Move-in day: inventory, photos, meters and keys

The first 48 hours in a new place decide whether you get your deposit back a year later. A careful inventory, dated photos and a few written emails protect you from paying for damage you did not cause.

Check your deadline first

• Many halls give you a short deadline to submit your room inventory: Keele University asks for it within 48 hours of moving in, and the University of Kent within 5 days. Find your own deadline on arrival.
• Keele says that if you miss its deadline, it will be assumed you are responsible for any damage, and you may be charged from your deposit.
• Kent says past students who did not log existing damage were charged for repairs, with costs from about £138 to £700.
• In a private rental, the landlord or agent should give you an inventory or check-in report. Read it before you sign it, and add anything missing or wrong.

A room-by-room inventory method

• Start at the front door and move clockwise around each room, so you do not miss a wall.
• Check walls, floors, doors, windows, lights, sockets, curtains or blinds, furniture, the mattress (lift the sheet), and any appliances (Keele and Kent).
• In the bathroom: toilet, shower, basin, tiles, sealant and extractor fan. In the kitchen: cooker, fridge, freezer, microwave, sink and cupboards.
• Look for scratches, stains, wobbly chairs, missing items and anything 'a bit off', as Kent puts it.
• Shared areas count too: Keele asks students to record kitchens and corridors, not just their own room.

Photos and videos that count as evidence

• Take dated photos of every room, plus close-ups of every mark or fault, as UAL advises for private renting.
• Film a slow walk-through video with your voice describing what you see, for example: 'Bedroom, 14 September, stain on the carpet near the desk.'
• Email the photos to yourself and to the landlord or accommodation office, so there is a dated record they have received.
• Store everything in one folder (cloud and phone) named with the address and the date.

Meters, utilities and documents

• Photograph the gas, electricity and water meter readings on day one, as UAL advises, so you only pay for what you use.
• In a private rental, open utility accounts in your name if bills are not included (see the Bills, Utilities and Household Paperwork module).
• In England, check you have received the gas safety certificate and proof that your deposit is protected within 30 days (UAL, GOV.UK).
• In the UAE, keep a copy of your registered tenancy contract (Ejari in Dubai, Tawtheeq in Abu Dhabi), as registration is needed to connect utilities (UAE government portal).
• In England, UAL reminds full-time students to tell the local council they are students so they are not wrongly billed for council tax.

Keys, faults and first repairs

• Count the keys, fobs and cards you receive and write the number on your inventory. You will need to return them all.
• Test every key in every lock, including window locks.
• Report anything broken separately as a repair request, not just on the inventory: Keele notes that inventory issues are logged, not fixed, and Kent asks students to report broken furniture, heating problems or faulty appliances through its repair system.
• Report in writing (app, portal or email) so there is a record, and keep the reference number.