Skip to main content University of Leeds homepage
Students home page

Arriving at your accommodation

Three students chatting in a kitchen in student accommodation

Find out when and how to travel to your accommodation and what you need to do to move in.

Make sure you know when to arrive on campus. Arriving within our recommended dates will give you the best chances of settling into your accommodation, attending your school induction and making the most of our International orientation programme, which is specifically designed for international students.

Moving into your accommodation

If you’ve booked university accommodation, check your accommodation contract. It’s important you arrive on or after the start date shown in your contract.

Before you move in, you’ll need to accept your accommodation contract. Once you’ve done this, you’ll receive an email with instructions on how to collect your keys.

Check what’s included with your accommodation. If your accommodation doesn’t provide kitchen equipment, bedding, or other essential items:

  • Order a starter pack from UniKitOut. Order online and UniKitOut will deliver your starter pack to your accommodation before you arrive.
  • You can easily pick up food and other essentials after you arrive, there are supermarkets and shops close to campus, explore where to shop for food and essentials in Leeds.

Arriving before your contract starts

If you need to arrive before your contract start date to attend an early school induction, it’s important that you:

  • check whether you can move in early to your long-term accommodation. If this is not possible, you need to book temporary accommodation.
  • remember to budget for the extra cost of accommodation for any days you will be staying in Leeds before your accommodation contract starts.

If you’ve booked University accommodation, you can apply for early arrival accommodation from August. There are limited places in University accommodation for early arrivals, so this is not guaranteed.

If you’ve arranged to stay in private accommodation, ask your accommodation provider if you can move in early.

If your long-term accommodation provider is not able to offer you early arrival, book temporary accommodation in a hotel, guest house or bed and breakfast. Visit Leeds has information about temporary accommodation in Leeds.

Late arrivals

If your arrival is delayed check our late arrivals page for information on what you need to do to facilitate your arrival and inform the University of your plans.

Travelling to your accommodation

Taxis are the quickest way to reach your accommodation. You’ll find taxi ranks outside train and bus stations, no need to book. Most drivers don’t accept £50 notes, so carry smaller cash or pre-book with Arrow Cars, Veezu, or Uber to pay by card.

Contacts while you travel

Studies