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What to pack when you move into university accommodation

Find out what you should and shouldn’t pack before you arrive and what you can order online in advance.

Try not to overpack if you're moving into University accommodation. You can always buy some items locally, rather than bringing them with you.

Your bedroom and bathroom

Making your accommodation feel like home can help you settle in to University life. You may want to bring things that remind you of home, like pictures, plants or small soft furnishings.

You will also need to pack:

  • coat hangers
  • a laundry basket
  • pins for your noticeboard
  • hand and bath towels
  • bathmat
  • toothbrush and toothpaste holder

If you have shared bathroom facilities, we recommend:

  • a wash bag for toiletries
  • sliders or flip-flops
  • dressing gown

Bedding and linen

Bedding and linen are not supplied in your accommodation. Before you arrive, you'll need to decide if you are going to:

  • bring your own bedding and/or linen
  • buy bedding and/or linen from our online store
  • borrow bedding and/or linen from our Student Living Operations team.

Your shared kitchen or kitchenette

You can bring your own kitchen items with you. You might be tempted to arrive with everything you can think of, but housemates often buy larger things together. This helps save space in the communal areas.

You may like to bring:

  • a tin opener
  • a frying pan
  • a saucepan
  • crockery
  • cutlery
  • cooking utensils (like a spatula, wooden spoon and sieve)
  • cling film, tin foil and freezer bags
  • food storage containers
  • oven gloves and tea towels
  • dishcloths
  • reusable food container

If you cannot bring these things, or you’re travelling a long way, you can pre-order these items from our online store.

Clothing

If you're moving to the UK from overseas, the weather may be colder and wetter than you are used to at home. Remember to bring warm clothing, like coats, jumpers and dressing gowns, as well as waterproof jackets and practical footwear.

You may also like to bring slippers or flip-flops for wearing indoors.

What not to bring

You must not bring certain items, like irons or kettles, to University accommodation because of our health, safety and fire guidance. We provide these and other electrical appliances and make sure they meet the latest safety standards.

You are not allowed to bring your own:

  • iron
  • kettle
  • toaster
  • deep-fat fryer
  • microwave oven
  • fridge
  • freezer
  • washing machine
  • tumble dryer
  • dishwasher
  • gas appliance
  • space heater
  • paraffin heater or oil heater
  • portable fan heater
  • electric fire
  • electric blanket
  • 13-amp socket adapter plugs
  • barbecue
  • flammable liquids and accelerants
  • candles and lighting (except free-standing desk lamps and LED fairy lights)
  • meat and dairy products from outside the European Union

Exceptions

Small electrical kitchen appliances

You can bring appliances such as a rice cooker, air fryer, coffee machine or toastie maker to use in the kitchen, but only if it conforms to the appropriate British Standard and has been purchased inside the European Union.

These are not to be used in the bedrooms, and if cooking appliances are found in your bedroom they will be confiscated. You must request for your equipment to be PAT tested by contacting the ResLife Ops team.

Fridges

If you need to store refrigerated medicines in your room, you must complete and return the additional requirements accommodation form and provide supporting medical evidence.

We will then organise for a small fridge to be in your room for when you arrive.

Confiscation of unsafe electrical items

Correct and incorrect CE marks:
Correct and incorrect CE marks:

If our staff carry out a room inspection or clean and notice that you have an electrical item without the correct CE safety mark, we will remove it immediately.

We will leave a notice to contact our ResLife Ops Team. The item will be stored until you move out, when you'll need to collect it within 14 days. We will dispose of any items left behind after the 14 days.

Before you start packing check what is included in your accommodation

Find out what's included

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