Accommodation in College

Dear Fresher,

As you are hopefully aware Pembroke offers accommodation to all its undergraduate students.  All first year students (freshers) are housed in the College itself; in subsequent years undergraduate accommodation is either in College, Dolby Court or in nearby College-owned houses (hostels).   Freshers’ rooms in the older part of College are on staircases, whereas the more ‘modern’ rooms in Foundress Court are grouped on corridors.

All our rooms are for single occupancy with shared bath/shower rooms and toilets.  The rooms are furnished with a single bed, wardrobe, chest of drawers, desk and chair.  We provide you with a duvet, two pillows and mattress cover but not bedlinen, although you do have the option of hiring bedlinen for a refundable deposit of £50.  All the freshers’ rooms, bar three, have washbasins.  The three rooms without a washbasin are located in the oldest part of College where it is not possible to install these facilities.

Freshers’ rooms vary greatly in size and outlook, especially in the historic buildings, and this is reflected in the rents which vary from £130.44/week to £200.56/week.  Most are £173/week or above and all Foundress Court rooms are in the rent bracket £186.54/week or above. Your rent includes electricity, heating and internet connection and insurance for student belongings.  Term is 9 weeks long and freshers’ rooms are booked out and rent charged for this period.  You will need to clear your room at the end of term and limited storage is available, for which a charge is made. 

You will share with others on your staircase/corridor a small kitchenette (‘gyp room’) suitable for preparing light snacks. Gyp rooms are equipped with cupboards, microwave oven, two ring hob (no oven) and, subject to available space, a kettle and toaster.  You should bring your own crockery, cutlery, pans and utensils.

The cleaners, known as ‘bedders’, will clean your room weekly and the communal areas daily.  There are 'pay-as-you-go' laundry facilities in College for you to do your washing.

To help me in allocating you a room, please fill in the accommodation form (section 3 of Offer Holders Information 2024) to indicate the maximum amount of rent you would prefer to pay and whether you might like to have a room in the older or newer (Foundress Court) part of College.  Please indicate on the form any other details that you would like to be considered, such as being exceptionally tall (as we do have attic rooms) or if you have any specific access requirements that might need to be taken into consideration when allocating you a room or that might require adaptions to be made to a room (e.g. you have permanent high-frequency hearing loss, a significant visual impairment, or you have a physical disability that requires level access, wheelchair accessibility or hand rails, for example).  When allocating rooms the principal criterion that is taken into account is your preferred rent; please remember that it not possible to comply with all wishes but I will do my best!

Please ensure that you have completed this form by 19 July 2024.  Towards the end of August/early September I will let you know which room you have been allocated.  In the meantime if you have any queries relating to accommodation arrangements please do not hesitate to contact me.

Best wishes,

Dr Becky Coombs
College Registrar
Pembroke College
Cambridge