Moving in checklist

If you want to purchase bedding and other items, we have a partnership with UniKit.

You can order it for delivery on your arrival date and it will be ready to pick up with your keys. 

Parking is limited across the entire University campus and is only guaranteed for blue-badge holders, so we encourage you to consider leaving your vehicle at home if possible. If you’re renting privately and have access to a car, make sure you check whether parking is included or a permit is required.

If you’re moving into University accommodation you must complete your paper inventory within 24 hours of your arrival. An inventory is a record of what is in your room and what condition it is in when you arrive.

For those renting privately Manchester Student Homes has more details about inventories.

Licence agreements for University accommodation include up to £10,000 contents insurance cover against theft and loss, but not accidental damage.

If you’re living in private accommodation, you should arrange insurance as soon as possible after arriving.

Although the cost of living in Manchester is similar to other major cities across the UK, we know that the rising cost of essential items is a worry. We have support available across campus for our students, as well as guidance on accessing urgent financial assistance.

You can visit our Student Support site to discover:

• our Cost of Living student support;
• budgeting tips;
• financial wellbeing advice and more.

If you do run into financial difficulty there is support available to you. Find out what we’re doing to support our students and how you can access help on the Cost of Living page of our Student Support site.

Council Tax is a local government tax which covers local public services (such as street lighting and waste collection). The majority of students are exempt from paying Council Tax, so if you’re renting privately, you need to inform Manchester City Council that you're a full-time student and don't have to pay.

Check the length of your licence agreement – you might only want to stay in Manchester during term-time, which for undergraduates is 41 or 42 weeks.

Private rentals usually last a full year, so you could end up paying for an additional 12 weeks rent that you don’t need.

If you’re moving into halls we can assure you that all rooms will be properly cleaned before arrival. Our Accommodation Team have put together some arrival information, so be sure to read it before you get here. 

If you're moving into private accommodation, you should expect that it has been well cleaned prior to your move-in. If the property has been poorly cleaned and you’re renting, it’s worth following up with your landlord or estate agent to see if they can send a cleaner to sort it out for you.

You may be able to register to vote at both your home and term-time addresses. If your home and university addresses are in different local authority areas, it's possible to vote in both areas for local elections but only once in general elections. EU and international students should check if they’re eligible to vote.

Our on-campus University GP Service – provided by the Robert Darbishire Practice – is located in Crawford House near south campus (shown on the Campus map here as Building 31). Find out more about the service on the Robert Darbishire Practice website, or register as a patient using their online portal.

Other GPs are available and you can use our list of surgeries to find out which ones are closest to your halls.

We strongly encourage you to register with a local GP close to your accommodation, so you can access their services quickly should you need them.

In the UK all televisions must be licensed. A licence costs £159 per year, which can be paid in monthly instalments. If you have a television or stream live TV on your laptop or devices in University accommodation or in any room in private accommodation, you'll have to purchase a TV licence.

If you're moving into the University's Unsworth Park Halls, the University provides the licence for the communal TV.

If you’re living in University halls you don’t need to worry about utility bills – this is all included in your accommodation fees.

If you’re renting privately your landlord should provide you with details of utility suppliers. Make sure you take meter readings as soon as you move in.