and the student is required to vacate the accommodation within three days or within a period agreed in writing by the Senior Tutor.  Rent will cease at the time the student vacates the accommodation and returns the keys to their accommodation and all personal items from the accommodation.  

Periods of Absence 

If a postgraduate student is, at any time of the Tenancy, on Leave to Work Away approved by the University or on a medical elective for four weeks or more, then the student is expected to vacate the Accommodation and move out. Personal effects may not be left in the room and rent for this period will not be due. This does not affect the student’s occupation of the Accommodation for the rest of the Tenancy.  

May Ball Residence 

Students should be aware that the bi-annual May Ball requires that all bedrooms in New Court, Old Court and Kwee Court are vacated overnight.  Students will be given ample notice and be required to stay elsewhere by their own arrangement.  Postgraduate accommodation is not affected.  

Fixtures and Fittings

All College bedrooms, where space allows, are furnished with a single or double bed and mattress, bedside table, desk, desk chair, reading lamp, waste bin and recycle bin, bookcase, armchair, wardrobe and chest-of-drawers.  Please note that the College does not remove items of furniture from rooms as there is no storage available.

The College regularly inspects rooms to ensure there are no damages to the fixtures and fittings of the rooms and carries out an annual survey concerning the condition of the room which will be referenced each year to preserve the upkeep of the College accommodation.

The College provides each Undergraduate bedroom with one pillow, one pillow protector, one mattress protector and one duvet. For more information on what is provided by the College, please refer to the Housekeeping page and the Student Handbook.

No large or bulky items of furniture, including pianos, may be brought into college accommodation without permission; application should be made in advance to the Housekeeping Manager.  Students will be required to remove any unauthorised furniture and the college will not store items.  

Furniture must not be removed from rooms, placed on landings or other common areas, or transferred to other rooms.  Furniture should not be moved around rooms due to the risk of damage to fixtures and fittings as well as the risk of personal injury. 

The occupants of all College rooms will be held personally responsible for any damage caused to the decoration and furnishings of their rooms, making allowance for reasonable wear and tear.  The use of pins, blu tack, sticky tape, command strips (and similar fixatives) to attach articles to the walls, furniture, or windows is strictly forbidden.  Those who mark walls in this way risk incurring a substantial charge for the redecoration of the entire wall(s).   

Students wishing to put up photos or pictures should use ‘Magic Whiteboards’ as these affix to the walls with static and can be removed without marks.  These are available online and can be ordered easily and cheaply. Alternatively, you can purchase from the Porters’ Lodge special tape for the walls called “Gripping Stuff”.   Similarly, damage to carpets caused by burns, hair dye or spillage is likely to result in the occupant being charged the cost of re-carpeting the entire room.  Raising this promptly with your Bedder may help to reduce the damage and therefore any damage costs.  

Student Fridges

Students who require fridges in their rooms for medical or dietary reasons should contact the Tutorial Office to confirm this requirement prior to arrival so the college can provide one. Students are not allowed to bring their own fridge into college accommodation without written consent from the Senior Tutor, College Nurse or Tutorial Office.

Charges

From time to time, damage may occur to College property, and the Damage to College Property Policy outlines how it will be managed. Damages include those to walls, windows or furniture due to the use of pins, blu tack or command strips, as well as damage to carpets by burns, hair dye or spillage. In instances of carpet damage, the student may be charged with the cost of recarpeting the entire room.

Furthermore, students may be charged with the costs of clearing blocked sinks or toilets, and these charges are levied against all occupants of a staircase or house if the student responsible is not identified.

Heating

The College will supply “background heating” in the winter months. “Background Heating” is defined as the heating from 6.30am to 9.30am and from 5pm to 11pm seven days a week during the determined. These heating hours can be extended for a minimal charge per additional hour, per week, per student.

The decision to turn on the heating will be taken by the Domus Bursar, alongside a discussion with the JCR and MCR to represent student opinions. If necessary, individual hostels (Bene’t, Botolph, etc.) will be granted independent heating at certain times. The decision is made on the first day of Michaelmas Full Term, unless the weather does not require it, where special circumstances are accounted for. Typically, the heating will typically be turned on if the mean daily temperature is forecast to fall below 14 degrees Celsius for 5 days out of the next 7. 

The heating is then turned off by the end of the first week of Easter Full Term, though the Bursar may consult the JCR and MCR if it is turned off earlier.

If you have any questions about the arrangements for heating, please email the JCR CAF Officer. If you feel your heating is inadequate the JCR and MCR will inform the Domus Bursar upon receiving a high volume of such concerns, otherwise room heaters are available from the Porters Lodge - see the Additional Heating section below.

Storage Heaters

Some rooms, mostly in Old Court, have electric storage heaters to provide background heating.

