ROOM FURNITURE AND DECORATION

An inspection of furniture and room decoration is made at the beginning of each academic year to ensure that they are in a satisfactory condition. All rooms are equipped with a desk, desk-lamp and shades for overhead lights. Room occupants are responsible for any delapidation, other than fair wear and tear, occurring during the year. Care should therefore be taken to avoid damaging carpets and upholstery, and not to place hot kettles etc. on polished surfaces.

Pictures should be hung from picture rails where these are provided. Blue-tak, nails, drawing pins, and adhesive tape etc., must not be used on the walls or woodwork as they will result in heavy redecoration costs which will be charged to the individual concerned.

Under legislation introduced in 1996, the following furniture and furnishings must carry a label certifying that they comply with the Furniture and Furnishing (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988: upholstered chairs, pillows, scatter cushions, loose covers and fabric wall decorations. College property will conform; personal items should also conform and be clearly marked with the owner's name. All items not so marked will be regarded as College property. Students will be asked to remove any that do not conform with the regulations.

Minor repair requests, and any points regarding room furniture or decoration, should be requested on the appropriate form in the Porters' Lodge. DIY decoration of rooms, or repairs to furniture or other fittings, or the laying of electrical/data cabling, is strictly forbidden.

HEATING

Background heating is provided by central heating radiators or night storage heaters. Additional heating is available by electric fire/heater (as a metered cost to the occupant). Private heating appliances are strongly discouraged, and may only be installed with written permission from both the Facilities Manager and Head Porter.

BEDDING AND LINEN

A pillow, duvet, and bedlinen are provided in all rooms. Those requiring more bedding should bring their own, which should be clearly marked with name-tapes or marking ink.

ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT

All privately owned portable electrical equipment used in College accommodation is the responsibility of the owner.  The 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 and be fitted with the correctly wired and fused plug. 

All student-owned portable electrical equipment will be tested annually on a date which will be communicated in advance.

Owners of equipment which does not conform to British Standards (the BEAB Kite Mark) must seek the advice of the Works Supervisor or the College Electrician, before connecting it to the mains.  The equipment will be tested and advice given on whether or not it may safely be used in College; if necessary, the type of plug and fuse which must be fitted will be specified.

Particular care must be taken to avoid overloading the electrical supply system.  The use of block adaptors is not allowed. 

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

If in any doubt, consult the Maintenance Department without delay: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

COOKING

Cooking in rooms is FORBIDDEN, and only automatic kettles may be used.  This is an important and serious fire precaution, and is also in the interests of hygiene and the benefit of all those who live in, or visit, the College.

Facilities for full self-catering are not provided by College in its accommodation.  However, very limited facilities for the preparation of snacks and small meals are provided in the gyp rooms.  Private equipment (e.g. boiling rings, ovens, microwave ovens, fridges, electric frying pans, rice cookers, toasters etc.) should not be brought to College.  Any of the above found in gyp rooms or student bedrooms may be removed without notice and may be disposed of if not reclaimed within one week.  The Tutorial Office will be informed of any removals.

Gyp rooms should be kept clean at all times.  Pots, pans, crockery, etc, are not cleaned by College employees, and should not be left on surfaces, or in sinks, so as to inconvenience others.  If the Housekeeper deems that dirty crocks, etc. are a health hazard or nuisance, she will inform the Tutorial Department that she has removed them, or that she will move them without prior warning to the owners.  Items so removed may be disposed of if not reclaimed within one week.

LAUNDRY

A laundry and drying rooms are situated in both Botolph Court and the Beldam Building and are provided for the use of members of the college only. These are equipped with cash-operated washing machines and tumble dryers, and with irons and ironing boards. Similar facilities are available in Newnham House and the Trumpington Street hostel. The College accepts no responsibility for losses or damage in the College laundry rooms.

USE OF COLLEGE ROOMS IN VACATIONS

In order to reduce overhead costs, the College organises a number of fee-paying conferences in the vacations, and at those times uses many of the rooms normally occupied in term time by undergraduates. Whilst undergraduates may leave personal property in their rooms during the Christmas and Easter Vacations, the wardrobes and drawers should be sufficiently cleared that conference delegates have at least one drawer and some hanging space. Rooms must be left tidy with all surfaces clear of possessions. All undergraduates must remove all their possessions at the end of the Easter Term. Only very limited space for storing trunks or suitcases is available during the Long Vacation for those returning the following October. College staff will remove, and may dispose of items left in rooms at the end of the Easter Term: there may also be a removal charge.

