Moving Out
If you're moving out of your accommodation this Summer, make sure you're ready to leave your current property and are prepared for the next one!
Take a look at the information below to find out how you can recycle or donate your unwanted clothing, household items and food. There are lots of options, including donating to charity, food banks, taking items to your local recycling centre, and more.
Additional Waste Collection
On Saturday 01 July the University has arranged for an additional collection of the general waste bins from roads in Portswood and Highfield. All you need to do is leave your general waste bin out the night before for collection. Streets which will receive an additional collection are listed below.
- Broadlands Road
- Gordon Avenue
- Portswood Road
- Tennyson Road
- Alma Road
- Mayfield Road
- Livingstone Road
- Burgess Road
- Sirdar Road
- Westridge Road
- Blenheim Gardens
- Granby Grove
- Avenue Road
- Shakespeare Avenue
- Kitchener Road
- Ripstone Gardens
- Harefield Road
- Earls Road
- Lodge Road
- Holyrood Avenue
- Arnold Road
- Belmont Road
- Upper Shaftesbury Avenue
- Northcote Road
- Welbeck Avenue
- Cambridge Road
- Spear Road
- Thackeray Road
- Shaftesbury Avenue
- Harrison Road
- Langhorn Road
- Chamberlain Road
- Woodside Road
- Highfield Lane
- University Road
- Church Lane
- Heatherdeane Road
- Merton Road
- Sherborne Road
- Somerset Road
- Cedar Road
- Roselands Gardens
- Padwell Road
- Highfield Crescent
- Spring Crescent
- Grosvenor Road
- Clausentum Road
- Woodcote Road
- High Road
- Hartley Avenue
- Nile Road
- Oakhurst Road
- St Mary'S Rd
- Richmond Gardens
- Forster Road
- Highcliff Avenue
- Sirdar Mews
- Belmont House
- Rigby Road
- Brookvale Road
- Grosvenor Close
- Highcrown Mews
- Middle Street
SUSU and the University are encouraging charitable donations and food bank donations throughout June to help reduce the additional waste that is generated when you move out of your accommodation.
Collection points have also been set up in halls of residence for unwanted items through the Recycling on your Doorstep scheme.
Recycling and Household Waste
Recycle Right
If you live in private-rented accommodation in the city, you can recycle paper and cardboard, drinks cans, food tins and plastic bottles in the blue-lidded recycling bin. You can find a full list of what you can put in your recycling bin, general waste bin and glass recycling box on the Southampton City Council website.
Find out more
Recycling Banks
Recycling banks are located across Southampton, and are split into ones to recycle glass bottles and jars, and ones to recycle textiles (household and clothing). Visit the Southampton City Council website to find a recycling bank near you.
Find out more
Household Waste
Any items that do not fit in your household general waste bin should be taken to the Household Waste Recycling Centre (HWRC) at City Depot Millbrook, First Avenue, SO15 0LJ. The HWRC is open seven days a week, 09:00 - 18:00.
Find out moreDonate to Charity
There are lots of charity shops in Southampton where you can donate your unwanted, good quality clothes and household items. Make sure to check each charity shop's donation days and what items they will accept before you set off!
- Age UK, Portswood Road
- Salvation Army, Portswood Road
- Scope, Portswood Road
- Sue Ryder, Portswood Road
- British Heart Foundation, Portswood Road
- Naomi House & Jacksplace, Portswood Road
RAG Summer Clothes Throw
If you’re having a clothing clear-out, then you can donate good quality clothing to RAG’s Summer Clothes Throw! The donation point is the red bin located on the SUSU Concourse (B42), available for all of June. Donated items will be sold to new owners with the money going to the Rose Road Association, RAG’s core charity for 2023-24.
British Heart Foundation Pack For Good
You can support the British Heart Foundation’s Pack for Good Campaign by dropping off items at BHF collection points (clothing banks, donation boxes, and book banks) located at the following halls of residence across Southampton and Winchester: Archers Road Gateley and Romero, Glen Eyre (Brunei, Old Terrace, Hartley Grove, Beechmount, Chamberlain, South Hill, Gower), Mayflower, City Gateway, Wessex Lane, Highfield and Erasmus Park (Winchester).
