Cambridge and the surrounding areas have enjoyed a very strong and stable letting market as compared to other parts of the UK. While student rents have remained fairly static, rental values for single occupancy accommodation have, on average, risen more than 5% every year over the last five years. There are a number of key reasons for the historical and current strength of the Cambridge letting market:

• The existence of Cambridge University, the Anglia University, the Cambridge Regional College and numerous other academic institutions. Many of the thirty-one Cambridge Colleges have nothing like enough in-house accommodation to house their existing student population.
• The student demand means that for several years there has been an acute, year round shortage of suitable rental accommodation for not only students and academic staff, but also professional people and their families.
• Mobility of population and modern employment patterns. The academic, medical and scientific centres in Cambridge attract a large number of employees on short-term contracts.
• Restrictive planning policies. For this reason there is an underlying shortage of housing in the city, and suitable sites for residential development.
• Population: the city has over 100,000 inhabitants, excluding 30,000 students and 4 million visitors each year.