Accommodation
King's offers single rooms to all graduate students whenever possible, and tries to guarantee two years of accommodation to each student (normally in the first and final year of graduate study). Graduate rooms are available from the start of term through to 30 June every year, with an option to extend into the summer if required.
First years
When you start as a first year, you are allocated accommodation by the College Accommodation Officer. You can also specify if you wish to be guaranteed a room in at the lower end of the rent scale, however, it is not normally possible to specify which building you wish to be in, although the Accommodation Officer will also take into account any students with special accommodation needs (such as disabled access). First year students are currently allocated to one of three places: Cranmer Road hostel, Grasshopper Lodge, or Whichcote House. This changes from time to time according to circumstances.
Room ballot
After your first year, if you wish to apply for accommodation for further years, this is assigned by random ballot. Final-year students are guaranteed accommodation, and they choose first. Anyone else who would like to apply for a room, if available, can chose afterwards in a randomly-generated order.
Rents
Rents for rooms are set according to the facilities they have (size, amenities, desirability, etc.), and are organised into 6 bands. The most expensive rent is £1694 per quarter, the cheapest £1073 per quarter. Our rental prices are average amongst Cambridge colleges.
Rooms at King's
All have a bed, a desk, a chest of drawers, a wardrobe, bookshelves and a reading lamp. They usually also have an easy chair and a coffee table. Internet access is available in all rooms via a wired (ethernet) connection. Here are descriptions of the accommodation buildings that may be available:
Cranmer Road
Cranmer Road is just off Grange Road, about 10 minutes' walk from the College, so it is close to the University Library and the Sidgwick Site. The house has 17 rooms, a large garden and a summerhouse. Each room has its own washbasin and fridge, with shared kitchen and bathroom facilities. There are kitchens on every floor, and a common room downstairs. Rooms are available in a variety of sizes and the rents vary accordingly.
Grasshopper Lodge
Right next door to Cranmer Road Hostel, Grasshopper is a larger hostel with 28 rooms and a large garden. Each room has its own washbasin and fridge with shared kitchen and bathroom facilities. There is a laundry and a large common room. Rooms are available in a variety of sizes and the rents vary accordingly.
Whichcote House
This hostel is located in the Springfield Road area of the city, just over a mile from the college in a peaceful residential area close to shops. Whichcote House was built in the 1960s and has 25 rooms, organised into 8 flats, although they are let as individual rooms (it is not possible rent a complete flat.) Each flat has its own bathroom and kitchen. There are laundry facilities and a common room downstairs, and a large communal garden at the back. Rooms are available in a variety of sizes and the rents vary accordingly.
King's Parade
This hostel is situated opposite the main entrance to the College above the shops, and is made up of several smaller buildings. It is 10 minutes' walk from the University Library, and there are 27 rooms, some of which have beautiful views of the chapel. Each building has, on average, three rooms to a floor, with shared kitchen and bathroom facilities in each building. Some of the rooms have washbasins. There is also a lovely outdoor communal space, which is great when the weather is nice. There are no laundry facilities or common room, as there is a central laundry and graduate suite on the main college site. There are 27 rooms of various sizes and rents on various floors, and the rents vary accordingly.
St Edward's Passage
Behind King's Parade, the hostel is 2 minutes walk from the College and 10 minutes from the University Library. This is a sweet, well-furnished house comprising 10 small/medium sized rooms, all with their own well-appointed en-suite shower rooms. There are also good kitchens with dining tables, but again no common room or laundry. Rooms are around the middle of the rent scale.
Kingsfield
This house is located next to the University Library and is about 5 minutes walk from the College and 2 minutes from the University Library. Kingsfield is a house shared by eight graduates, and it is large and quiet, with reasonably spacious rooms and its own garden. Each student has his/her own room with large shared kitchen and bathroom facilities. There is no common room apart from the kitchen, and laundry facilities are available next door at Garden Hostel (an undergraduate hostel.) Rooms are available in a variety of sizes and the rents vary accordingly.
Couples and families
Unfortunately, the College has very limited accommodation for families and couples. Occasionally space in College-owned flats becomes available to graduate students. Students who need family accommodation should get in touch with the Accommodation Officer, who will be able to give an indication of the availability of flats. The University Accommodation Service can also advise.
King's College accommodation is accredited by ANUK. You can read about the ANUK Code for student accommodation on the National Code website.
