What should you do when moving out of your student accommodation?

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It's that time of year again...the long summer holidays are rapidly approaching, exams are nearly over, and soon it’ll be time to move out of your student accommodation. Whether you're moving out of on-campus halls of residence or a privately-rented student house, it can be a pretty stressful experience. 

We can’t guarantee the experience will be entirely stress-free, but we can give you some tips to help streamline the move-out process. Follow our top tips to make moving out of your student accommodation as easy as possible, and give yourself the best shot at getting your student housing deposit returned!

   

Speak to your landlord or letting agent 🗣️

The first step should always be to get in touch with your landlord or letting agent - they’ll be able to tell you the exact date you need to move out and the condition you need to leave the property in! If you’re living in university accommodation, they should inform you about what to do when you move out. 

You should also find out how to hand in your keys. This might involve handing the key in at reception (if you’re in halls), handing them directly to your landlord, or putting them through the letterbox when you move out. 

If there's any damage to the property beyond normal wear and tear, it's helpful to give your landlord or letting agent a heads-up before you move out. Being upfront might encourage them to be more forgiving, especially if it's only minor damage. 

   

Sort out your utility bills 🚰

This is something else you’ll want to handle ahead of time. If your accommodation includes all bills, this isn’t something you’ll have to worry about. However, if you’ve been paying utility bills, you must let them know when you’re leaving and provide them with an alternative address for the final bill. 

On the day you move out, take a final picture of any meter readings - this’ll ensure you’re not paying for energy or water the next tenants use!

 

Update your address 🏠

If you’ve used your student address for anything, you’ll need to remember to change it. This is especially important if you’ve used your address at your bank or doctors. 

Royal Mail provides a redirection service (for 3, 6 or 12 months) - this is useful if you think it’ll take time to update your address and you don’t want to miss any important mail. It’s also a good idea to leave your new address with your landlord, so they can forward anything that arrives at your old house. 

 

Deep clean and take out any rubbish 🧽 

Thoroughly cleaning your house might sound like a labour-intensive task you would rather avoid, but this is an important part of getting all your deposit back. Make sure all your housemates get involved to get it sorted quickly!

If you’re not sure how much you should clean, you can reach out to your landlord - they’ll be able to give you more specific guidance on how you should leave the house. 

    

Plan your moving-out day 📦

Make sure you plan your move ahead of time - prepare your packing in advance, and don’t leave everything to the last minute! Work out how you’ll move all your stuff: will it fit in a friend’s or family member’s car, or will you need to hire a removal company to shift it?

If you’re not moving into your next student accommodation til September, it might be worth looking into storage companies in your uni town. This might be easier than carting all of your belongings all the way back home for the summer - just make sure you don’t pack up anything perishable!

    

Take pictures of your property 📷

The last thing you should do before giving back your keys is to take comprehensive pictures (or even videos) of your student accommodation. This’ll act as proof in case there’s a deposit dispute with your landlord - if you’ve spent hours cleaning the house from top to bottom, ensure you’ve got evidence of the house looking sparkling clean. 

Your deposit is protected in a tenancy deposit protection scheme (legally, your landlord has to put it in a scheme within 30 days). So, if there's a deposit dispute, this should be handled by a government-approved scheme. Check out our blog, ‘Tips For Moving Out to Make Sure You Get Your Deposit Back’, for more information. 

 

How UniHomes can help

One of the easiest ways to make moving out as easy as possible is to choose student accommodation with all bills included. This means you don’t have to stress about paying your final utility bill, giving them a forwarding address, or taking a final meter reading. UniHomes offers thousands of student properties across the UK, and every single one comes with all bills included!

You won’t need to worry about setting up and paying complex utility bills or even your TV Licence! Everything is included in one neat monthly payment. Simple.  

Have a look at our range of amazing properties and find your next student accommodation without all the hassle of utility bills!