Undergraduates who need to remain in residence during the vacation for academic purposes should apply for permission via the form issued each term by the Tutorial Office. Those staying up should expect to move rooms for the vacation period.

GUEST ROOMS

There are a few guest rooms in College for male and female guests. These rooms can be booked through This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it for up to three nights in succession. The current charge is £37.50 per room per night. Breakfast is not included.

Guests of either sex may also be accommodated in undergraduate rooms, providing that the guest is signed in at the Porters' Lodge; copies of the regulations relating to overnight guests are posted in the signing-in book. All guests must vacate their rooms by 9.00 a.m. at the latest. Camp beds are available via the JCR's on-line booking system.

WITHDRAWAL FROM COLLEGE ACCOMMODATION

In the event of an undergraduate or other student deciding
a)to withdraw from the College before the completion of his/her course, or
b)with the Senior Tutor's concurrence, to live in accommodation other than that provided by the College, at least one term's notice must be given in writing to the Senior Tutor. Such notice will expire on the last day of the term following the term in which the notice is given.
If the appropriate notice is not given, the individual concerned will be required to pay room rent for one term after vacating College accommodation.

Undergraduates who live out of College in their own accommodation are still required to pay the College, KFC and JCR Fees in full.

UNDERGRADUATE ROOM LEASES

Each undergraduate is required to sign an annual room lease before receiving the key to their room. The leases are prepared and administered by the Domestic Bursar's secretary, Mrs Kate Williams.

BICYCLES

The regulations governing the registration, marking, use and storage of bicycles are contained in the College Rules.

CARS AND MOTOR CYCLES

Application for the use of cars and motorcycles by undergraduates in Cambridge must be made to the Senior Tutor, and University Proctorial permission must be obtained. However before seeking permission it is essential that off street car parking is available; the College only has a very limited number of spaces for use by undergraduates. Furthermore the City Council are actively discouraging the presence of cars in the city centre. It is therefore most strongly recommended that no thought be given to bringing a car to Cambridge. (See also College Rules).

COMPUTERS

The College has its own Ethernet network which is connected to the Cambridge University Data Network and to the Internet. All undergraduate rooms are connected.

Students wishing to connect their computers to the College network should apply to the College Computer & IT Manager, Anil Keetoon, who is available to help and advise on computer related issues.

TELEVISION SETS

If you choose to have a television in your room, you MUST have your own licence for it, as it will not be covered by the College.   All sets require licensing, except those powered by batteries which are covered by the licence (if held) for your home or your parent's home.

KEYS AND SECURITY

Keys for the outer doors of rooms, and for cupboards (if fitted), of all rooms in College accommodation, are issued by the Porters' Lodge. A Late Key, giving access to the College when the Main Gates are closed, is also issued at the same time. The Late Key system is designed for the convenience of undergraduates, but it does involve an element of security risk for the College. All concerned are asked to treat the system and the keys responsibly.

Undergraduates are most strongly advised to ensure that the doors of their rooms are firmly locked at all times. Those who live in College Hostels should also make a point of seeing that the front door closes behind them when they leave the building. In no circumstances should these doors be propped open, or the lock left "on the snib"; it only takes a thief a few seconds to make an illegal entry.

Whilst the College staff endeavour to leave undergraduates in undisturbed occupation of their rooms, the Bedmakers need to visit rooms daily, and it may be necessary on occasions to authorise staff to enter for repairs and maintenance.

Look after your keys. Losses should be reported to the Head Porter immediately. Failure to return keys, when required, will incur an automatic fine.

MAIL

Mail for undergraduates is placed in pigeon holes in the Post Room in New Court. Individuals will be notified to collect Registered or Recorded Delivery items or packets that are too big to fit into pigeon holes.

INSURANCE

The importance of possessing adequate insurance cover cannot be over-emphasised.The College's general insurance policy covers, inter alia, all those items provided by the College for the use of undergraduates in residence.  The College cannot accept any responsibility for the safe custody of  undergraduates’ personal property. Undergraduates are therefore most strongly advised to make arrangements for the insurance of their personal possessions whilst at the College, particularly valuable and attractive items such as hi-fi equipment, radios, CDs and musical instruments. It is possible that a parent's household contents policy can be extended to cover students at University.  Otherwise, it is not difficult to arrange for separate cover, at a relatively modest premium, from a number of organisations specialising in student insurance.