You can find more information about the locations of these collection points here: Halls Charity Donations.
October Books Donation Drop-Off Point
Between Monday 19 June and Saturday 01 July, you can drop off the following good quality items at October Books in Portswood:
- Kitchenware (crockery, cutlery, pans, utensils, kettles, toasters)
- Electronics and IT (laptops, tablets, printers, cartridges, mobile phones, cables, chargers)
- Clothes (especially men’s joggers, jeans, hoodies, coats, t-shirts, sliders, trainers)
Items must be clean and in good condition. Items will be collected by SUSU and donated to SCRATCH, Jamie's Computers, and Southampton Action.
SUSU Food For All
If you have food items that are in-date and unopened you can donate them to the SUSU Food for All bank. Located in The Advice Centre (B40) on Highfield Campus, the food bank provides tinned, dry and long-lasting food, as well as hygiene products. Items which can be donated are: cereal, soup, tinned items, tea and coffee, lentils, beans and pulses, rice, pasta, biscuits, boxed milk, toiletries (deodorant, shower gel, toothpaste) and household items (laundry liquid detergent, laundry power, washing up liquid).
Please bring items to be donated to The Advice Centre, Level 3, Building 40, Highfield campus.
Food Banks
You can support Southampton Basics Bank by dropping off food items at various supermarkets across the city. Find out which supermarkets are accepting donations, and what you can donate, here: Southampton City Mission
You can also take in-date tinned food, long-lasting, dry food and unopened toiletries to local food banks across the city. Find out which food banks are accepting donations here: Southampton City Council: Help with food.
Donating Food in Halls
The following Halls sites take donations for food items that are in-date and unopened: Archers Road Gateley and Romero, Glen Eyre (Brunei, Old Terrace, Hartley Grove, Beechmount, Chamberlain, South Hill, Gower), Mayflower, City Gateway, Wessex Lane, Highfield and Erasmus Park (Winchester).
You can find more information about the locations of these collection points here: Halls Charity Donations.
Moving Out Checklist
As well as removing your possessions, unwanted items and rubbish, make sure to read through our checklist below of things to organise before you move out of our accommodation.
At least 2 days before moving out you should contact your energy and broadband providers to let them know that you are leaving. On the day you move, take a final meter reading and if you can, take a photo of this for your records. You should also give these details to your landlord and leave a forwarding address for any final bills to be sent to. If you're in credit (you have paid too much) with your utility company when you leave, your utility company will arrange for you to receive a refund either by cheque or direct debit. If you're in debit (you have underpaid your utilities), you will need to arrange to make the final payment.
If you and your landlord dispute any damage or disrepair and your dispute goes to an independent adjudicator for review, your photos and inventory will be crucial. Try to make sure one of the tenants is available for a final check out with the landlord.
If your property has a garden, there's likely to be a clause in your contract which requires you to maintain that garden. It may ask you to keep the garden tidy, remove weeds and trim back hedges and bushes. Be sure to take photos of your work to include in your inventory so if any dispute with your landlord should occur, you have evidence.
It's easy to forget to clean the insides of appliances, but it could mean you lose money from your deposit if they're not to the same standard as when you moved in. Give them a good clean and take photos. Dispose of any food that you don’t plan to take with you, and if it's in date you could donate it to a local food bank.
There may be an agreement in your contract for one of your housemates to be the lead tenant. If this is the case, your landlord may pay all the deposit due to be returned to that housemate, and they will need to split the payment between the housemates. Keep in contact with your housemates to ensure any payments owing to you are paid promptly.
Make sure to leave your landlord your new address in case any mail continues to be delivered to your old address. Your landlord will be able to re-direct any bills or other post to your new address.
Our advice listed above gives you an overview of the most common things a person will need to do when leaving their rented accommodation. Check your contract to see if there are any specific arrangements that you have previously agreed to before you leave.