Planning ahead
Let's face it: moving can be stressful. From packing up your life to cleaning every nook and cranny, the student housing changeover period is notorious for its challenges. But guess what? It doesn't have to be a nightmare. With the right preparation and a few insider tips, you can turn this daunting task into a seamless experience.
Follow this guide to help you navigate the exciting yet sometimes chaotic transition between student housing. Whether you're moving out, moving in, or both, we've got you covered with everything you need to make the process as smooth as possible.
Decluttering & sustainability
🧹 Clear Out the Clutter
Got stuff you don’t want to take home or to your next property? Try to donate or sell it first instead!
👉 Check out our moving-out tips & where to donate or sell
🧼 Clean Smart
- You're all jointly responsible for the cleaning of the house and its shared spaces — so share the cleaning load (especially kitchens, bathrooms & hallways).
- Oven & grill: clean it or risk a £95+ pro cleaning fee!
- Toilet & bath: leave it sparkling or lose £50-100 of your deposit.
- Remember all the landlord/agent wants is a property returned in an acceptably clean condition to hand over to the new tenants moving in.
👉 Pro Tip: Everything takes a bit longer than it may seem. Set a cleaning date with your housemates early and use a checklist!
👉 Be the hero: Ask your landlord if they’ll do a pre-move-out inspection so you know what to fix.
Moving out & deposits
💰 Deposits
- You are responsible for ensuring that the property is returned in the condition that you found it
- Expect deductions for damage beyond “fair wear and tear”. Fair wear and tear is considered to be "a defect which occurs naturally or as part of the tenant’s reasonable use of the premises."
- Landlords must prove any deductions with receipts or evidence.
- If your tenancy deposit does not cover the costs of returning the property to its original condition, the landlord or agent may seek ‘damages’ from you.
Let’s get you out without losing £££ from your deposit and with as minimal stress possible!
Watch the video below and read through This Guide for moving-out tips and information on getting your deposit back.
Utilities & admin
📉 Utilities
- Tell your utility companies your move-out date.
- Take meter readings on your last day and send proof of payment of your final bill to your landlord.
⭐ Don’t forget to Rate Your Landlord
Before you wave goodbye to your current place, leave a review and help the next tenants out.
👀 Students rely on each other — your rating makes a difference!!
Moving day & changeover
- Key Collection & Paperwork: Most agents/landlords require you to book a key collection appointment in order to manage the flow of students and also require ID upon collection. Make sure to book in advance otherwise you might end up waiting at the back of the queue for a long time on the day of moving! Landlords and agents also have the right to refuse you keys to the property if you haven't completed the necessary paperwork, paid deposits etc. It's useful to double check you've done everything required of you before the big day.
- Top Tip: if there is a burglar alarm, upon key collection make sure the landlord gives you the code so you can use it straightaway.
- Top Tip: LUU have a really useful Q&A type page over some common concerns, check it out here: Moving in Day (luu.org.uk)
- Snacks & Drinks!! Probably one of the most important things on the day!! Prep a snack bag for you and those helping you move, include sweets, crisps, sandwiches, cold drinks and whatever you think you're team will appreciate on the day!! It's also good to have a little first aid kit on hand in case of any accidents! Make sure you stay energized, well-fed and hydrated, particularly if there's stairs involved!! Regular 5min breaks are recommended!!
- Pack an Overnight/Important Bag! Moving gets chaotic real quick, you can also quickly lose track of what is what and where is it?!! We recommend keeping a overnight/important bag which saves you from digging through multiple boxes and will keep you going for a few days whilst you unpack and get settled.
- Turnover Traffic: Many students vacate their accommodations at the end of the academic year, typically around the 30th June and 1st July this lead to a lot of people in the same boat and a lot traffic on the roads, it's useful to bear this in mind as the trips back and forth may take you longer than expected!
- Tip!: If you can, consider moving out a few days before the official end date or move in a few days after the official start date to avoid the rush and stress of peak moving days.
The gap night
📦 June 30th → July 1st
If your current tenancy ends on 30th June but your new one starts 1st July, you’re not alone, loads of students face this awkward gap.
Here’s what you can do:
- Stay with a mate (ask early!)
- Book a short-stay hotel or hostel
- Store your stuff in temporary student storage – ask your new landlord or look online for short-term student deals.
- Moving from one Unipol house to another Unipol house we offer an overnight stay at your current home. You can request an overnight stay here.
By preparing in advance and knowing your options, you can navigate this situation effectively and minimize stress during what can already be a hectic time.
