Simple steps to make your move go smoothly

As the academic year comes to a close, moving out of halls is just around the corner.

Whether you’re heading into a student house, going home for summer, or preparing for your next adventure, it’s important to leave your accommodation in good shape and make the process as stress-free as possible.

Here’s your guide to moving out smoothly:

Check your move out information

Before you start packing, take a moment to double-check your contract end date and move-out instructions.

Make sure you know:

• Your latest check-out time

• Where and how to return your keys or fob

• What’s expected in your room and shared spaces

Leaving late or missing key return instructions could result in extra charges, so it’s worth planning ahead.

Clean your space (and work as a flat)

To avoid cleaning charges, your room and shared areas need to be left in a good condition.

In your room:

• Remove all personal belongings and rubbish

• Wipe down surfaces (desk, shelves, windowsills)

• Empty and clean drawers and wardrobes

• Vacuum or sweep the floor

In shared spaces:

• Agree with your flatmates who is cleaning what

• Make sure all food is removed from cupboards and fridges

• Empty bins and wipe kitchen surfaces
  

Top tip: Take photos once everything is clean - this can be helpful if there are any questions later.

Start packing early

It’s surprising how much you accumulate over the year! Give yourself plenty of time to sort through everything.

Try this:

• Pack a little at a time instead of all at once

• Sort items into keep, donate, recycle, bin

• Use sturdy bags or boxes, and label anything going into storage

Leeds has lots of charity shops- donating items you no longer need is a great way to give back to the community.

Plan your journey

Move-out days can be busy across Leeds, so it’s best to organise your travel in advance.

You might want to:

• Book a taxi or arrange a lift home. With cars you need to consider if there will be spaces to park during this busy period and plan accordingly. 

• Coordinate with flatmates or friends - when and how are they moving out? It can be confusing if lots of people move out at the same time, you may want to stagger it so you have greater space to move boxes and bags from your room. 

• Use temporary storage if you’re between contracts - you can find places across the city you can use to hold your items whilst you wait to move into your new accommodation. 

Planning ahead helps you avoid last-minute stress (and long waits!).

Don’t forget the essentials

Before you leave, make sure you’ve:

• Returned your keys/fob correctly

• Checked all cupboards, drawers, and storage spaces to make sure nothing is left behind

• Updated your address where needed (bank, GP, subscriptions) to ensure they can keep in contact with you

Leaving everything as expected helps ensure you don't miss something of importance after your contract ends.

Look after yourself and each other

Moving out can feel busy and emotional and it’s the end of a big chapter.

Be sure to:

• Stay in touch with your flatmates if you’d like to: you could discuss how best to communicate with them and ask them about their plans over the summer to understand when they might be busy and when they might be available to communicate with you

• Support each other during move-out: clean the flat together and maybe you could have a packing party together. You could put on some music and pack at the same time to make it more enjoyable. 

• Take a few photos to remember your time together: you likely already have lots of photos from your year together, you can get these printed so that you have them to display after you have moved out. 

Residence Life is all about community, and those shared experiences don’t have to end here.

Rate your Accommodation! 

We would really appreciate it if you took the time to leave a review for your residence.

This helps future students find which hall is right for them. You can review all our halls of residence on Google or on Rate Your Landlord - a website run in partnership between Unipol Student Homes and the University.

Quick move-out checklist

• Room emptied and cleaned

• Shared areas cleaned (as a group!)

• Photos taken

• Keys returned

• Transport arranged

• Belongings packed

• Addresses updated