College-owned Accommodation
Somerville postgraduates are fortunate to have accommodation specifically reserved for them. Postgraduates are primarily housed in or near college, or a short distance away at 155 Woodstock Rd. The rental period runs approximately from the beginning of October to the end of June, but leases can often be extended over the summer holiday (July-mid September). Accommodation is assigned by the college, with priority going to first year postgraduates, especially those who would have difficulty securing a room before coming to Oxford, and students receiving funding from Somerville. There are typically about 120 postgraduate students at Somerville in any year, which means that not all can be housed in college accommodation. Students who ask for a second or subsequent year in College accommodation would normally be housed in one of the secondary locations, although availability will be low due to an expected increase in postgraduate intake.
More information on college-owned accommodation and rent prices can be found here: https://www.some.ox.ac.uk/living-here/accommodation/graduate/
University-owned Accommodation
The University of Oxford provides some accommodation for graduate students, both for individuals and couples or families. The waiting list for family accommodation is generally long, so sign up as soon as you know you will be needing accommodation. Further details can be found on the accommodation office’s website.
External Housing
The cost of accommodation varies by location within Oxford. Expect to pay in the range of £500 to £800 per calendar month (or even more in Jericho) for a room in a 3-5 bed shared house. If you prefer to live on your own: studio flats (aka bedsits, £575 to £800), one bedroom (£750+) and two bedroom flats and houses (£850+) can also be found, but availability may be scarce at the start of the academic year.
Those looking for external accommodation and in need of housemates can look for it on the OxGrad Housing Facebook page here.
