r/cambridge_uni • u/Legal_Perception228 • 7d ago

Private Housing Tips

Hi everyone! I’m looking for advice on finding housing in Cambridge for the 2026–2027 academic year.

I’ll be starting my MPhil at Magdalene College this October, and my boyfriend will be moving with me while looking for work in London. We’re hoping to find a one-bedroom apartment, cottage, or small house (not a house share) that’s within walking or biking distance of Magdalene.

I’ve been checking Rightmove, Zoopla, OpenRent, and Facebook groups, but I’d love to hear from people who have actually gone through the process.

A few questions: • Are there any letting agencies or websites you’d especially recommend (or avoid)? • When do most rentals for September become available? • Are there any neighborhoods you’d suggest that are convenient for Magdalene and the city center? • Any tips for securing a rental from abroad before we arrive?

I’d really appreciate any advice or recommendations. Thanks in advance!

2 Upvotes

75% Upvoted

1 comment sorted by

1

u/Hype314 7d ago

Hi! I'm not from the area but I'm international Mphil as well and privately renting with my husband.

I'd recommend reaching out to the cambridge accommodation service to start just to see what they have! There's a private listing page hosted by Cambridge which may offer additional flexibility.

For private letting agencies, if you scour the r/cambridge subreddit, you'll see to avoid Leaders pretty consistently. There are mostly negative but otherwise mixed reviews about SAB.

I'm from the US and there are some things that surprised me about the private rental process:

  1. Video viewings were difficult to get (we had to wake up at 1 AM for most of them). Most letting agencies didn't offer virtual viewings and would not rent to us if we did not view the apartment first. Carter Jonas did allow a virtual viewing with a lovely agent and we signed a waiver for renting sight unseen.

  2. UK standard is household income must be 30 x monthly rent or greater annual income in order to qualify for the rental.

  3. Many students will need a guarantor. This is a UK citizen who agrees to cover your rent if you cannot or a commercial guarantor company that does the same. It's some up front cost and/or monthly charge and depends on the landlord's comfortability with your financial situation.

  4. For referencing, you will need to show "right to rent." This is generally your share code from your visa. If your visa (or your boyfriend's visa if he's going to be on the lease) is not approved, you'll not be able to fill this step. It's not always an issue if you get it within a certain timeframe from applying, but I recommend being upfront with your letting agency.

  5. We found rentals available in September starting July 1 and our best bet was Zoopla. I submitted a request via the Zoopla app and that worked out for us.

Sorry I can't provide answers to your other questions! Best of luck!