The input knob controls the amount of charge built up in the heater during the charge period (approximately midnight until 6am). The higher the setting, six being the most, the more heat is stored. The output knob controls the rate at which heat is released, one being the slowest rate of release. The faster the heat is released, the warmer the temperature of the room becomes.

Working the storage heaters does require a small balancing act as the heat is not unlimited and a faster release rate will cause the heat to be lost earlier in the day. It can also take a few days to have the heater fully charged to achieve a level of constant comfort. You may find it useful to slow the output overnight and increase it during the day.

Some rooms contain two of these storage heaters; a “College Pays” heater, with a green sticker and a “Student Pays” heater, with a red sticker. When the heating system is switched on, the “College Pays” heater supplies background heating. The cost of this, for the same 20 weeks of gas heating, is budgeted from the undergraduate rents. Should additional heating be required, the “Student Pays” heater can be switched on. The cost of this is added on to your electricity bill. This storage heater works as an electric heater would, independent of whether the heating system for background heating is switched on.

Additional Heating

Portable room heaters are available from the Head of Housekeeping (housekeeping@corpus.cam.ac.uk), or from the Porters’ Lodge at weekends and out of hours.

Electricity charges

You will be charged for the electricity you use within your room. The cost of this will be added on to your College bill. Electricity meters are read on the first weekday following the end of each lease period to calculate your electricity charge and ensure you are not charged for any electricity used by Conference guests etc. The date shown on your bill will be the date the electricity charge was added to your account, which may be quite a bit later than when the meter was actually read.

Electrical Equipment

Any of your own portable electrical equipment used in College accommodation is your responsibility. College does not accept any liability under the terms of the Electricity at Work Act 1989 for the electrical safety or correct functioning of such equipment, which should conform to the appropriate British Standard (the BEAS Kite Mark) and be fitted with the correctly wired and fused plug.

Any electronics in your room that are owned by the college will need to be PAT tested by the College Electrician. This is done annually on a date which will be communicated to you by Tutorial, Maintenance or Accommodations.

You must take care to avoid overloading the electrical supply system. This is why you are not allowed personal fridges in your rooms. The use of block adaptors is also not allowed.

While you are responsible for the safety of your equipment, you and College staff also have a duty to immediately report any unsafe wiring or equipment which you may notice. The maintenance staff are authorised to remove plugs, leads and equipment which, in their opinion, are dangerous.

If you are in any doubt about the safety of an electrical item, or would like to arrange to have an item PAT tested, please email the Maintenance Department.

Televisions

Students are required, by law, to hold their own valid television licences for any television receiver brought into College accommodation, including the use of computers to watch broadcast programmes.  TV licensing authorities make checks on a regular basis and students are personally liable for any fines imposed.  Further information may be obtained from www.tvlicensing.co.uk.  No aerials or similar devices may be installed outside rooms.  

Insurance

The College’s general insurance policy covers items provided by the College for the use of undergraduates in residence. The College cannot accept any responsibility for undergraduates’ personal property.

Therefore, you are strongly advised to insure all your personal possessions for the time you are at College. Your parents’ household contents policy can be extended to cover you whilst you are at University. Otherwise, it is not difficult to arrange separate cover, at a modest premium, from an organisation specialising in student insurance.

The College’s insurance also does not cover any items you may leave in storage or in your rooms over vacation periods. If you are leaving belongings in the store room, it is worth checking that you are covered for personal possessions in “secure storage designated by your College authority during a vacation”.

General Rules

As detailed in the College Rules, you are not allowed to:

  • Keep any pets,

  • Store cycles in your room,

  • Cook in your room,

  • Make noise that can be heard outside of your room and potentially cause disturbance to others,

  • Tamper with any fire safety equipment,

  • Make copies of your room keys,

  • Climb out of windows or walk on roof areas,

  • Erect external washing lines or hang items out of your windows,

  • Use fairy lights, tea lights, candles, oil or incense burners or any other item that burns with a naked flame,

  • Obstruct fire escapes,

  • Smoke in any room or communal area.

ANUK

The College is registered with and are members of the ANUK/Unipol Code of Standards for Larger Residential Developments ANUK Code of Practice, which covers the provision of student accommodation. This national code is voluntary and those who join do so as part of their commitment to providing students with a first-class housing service. Effectively, the code acts as a student accommodation quality guide, which gives us the following advantages:

  • Best practice in day-to-day management is supported and recognised.

  • Your tenancy agreement is clearly written, stating what you are paying for and how much your rent is, with reasonable terms and no hidden costs.

  • Your accommodation will be fully prepared for you when you arrive to take up residence.

  • Your accommodation meets a set of nationally recognised standards in respect to services, furniture and fittings.

  • Repairs and maintenance are carried out within agreed timescales.

  • Your building will meet with, and exceed, the required health and safety standards.

  • You will know what your deposit is for and it will be returned to you promptly when you graduate, or you will be given a clear explanation of why a deduction has been made.