Moving in (day one)
📸 On the Day
- Take photos of everything when you arrive (even dodgy paint jobs).
- Inspect the Property: Upon moving in, conduct a thorough inspection of the property. Take photos or videos to document the condition of the property, which will be useful for any future disputes over damages - make sure these have dated data attached to them.
- If you've come across any issues contact your landlord in the first instance - they may not be aware of issues if the previous tenants haven't let them know!
- House not Clean: Properties should be clean for you at the start of the tenancy but if you find the house isn’t clean then firstly make sure the landlord is aware.
- Compare to the inventory — flag anything missing or broken in writing ASAP.
- Ask for your Gas & Electrical Safety Certs — you have a right to see them!
- Locate your water stop tap and fuse board for your knowledge! This will be useful incase of a leak or if you trip a fuse from knocking something in the move!
Demand for cleaners is very high at Changeover and they will be doing their best to get around all the houses as soon as they can.
The Unipol Code states that properties must be cleaned within the first five days of the tenancy (2.21) however we find most properties get cleaned before this.
⚡ Utilities
- Take your own meter readings on Day 1!
- Register with gas, electric & water companies.
- Try to register everyone in the house — it’s fairer.
Problems after moving in
📢 Property not up to scratch?
Unfortunately, not everyone has a wonderful moving-in experience and the condition upon arrival can sometimes be disappointing.
In an ideal world the previous tenants will have cleaned up, moved out and returned the keys, all in good time for the landlord to carry out any repairs and redecoration needed, conduct a thorough inspection and ensure the home is ready for arrival, right from the start of the new tenancy.
The reality is that properties are often occupied right up until the last minute (or later!) and can be handed back in a poor condition. Landlords will try to prioritise according to urgency at this very busy time. Communicate in writing (followed up by a phone call), promptly and calmly with your landlord any problems in the property and take photographs.
We would expect a Code landlord to get the property into a suitable condition and properly cleaned within 5 working days following a complaint but in reality most landlords would be able to get this resolved within 48 hours once you’ve raised the problem.
For non-urgent repairs there is typically a tremendous amount of work that goes on over the summer months (when many of the students are not around) to get the properties back into a good condition for the start of the new academic year. Tenant and agents / landlord should work together to ensure accommodation needs are met, and the house is ready for when tenants want to live there, be that right from the beginning of the tenancy, or later in September. Again, communicate in writing any concerns you have/ repairs needed and ask for proposed completion dates to ensure any issues get resolved.
Complaints & Repairs
😕 Got Complaints About Your Landlord?
In first instance contact and report to your landlord about any issues. If they are code accredited and your complaint is not moving forward you can complain to us here.
If they’re not accredited, you still have rights. Check out the Right of Redress scheme here 👉 Click for info
Code Landlord Repairs Timescales:
The following guidelines are from our Unipol Code and are what we consider as best practice.
You can learn more about our codes here!
These are the repair timescales Code landlords should aim to fix things under normal circumstances normal (Changeover is a peak busy time) (3.10)
Check to see if you landlord is code here!
Remember repairs should be reported in writing! A follow up phone call to go into more detail can't harm either!
Priority One
Emergency Repairs: Any repairs required in order to avoid a danger to health, risk to the safety and security of residents or serious damage to buildings or residents’ belongings.
Within 24 hours of report of the defect/s.
Priority Two
Urgent Repairs: Repairs to defects which materially affect the comfort or convenience of the residents. Includes boilers, hot water, heating etc (portable heaters to be provided it its too cold)
Within five working days of report of the defect/s
Priority Three
Non Urgent day-to-day repairs: Reactive repairs not falling within the above categories.
Within 28 days of report of the defect/s or by arrangements with the occupiers after that time. Decorative finishes to be made good within reasonable timescales if damaged or disturbed during repairs
Your Landlord isn’t part of the Code? Here’s what you can do.
Settling in
🔐 Safety & Security
- Lock up — even if you’re just popping out.
- Don’t leave windows open in empty rooms.
- Use the burglar alarm if you’ve got one.
- Be cautious about who you let in — always ask for ID for contractors and double check your landlord has given you notice of their visit!
- Got a bike? Lock it up!
📬 Don’t Forget:
- Tell your uni, bank, insurer, and utility companies your new address.
- Apply for a visitor’s permit if needed for move-in day.
🧑🤝🧑 Getting On With the Neighbours
- Knock on and say hi or pop a note through the door — it’ll go a long way!
- Let them know if you’re planning a party (and keep noise down after 11pm).
- Respect the area. Good vibes = fewer complaints & safer streets.