INDEPENDENT OF THE MONTH Checked-In n A NEW COMPANY HAS SPRUNG UP IN CAMBRIDGE OFFERING INCLUSIVE, FLEXIBLE ACCOMMODATION FOR VISITORS TO THE CITY. SIOBHAN GODWOOD FINDS OUT MORE C ambridge is an incredibly vibrant city. With a thriving art and music scene, a world-renowned university and the fact it’s “My background is in serviced accommodation in Cambridge,” explains
the company’s founder and director, Declan Fitzhenry. “While I was working in that area, I noticed we got a lot of enquiries from people who were coming to the city for perhaps three or four months to work on a project, or people who were being relocated and needed somewhere to live while they house- hunted for something more permanent. Fully serviced apartments are great, but the price point can be high for people who are coming to Cambridge for more than just a couple of days or weeks. These people also aren’t going to be in the city long enough to sign a tenancy agreement – plus, if you’re only going to be working somewhere for a few months, it’s an incredible hassle to have to set up council tax, utilities, get your Wi-Fi sorted etc. You just want everything there for you, the minute you arrive, and then to be able to leave again without having to cancel a ton of direct debits and contracts.” Declan looked at modern life and the way we now consume things – whether instant news on our phones or instant shopping from our laptops – and realised this way of living was starting to seep into other areas, that people were expecting speed, ease and convenience when they looked for a place to stay.
become a centre of excellence for science and technology, it should be no surprise the city attracts so many visitors. Some of those visitors are tourists wanting to soak up Cambridge’s long history and stunning architecture, many are students coming to learn from some of the best minds in the world, and others are people who come to work in the city on a short- to medium-term basis. So where do all these visitors stay? Of course, for tourists coming for only a few days, the city is full of great hotels, motels and bed and breakfasts, and there’s a growing demand for short-term lets from companies such as Airbnb. Students coming to study at the university might be put up in college accommodation for the length of their stay. But increasingly, both independent visitors and those coming to work for large firms are looking for more flexible accommodation, something between the short-term nature of a hotel room or serviced apartment, and the long-term commitment of signing a lease on a rented flat or house. That’s where Checked-Inn comes in, offering flexibility, convenience and home comforts in one straightforward package.
Checked-Inn offers a solution to this modern need. The company launched in May 2018 and operates a portfolio just short of 90 properties across Cambridge, which ranges from studios to three- bedroom apartments. They are available to lease for a minimum of 12 weeks, so Checked-Inn sits right in the middle between a serviced apartment, for which you’d be charged by the night, and a tenancy agreement, for which you’d be charged by the month. “For people of my generation,” Declan continues, “owning a home, having a permanent base, isn’t the most important thing in life any more. The world is becoming a much smaller place. When you are required to move so often, you can’t afford to wait to have everything sorted out. And you also don’t want to have to pay a premium for a serviced apartment.” Declan and the Checked-Inn team also realised that even if people are coming
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