Top tips for moving out of your accommodation

The time has come to start thinking about clearing out your houses, halls or rooms and getting ready for your next step, whether that’s moving down the road, heading back home or taking the leap to a brand-new city.

Together with JMSU and Liverpool Student Homes, here are our top tips for stress-free moving out, plus opportunities to donate any unwanted stuff so that it can be repurposed for others to use.

Moving out top tips

Tenancy agreement

Check your contract for an end of tenancy procedure and follow it.

Cleaning

Have a proper deep clean! The property needs to be returned to the same condition as when you moved in, except for fair wear and tear. Take dated photos as evidence.

Bills and contracts

If you pay your utility bills yourself, contact the utility companies and ensure the bills are paid in full. Also let them know the date you will be leaving the property and provide them with a final meter reading on the day you leave. If you have smart meter, take a photo of the reading.
If bills are included in your rent, give the final meter reading to your landlord but keep details for your records.

TV licence

You may be entitled to extra summer holiday spending money in the form of a TV Licence refund. If you are leaving halls or rented accommodation and are moving to a licensed address, you can apply for a refund. Visit the TV Licensing website for more information and full eligibility criteria.

Unwanted items

Remove all of your unwanted items from the property. Don’t forget to recycle or donate.

JMSU’s Leave Liverpool Tidy campaign
Clothes, shoes, kitchen equipment, housing decorations, small electrical items, books and tinned or jarred foods can all be dropped off at the Student Life Building (SLB) from 11am to 3.30pm on Thursday 22 May. Unfortunately, we’re not able to accept any duvets, pillows, knives, or broken or dirty items, so please make other arrangements for these. Keep an eye on the JMSU website and social media channels for additional drop-off locations in the Kensington and Smithdown areas to be announced shortly, plus other dates at the SLB later in May/early June.

Rubbish

Completely clear the property of waste, including items of food as you may be charged for cleaners to remove it, and it could stop you from getting your full deposit back.

Returning your keys

Follow your tenancy agreement on how to return the keys to the accommodation provider and ask for a receipt as proof.

Mail

Use Royal Mail’s post redirection service to make sure that confidential post is forwarded to another address of your choice.

Deposits, bulky item council collections and more

Visit the Liverpool Student Homes website for further advice on a range of accommodation and moving out topics.

Be vigilant and secure your accommodation against burglaries

Merseyside Police has seen a recent rise in burglaries in and around the Greenbank and Picton areas.

With the recent good weather we have been experiencing, and with people focusing on moving in and out of properties, you are reminded to be extra vigilant and to ensure windows and doors are not left open or unlocked even if you are only leaving your property for a few minutes.

More advice from Merseyside Police is available on their crime prevention webpages.