Postgraduate Accommodation
We are able to offer the majority of full time Girton postgraduate students who apply for single-occupancy accommodation a room for the duration of their studies. Some years the demand for rooms may exceed the number of rooms available. Information about the allocation process can be found below.
Residence fees are fixed so do not change for the duration of your course - no inflationary or other increases. Heat, light, power, internet, and contents insurance are all included in the single-occupancy rooms.
There are three accommodation areas available for postgraduate students requiring single-occupancy accommodation - Swirles Court where most postgraduates reside, the Grange, a manor house on the Main College site and Girton Gate, a large house across the road from the Main College site. We may have a small selection of properties for students with children and / or partners, however, these are not available every year.
The standard tenancy is 49 weeks, that runs in 2025, from 23 of September 2025 until 1 September 2026. Shorter tenancies, related to course length, are available by arrangement at the outset for students on courses that end before August. The shortest tenancy ends 14 July 2026. In certain circumstances, including if the student is continuing to the following year, their tenancy may be extended to 52 weeks.
Students applying for accommodation for the 2025/2026 academic year need to read all of the information below and then complete the online application form.
Swirles Court
Swirles Court consists of single state-of-the-art en-suite study bedrooms with kitchen facilities shared between four and eight students. Swirles Court is the primary accommodation area for Girton’s postgraduates and is located in Eddington, West Cambridge, easily accessible to both central Cambridge and the Main College site.
The Grange
The Grange is a large house on the Main College site that comprises 12 standard rooms with shared kitchen and bathroom facilities.
Girton Gate
Girton Gate is a large house across the road from the Main College site that comprises 9 standard rooms with shared kitchen and bathroom facilities.
Family and Partner Accommodation
The College has a small amount of accommodation for students with children and / or partners. The properties range from 1 to 3 bedrooms and are self-contained with their own kitchen, bathroom and living room with study facilities. They are located on or close to the main College site and are walking/cycling distance from Swirles Court.
Private Accommodation
If a postgraduate student prefers to live privately outside of College accommodation, or if Girton is unable to offer accommodation, we suggest they contact the University’s Accommodation Service for further information and advice.
The Application and Allocation Process
- New Girton Postgraduates should apply for accommodation as soon as they have received an offer of a place at Girton College by completing this application form
- Accommodation is allocated based on the priority list below. Offers of accommodation will be emailed out from July. Allocation is an ongoing process throughout the summer period.
- Offers of accommodation will be emailed to the email address provided on the accommodation application form, so if this changes please email: accommodation@girton.cam.ac.uk
Accommodation will include students from a mixture of courses and nationalities within each household. Accommodation is usually mixed genders but we may be able to provide single sex accommodation depending upon demand.
- “Continuing” refers to students entering the 2nd year or above of their course who are not beginning a new degree. Anyone moving from MPhil to PhD is a “New” Postgraduate.
- Current continuing Girton postgraduates should apply for a room by 30 April 2025 by completing the application form.
- Accommodation is allocated based on the priority list below.
- Current Postgraduates can apply for rooms in Swirles Court as individuals or in groups of up to eight students. If students apply in groups, as far as possible, we will try to keep the groups together, however, due to the size of flats, groups may be split up or be accommodated with other groups or individuals.
- Current Postgraduates renewing their tenancy may remain in accommodation for the full 52 weeks.
- Current Postgraduates already living in Girton College accommodation can request to remain in their current room, but they may be required to move.
- Offers of accommodation will be emailed out from June.
Single occupancy rooms
- Girton postgraduate students are prioritised for accommodation in the following order:
- Students with accessibility issues who inform the Accommodation Office clearly of their needs on their Accommodation application form
- Postgraduate Continuers (continuing within the same degree) and Clinical Medical and Veterinary students who apply for accommodation by 30 April.
- Current Girton Undergraduates moving directly on to postgraduate study and current Girton Postgraduates moving to a new degree who meet all University conditions by 31 August 2025
- New Postgraduates who are recipients of Girton College Postgraduate scholarships and Gates and Mastercard scholarships who meet all University conditions by 15 August 2025
- New Postgraduates not in the above groups who applied for accommodation and meet all University conditions by the 15 July 2025.
- After these priority groups, applications are processed in date order, using the latest date out of when all University conditions have been met and the date the accommodation application has been received by the Accommodation Office.
Partner and Family accommodation
- Partner and Family accommodation is allocated to Girton postgraduate students in the following order:
- Postgraduate Continuers (continuing within the same degree) with children who are already living in a College property and apply by 30 April 2025
- Students who are new to Cambridge
- New students who have previously lived in Cambridge
- Returning students
- Not all students who apply for partner and family accommodation will be offered a property.
- Offers will only be made to students who have met all their University conditions.
- As accommodation for students with partners / children is limited we suggest that you also contact the University's Accommodation Service.
When a student signs a tenancy agreement for a specified duration, they are liable to pay rent for the entire term of the tenancy unless the College is able to re-let the room to another student. Otherwise, withdrawal from the tenancy agreement before the end date may only be requested under exceptional circumstances, and the Accommodation Office does not have the authority to approve such requests. The process for applying to withdraw from a tenancy early is as follows:
- Before completing the form below, discuss reasons for wishing to end the tenancy with your tutor
- Complete the application form, giving a full explanation of these reasons.
- The application will then be carefully considered by the Postgraduate Tutors’ Committee, who will inform the student of the outcome as soon as possible. They may request further information.
Please note that the following are not normally reasons for ending a tenancy early:
- starting a job elsewhere,
- distance to the department/friends,
- moving into private accommodation,
- financial difficulty – please speak to tutor about other routes for obtaining financial support.
If a student obtains permission for an intermission from the University for medical or other exceptional reasons, they will not be liable to pay rent during the period of intermission as you will be required to move out of your accommodation. If a student withdraws from their course or their course concludes, they will be released from their tenancy based on the later of two dates: the date they withdraw or cease to be a registered student, and the date they officially sign out of their accommodation.