Rent to Home helps Cambridge family achieve homeownership
22 October 2025 • Community
Our innovative Rent to Home initiative has helped a young family take their first step onto the property ladder.
Joint applicants, Sophie Rhead, 22, and Jamie Bladen, 25, were randomly selected by ballot in 2023 as the successful tenants for The Cambridge’s Northstowe property — learning the news on Jamie’s birthday.
Since then, the couple’s lives have transformed. While renting the property, Sophie and Jamie have got engaged and welcomed their first child, Darcie.
Leaving the initiative a year ahead of the maximum three-year term, they’ve reclaimed £24,570 of their rent to use as a deposit on their new home in Swavesey, which they moved into a couple of weeks ago.
Sophie said:
“When we were selected, we honestly couldn’t believe it - it felt like such a huge opportunity. Being part of the Rent to Home scheme has meant we’ve been able to build a future together - quicker than we could have imagined.
“We got engaged, started our family, and now we’ve bought our own home closer to our loved ones. The Cambridge has made what felt impossible at our age, achievable.”
Jamie added:
“Getting the call on my birthday was an incredible surprise and the best present I could have asked for.
"Rent to Home has completely changed our lives - it’s given us the chance to plan for the future, provide a home for our daughter, and be nearer to family. We’ll always be so grateful to The Cambridge for that.”
The Rent to Home initiative – the only one of its kind in the UK – allows tenants to rent a newly refurbished property for a minimum of one year and a maximum of three years.
During this time, if they’re ready to purchase their own home, 70% of the rent they’ve paid will be returned to help towards the deposit, as saving for a deposit is often the hardest part of buying a first home.
Peter Burrows, Chief Executive of The Cambridge Building Society, said:
“We’re absolutely delighted for Sophie and Jamie. Seeing them get engaged, start their family, and now take the exciting step of buying their own home really shows how Rent to Home can transform lives.
"Their journey is exactly why we created this initiative - to give local people the support they need to turn what can feel like an impossible dream into a reality.”
Sophie and Jamie are the latest tenants to benefit from the scheme, joining others like Liberty Cornell, who moved into her first home earlier this year, and previous participants who have collectively reclaimed more than £81,000 to support their move onto the property ladder.
Currently, eight tenants across five Cambridge-rented properties are on track to benefit from Rent to Home, with The Cambridge projecting that over £161,000 in rent could be returned in the coming years to fund first-time buyers’ deposits.