  • You will be given information to explain what management routines are followed in the buildings.

  • There is a set and accountable procedure for dealing with any disputes or complaints.

You can use this link to download the code of standards if you wish to see further details. If you have any questions about the code, you should contact the Housekeeping and Accommodation Teams.

Laundry

The College laundry rooms are located in Stable Yard, Beldam, Botolph, Newnham and T-Street. Each is equipped with washing machines, dryers, irons and ironing boards. Please do not remove irons/ironing boards from the laundry rooms.

Students are charged £11 per term for laundry, which will appear on your college bill. This is a fixed charge.

Using the washing machines

  1. Check the display reads the amount of a wash.

  2. Load the machine, taking care not to overfill the tub (max. load per machine is 8 kg).

  3. Close the door, making sure it is firmly shut.

  4. Add detergent (it is recommended that you use liquid soap — do not load too much!) and if required add liquid bleach and softener in the relevant sections under the flap on the top left of the machine.

  5. Select the appropriate cycle (see below) by pressing the button on the keypad on the front of the machine.

  6. The machine will start and will show its time till completion.

  7. The door will open shortly after the cycle has finished and the dial will read “0 minutes”.

Do not attempt to force open the door, or sit on the machine.

Washing cycles

  • Whites: 60 degrees, 3 rinses, high speed spin.

  • Colours: 40 degrees, 3 rinses, high speed spin.

  • Bright colours: Cold wash, high speed spin.

  • Permanent press: 40 degrees, medium speed spin.

  • Woollens: Cold, gentle wash and soak with medium speed spin.

  • Delicates and knits: Cold, gentle wash and low speed spin.

Using the dryers

  1. Open the door and load washing.

  2. Remove fluff from the lint filter located inside the door.

  3. Replace the filter.

  4. Press required ‘upper’ or ‘lower’ dryer button.

  5. Machine will start and count down time to completion.

  6. Open the door and remove the washing.

Faults

All student-use washing machines and tumble driers are now on lease from external company. Details to contact in case of a fault are available in each laundry room.

Kitchen Facilities

All Undergraduate accommodation offers limited kitchen facilities known as ‘gyps’.  These are equipped with fridges, microwaves, kettles and toasters and are intended for the preparation of hot drinks and snacks only. Some accommodations may offer additional facilities, such as hobs, ovens and freezers - this information is provided on the room ballot, and should be accounted for when choosing a room.

A good neighbour policy: when sharing a kitchen, you should aim to cook at sociable hours, clean up your mess and try to avoid mess. For information about the cleaning of these rooms by Housekeeping, please make reference to their page, as well as information about the resources provided for your own cleaning.

Students should note that electrical cooking items are not allowed in student rooms; this includes (not exhaustively) toasters, rice cookers, and sandwich makers.  Checks will be carried out periodically for any unauthorised electrical items which will be removed and stored with the Head Porter until the end of the licence period. 

Undergraduate Vacation Storage

The college has very limited storage. However, the Overseas Storeroom is available for storage provision over the Christmas and Easter vacations for those undergraduates on a termly licence not living in England.  

Communication is sent from the Accommodation Office prior to each vacation to Termly licence undergraduates with the following advice: 

  • The maximum allowance is a combination of 4 reasonably sized boxes or two largish suitcases and two boxes. Feel free to visit the room beforehand to see for yourself each allocated ‘space’ per student. 

  • Everything must be neatly boxed and labelled – no carrier bags please. 

  • Please ask at the Porters’ Lodge for the Overseas Store Room key and you will be trusted to return it promptly after neatly placing your items in the store room.  

  • Move your belongings to the Overseas Store 5-7 days before your lease end date. Transfer your belongings during weekday working hours (8.00am – 4.30pm). 

  • The College does not accept responsibility for student belongings that are left in vacation storage, valuable items should not be left.  

Any questions about the Overseas Storage Room should be directed to the JCR International Students Officer.

Accommodation queries

Queries about accommodation can be addressed by several members of the College, and it may be dependent on the issue. If you are unsure about the nature of the issue contact the JCR CAF Officer or Accommodation Manager.

If it is a maintenance request (broken or faulty equipment) email Maintenance or fill in the form here. Emergency requests should be telephoned immediately to the Porters Lodge (01223 338000)

If it is a housekeeping concern, (regarding cleaning schedules, bedders, cleaning pest control, recycling issues or bin collection) The Head Housekeeper can be contacted directly by email housekeeping@corpus.cam.ac.uk, or use the request form here.

Email the IT team if you are experiencing problems with your internet connection or if you require any advice for IT-related matters.  The IT team can be contacted by email helpdesk@corpus.cam.ac.uk

Each of these teams check their emails and action requests between Monday to Friday, 0900 to 1700.

Miscellaneous

Any queries to do with room occupancy/allocation, vacation rooms, or other such issues, should go to the Tutorial Office.