Moving out

There are a few things to remember to do before you leave us:

• Dispose of/donate any food you are not taking with you. Find out more about The Great Donate on @GreenKeele social media and web pages.
• Ensure your room and other living spaces are clean and in the same condition as when you arrived.
• Check that you’ve packed all of your belongings and make sure you have anything that is personally important (passports, bank cards, money etc.). It’s not possible to claim compensation for any items you leave behind, so please check thoroughly before you move out!
• Once you’re all packed up, and ready to return your key, we’d recommend you take a picture of your bedroom and communal living space. This is just in case any damage occurs to this space after you’ve moved out. If you do receive a charge for damage that you believe was caused after you moved out, this picture can be used as evidence to request to have that charge removed. Further information about damage charges can be found here. 

• All belongings must be removed from your room. Please leave it empty and in the same state of cleanliness as on the day you moved in.
• If you have rearranged the furniture, please ensure that it is returned to where it was when you moved in and remove all items from your drawers and wardrobe.
• All posters and white tac need to be removed from notice boards, doors and walls.
• Rubbish must be placed outside in the bins or recycle bins, as applicable.

Please remove all:

• Food from fridges and freezers. If a freezer drawer is frozen shut, defrost it first to gain access and remove the food. Please ensure that the last person to leave your kitchen defrosts all freezers before they move out.
• Items from cupboards and shelves.
• All utensils and electrical appliances.
• Rubbish must be placed outside in the bins or recycle bins, as applicable.

Please remember that this applies even if you are staying on campus in vacation accommodation (see vacation accommodation).

Please note that you may be charged if:

• rooms and communal areas are not left clean and tidy
• we need to remove items you have left behind
• we need to repair any damage caused during your time in accommodation
• we need to replace a missing item

If a charge is necessary, this will be deducted from your room deposit.

A list of sample damage charges is available on this web page.

Make sure that you collect all remaining letters and packages from the Post Room before you leave and that you have told people your new address.

Royal Mail offer a post redirection service to redirect your post for 3, 6, or 12 months for a cost - find out more on their web pages. 

Please note that any post items left at the Post Room after you have moved out will be disposed of.

Unfortunately we don't have space available on campus for you to store your belongings. If you would like to arrange storage for your possessions during vacation times, please contact an external storage company. Most of these companies supply packing boxes which they deliver to you; they then arrange collection and transportation to their storage facilities. Their rates are very competitive. Here are a few of our local companies:

• Chaffinch Storage
• Seven Seas Storage
• Bigfoot
• Armadillo Storage
• Ready Steady Store

If you use storage companies, we strongly recommend that you insure your belongings. They will not be covered by your halls of residence insurance.

Before your move out date, we will deliver a pre-printed envelope to your room for you to use to return your keys. This helps us ensure we have all the correct information we need.

If you are moving out before this envelope arrives, you can pick up an envelope from next to the key drop box in the main entrance of Barnes Y Block (opposite the David Weatherall Building). Please ensure you complete your details on the label, before returning your keys in the envelope.

Keys can be returned to the key drop box in the welcome area of the Barnes Y Building, on the wall to your right as you enter the building. Barnes Y main entrance is an area that can be accessed 24 hours a day, 7 days per week, 365 days of the year.

If you are returning a cycle store key please put this in a separate envelope (found next to the key drop box) and mark that it is a cycle store key to avoid confusion.

There is also a key return box in the Student Services Hub in the Claus Moser building (on your right as you enter the building). This is accessible Monday to Friday, 9 am to 5 pm (except bank holidays).  It will also be accessible on the final day of the 38 week occupancy period (please see above for this date).  You will be able to find spare key return envelopes next to the key return box.   

If you return home and realise you have not returned your keys, you can post them to us. We recommend that you secure the keys by taping them to a card and put them in a secure or padded envelope. You should include a note with the keys, giving your name, student number, room number, and whether you have a room on campus for the following September. Please send them to:

Student Accommodation team
Keele University
Keele
Staffs
ST5 5BG

If you do not return your set of keys, a charge of £30.00 will be deducted from your deposit. 

If you will not be living on campus next year, your deposit will be refunded to you within 28 days of the end of the occupancy period

To obtain your refund you must provide us with your bank details so that your refund can be processed directly to your account. You can do this before vacating your room.

The easiest way to provide us with your bank details is by using your eVision account:

• Select the “Finance and Payments” option from the main menu

• Select the “Provide your bank details for Refunds” option.

• When following the online instructions please ensure that you select “Room Deposit” as the refund type.

Please note that if the refund is going to an overseas account a further email will be sent asking you to provide your account details once your room deposit has been released.

If you would like to stay on campus for all or part of the vacation period, please visit this web page and fill in the application form.

Please do not arrive without prior notification or making an application for vacation accommodation.

If you are staying on campus, please remove all your belongings from the kitchen before end-of-occupancy-period cleaning takes place, to avoid your items being disposed of. This applies even if you are staying in the same room during vacation.  Only return your belongings to the kitchen after the kitchen has been cleaned.

If you would like to request a reference for a private landlord, please email us at accommodation@keele.ac.uk and allow 3 working days for us to respond.

Cooling off period: Once you accept your accommodation contract, you have a 7 day 'cooling-off period'. This means that if you change your mind about your accommodation and notify us by email of within 7 working days of accepting the contract, you will be released from the contract.

After the cooling off period: Please note that your accommodation contract is legally binding and if you change your mind after the cooling off period, you will still be liable to pay accommodation fees.

You can only be released from the contract in exceptional circumstances such as if you take a Leave of Absence or withdraw from the University. Your contract will end once you have moved out and returned your keys.

You can transfer your accommodation to another student as long as the transfer is done with the knowledge and prior written approval of the Student Accommodation team. To do this, please email accommodation@keele.ac.uk. The student who takes on your room should be a suitable replacement, which means that the balance of gender and nationalities should not adversely affected within your accommodation. 

If you are withdrawing, deferring or taking a Leave of Absence from the University, you must ensure that you return the keys to your accommodation (see return your key).  If you do not remove your belongings and return room keys, you will continue to be charged at the full room rate until the room is cleared and the keys returned.

When you move out, please follow all the moving out procedures outlined above.