Paying for your accommodation

You’ll find the exact costs of Cambridge halls and houses, Chelmsford Student Village and Writtle halls of residence on our website.

Rent includes utility bills, your internet connection and, in some halls, insurance for your possessions.

This isn't a straightforward one! Some properties on our website are managed by ARU and others are owned and managed by private accommodation providers. Because of this there are slightly different upfront costs for different properties.

There’s no deposit for accommodation that ARU manages, but you’ll need to pay £300 advanced rent when you apply. We manage Anastasia House, Collier Road houses, University houses, Peter Taylor House, Swinhoe Hall, and the Student Village in Chelmsford and Writtle.

If you've booked a room at any other accommodation, you may need to pay a deposit, application fee or other costs. See our Cambridge halls and houses comparison chart for details.

For accommodation that ARU manages, you'll be able to see a payment plan on our accommodation bookings portal before you reserve your room.

Most students pay their £300 advanced rent through the bookings portal. All future rent payments can then be taken from the same card, as set out in your payment schedule.

If you don't pay your advanced rent through the bookings portal, you can set up web payments instead.

If you can't pay through the bookings portal or set up web payments for any reason, contact our Finance Team to arrange to pay a different way. Email [email protected].

If you book a room in CB1, The Railyard, the YMCA or Sedley Court, different payment methods will apply. We'll send you details about how to pay your rent, along with your tenancy agreement and payment schedule, around two weeks after you reserve your room online.

For accommodation that we manage, you can pay in the same way that you pay your tuition fees. We manage Anastasia House, Collier Road houses, University houses, Peter Taylor House, Swinhoe Hall, and Student Village in Chelmsford and Writtle.

If you book a room in CB1, The Railyard, the YMCA or Sedley Court, different payment methods will apply. We'll send you details about how to pay your rent, along with your tenancy agreement and payment schedule, around two weeks after you reserve your room online.

If you're struggling to make a payment, contact our Finance Team for help. Email [email protected].

If you’re late paying your rent, you might have to pay a late payment charge.

Failing to pay your rent is a breach of your tenancy agreement and you may be asked to leave the accommodation, and be contacted by debt collectors.

If you’re have difficulty paying your rent contact our Finance Team as soon as you can: email [email protected]. You can also speak to our Money Advice Service to get you back on track.

Your rent includes:

• utilities (gas, electricity and water)
• internet (although there is a one-off connection fee at CB1)
• furniture – most rooms have a single bed, desk, chair, wardrobe and shelves
• repairs and maintenance for fair wear and tear
• buildings insurance
• contents insurance (except Sedley Court, and the YMCA). Please check your student possessions insurance policy so you know what it covers, and how you can extend it if you need to. If you are living in accommodation managed by ARU, details of your policy are below
• Portable Appliance Testing (PAT): ARU tests all electrical equipment in university-managed accommodation each year.

Student possessions insurance policy overview

Student possessions insurance schedule

Student possessions insurance product information document

Your rent does not include:

• food
• TV licence
• repairs for accidental or deliberate damage
• room cleaning
• external telephone calls (where a telephone is available)
• laundry costs.