Preparing to move here

If you have booked a room in one of the properties listed below then you should have received your arrival documentation from the local accommodation team. If you have not received this, if you have any questions or need further details from any of these properties then please contact the local team directly.

January 2025 entry

Your contract commences on Saturday 25 January and you can collect your keys from this date. Your accommodation provider will be in touch nearer the time with further information about your arrival. 

September 2025 entry

Please check the webpage for your accommodation to check your contract start date. This is the date from when you will be able to move in to your accommodation.

Bookable time slots for key collection will commence from Thursday 18 September to Sunday 21 September. This will be done within the e-induction thaf is emailed to you nearer the time.

Arrival maps

Please refer to our Directions and maps web page to help plan your arrival. 

Our first piece of advice is not to overpack (also see 'What's supplied in your accommodation?' FAQ below)

Remember that the rooms in our halls of residence are for single occupancy and have limited storage space. Bring the essentials with you initially and see how much space you have left.

• Bedding to include, duvet and cover, (or/and blanket), bed sheets, pillow and pillowcase. (These items are also available from UniKitOut, delivered to your accommodation. Save with a 10% discount using the code BU10)
• Mattress Topper – Mattresses don’t suit everyone so it is advisable to bring a topper for your own comfort
• Cleaning equipment, i.e. Washing up liquid, surface cleaner, descaler spray, washing up brush and cloth, toilet brush, etc.

If you are travelling from overseas, remember you can buy everything you need when you get here or pre-order the essentials from UniKitOut (see below for details). Just bring essentials such as a winter coat, warm clothes and a few items that will help you feel at home, such as photos to put on your noticeboard.

If you are travelling within the UK and have space to pack more, you may want to bring the following:

• Cutlery
• Crockery
• Pots and pans (some flats have induction hobs, we suggest that you bring suitable pans - if in doubt then check with your accommodation provider)
• Cooking utensils (don’t forget a potato peeler!)
• Tea towels
• Bedding, Pillows and Bedlinen
• Towels.

We would also encourage you to think about bringing a bicycle with you to help with getting around. There is plenty of secure storage at the halls of residence and both campuses. If you do bring your bike then don't forget:

• Helmet
• D-Lock
• Lights.

View our handy table (pdf 172kb) showing what items are already provided in each accommodation.

If you aren't able to bring any or all of these items with you, or just don't want the hassle of transporting them, then don't worry, you can buy all you need and more from UniKitOut, a dedicated website where you can buy the essentials for the start of term and have everything delivered directly to your hall of residence. If you choose this convenient option then remember to claim your discount by quoting your unique code: BU10.

Check out Payment information web page for details on how much and when to pay.

On top of your rent you will need to fund food & drink, travel, entertainment and clothing - just a few of the things you will need to budget. Managing your money is essential whilst living at University and we recommend that you think about this before you arrive. You can use an online student budget calculator to help you plan and manage your finances to ensure you have one less thing to worry about. 

All accommodation in the BU accommodation portfolio benefits from personal contents insurance. 

It is important all students understand their level of cover to ensure you understand what is and isn’t covered. Once you receive the details of your cover from your accommodation team please check:

• What is and what isn’t covered
• Key exclusions - where cover isn’t provided
• Policy excess – the amount you pay when you make a claim
• How to make claim
• Personalise cover

If you live in Dorchester House, Student Village, Unilet or St Johns your personal contents cover is provided by Cover4Insurance (select for more information)

If you live in any other sites within the BU portfolio your personal contents is provided by Endsleigh (select for more information)

Only available in BU accommodation, ResLifeBU is unique and is your pathway to a great student community and experience during your stay with us. To make your time the best it can be we deliver your ResLifeBU activities and services around three core principles: Social (the fun stuff), Wellbeing (looking out for your welfare) and Skills (helping you develop what you need for independent living).

£1.75 of your rent goes towards funding the programme but once you get involved you will see it is worth so much more than that for your student community. 

When you have secured your room in the BU community then our ResLifeBU team will be in touch to tell you more about this great programme and how you get involved before your arrival.

To discover more about how ResLifeBU will benefit you visit our ResLifeBU web page for more details.

Once you have secured your room in BU accommodation, you might be thinking about what to expect when living in our student accommodation. We have put together  a series of useful FAQs about living in BU accommodation that will hopefully answer all of your questions.

If after reading through these you still have an unanswered question then please contact us and we will be happy to help.