Moving to university is a huge step, and the admin around it is easy to underestimate. The good news is that a lot of it is genuinely simpler for students: full-time students do not pay council tax, halls almost always come with bills included, and a few small decisions early on can save you and your housemates a meaningful amount over the year.

Below we walk through the two main living situations, halls and shared houses, explain how to manage energy and bills, cover the money side, and finish with a practical packing checklist.

Halls vs a shared house: who pays the bills?

The biggest single difference between your options comes down to bills. In your first year most students live in halls of residence, where rent is all-inclusive. From second year onwards many move into a private shared house, where the bills become your responsibility.

Halls of residence

  • Gas, electricity, water and broadband included in rent;
  • No meter readings, switching or bill-splitting to worry about;
  • Council tax exemption handled simply as a full-time student.

Private shared house

  • You arrange energy, water and broadband yourselves (unless "bills included");
  • You can switch supplier and choose a cheaper tariff;
  • Apply for the all-student council tax exemption with your council.

Sorting energy bills in a student house

If your tenancy does not include bills, gas and electricity will be one of your biggest shared costs. As a tenant who pays the energy bill, you have the legal right to choose the supplier, so it is worth taking control early rather than staying on the expensive default tariff the house was left on.

Student energy checklist

  • Take photos of the gas and electricity meters on move-in day;
  • Find out the current supplier and open an account so you are billed correctly;
  • Compare tariffs and switch to a cheaper fixed deal as a household;
  • Split the bill equally, put it in one housemate\'s name or use a bill-splitting app;
  • Submit meter readings monthly so you pay for real usage, not estimates.

A quick word on energy habits: in a shared house the easiest savings come from turning the heating down a degree, only boiling the water you need and switching things off standby. With several people in one property, small changes add up fast across a tenancy.

Council tax and budgeting as a student

The most valuable thing to know is that full-time students do not pay council tax. If every adult in your house is a full-time student, you can claim a full exemption, but it is not automatic. You normally need to apply to the local council and provide a council tax exemption certificate from your university. Sort this in your first few weeks to avoid being chased for a bill you do not owe.

Beyond council tax, the main monthly costs to budget for in a shared house are rent, energy, water, broadband, contents insurance and a TV Licence if anyone watches live TV or BBC iPlayer. Agreeing who is responsible for each bill before you move in prevents most housemate disputes later.

What to take to university

You do not need to bring everything at once, you can always pick things up after you arrive. Focus on the essentials below, and check with housemates so you are not turning up with four kettles between you.

Kitchen

  • Plates, bowls, mugs and cutlery
  • A couple of pans and a sharp knife
  • Tin opener, scissors and tea towels
  • Reusable water bottle and food containers

Bedroom

  • Bedding, duvet, pillows and towels
  • Clothes hangers and a laundry bag
  • A desk lamp and an extension lead
  • Door doorstop and a few command hooks

Tech & study

  • Laptop, charger and a multi-plug
  • Notebooks, pens and a backpack
  • Headphones and an HDMI cable
  • A 4-way extension lead (halls plugs are scarce)

Documents

  • Passport or photo ID and accommodation contract
  • Student finance and bank details
  • NHS number and a repeat-prescription list
  • A few passport photos for cards and railcards

For the full version, see our printable university checklist, which breaks every item down room by room.

Student moving FAQ

Full-time students are exempt from council tax. If everyone in the property is a full-time student, the household pays nothing, but you usually have to apply for the exemption and send your council a student certificate from your university. In a house with one or more non-students, the property is billed but full-time students are "disregarded", which often means a 25% single-person discount applies.

In university halls of residence, gas, electricity, water and broadband are almost always included in the rent. In a private shared house they usually are not, unless you have specifically signed a "bills included" tenancy. Always check the contract before you sign so you know what you are responsible for.

It is whoever the landlord or previous tenants left in place. On move-in day, take a meter reading and ask the letting agent who currently supplies the property, or call the Meter Point Administration Service on 0845 601 4516 for electricity. You are then free to compare and switch to a cheaper tariff, tenants who pay the energy bill have the right to choose the supplier.

The simplest approach is to put each utility in a different housemate's name, or use a joint account or a bill-splitting app so everyone pays an equal share by direct debit. Agree the split in writing at the start of the tenancy. Submit regular meter readings so you pay for what you actually use rather than estimates.

If you watch or record live TV on any channel, or use BBC iPlayer, you need a TV Licence, even on a laptop or phone. Halls and shared houses are not automatically covered by anyone else's licence, though students who only stream on-demand (outside iPlayer) and are covered at their parents' home over the holidays may be able to claim a refund for the summer.