Students spend £580 million moving out each year

As the end of the academic year approaches, Britain's students are facing both exam anxiety and financial pressure, with new research from LOVESPACE revealing the hidden costs of moving out of university accommodation.

The national survey of 2000 students shows that it costs an average of £208 to leave student accommodation, with costs rising to nearly £299 among postgraduates. With 2.8 million students in the UK, this equates to an astonishing £580 million spent every year towards moving out.

In addition, 22% say they have paid rent on a property they are no longer living in, meaning thousands are being forced to pay for empty rooms they cannot afford to keep, highlighting a disconnect between tenancy structures and student needs.

The move-out process is driving significant avoidable waste because many students lack the space, transport or affordable storage needed to take their belongings home. As a result, one in three say they have thrown away usable items simply because moving them was too difficult. The items most often left behind or discarded are everyday essentials, with 46% of students throwing away food, followed by 33% disposing of decorations or home items, 30% kitchen equipment, 29% bedding and 26% clothing.

Students are not throwing items away out of carelessness, but because the move-out system makes it difficult to do otherwise. More than four in 10, 43%, say they do not have enough space to take their belongings home, while 37% say storage is too expensive and a further 37% cite a lack of access to transport.

The impact goes far beyond waste alone. More than a third of students, 36%, say moving out of accommodation has caused significant stress, while 32% report financial pressure linked to the process. More than one in three, 36%, also feel universities could do more to support students during move-out periods.

Despite these challenges, students are highly open to more practical and sustainable alternatives. Four in five, 80%, say they would use resale schemes if they were more widely available, while 78% would use donation schemes and 72% would use collection services.

When asked what support would help most, students pointed to affordable storage, more flexible tenancy dates, and clearer systems for donating or reselling unwanted items.

Namrata Jalan, a student in Bristol said:

"As an international student noving out of my student house used to be such a pain, but LOVESPACE made it effortless. I needed something simple that wouldn't break the bank, and I was shocked to see that their service actually costs less than my daily coffee! The staff were amazing and supportive, treating my stuff with proper care.

"They offer free collection right from your door, which is a lifesaver when you don't have a car. Plus, the flexibility is unbeatable. Since I'm moving to a different city for my placement, they can drop my items off at any UK address. It's the ultimate stress-free way to store your things."

Ann-Kristin Hartmann, CEO at LOVESPACE, said:

"These findings point to a wider need to rethink how student accommodation systems operate, particularly at key transition points such as move-out, where financial, logistical and environmental pressures all collide.

"Students are being forced into a situation where they are paying to leave their accommodation while also having to throw away things they would rather keep.

"There is a clear opportunity for universities and accommodation providers to rethink how moving out works. With the right support in place, from storage and transport through to donation and resale schemes, it is entirely possible to reduce both the financial pressure on students and the amount of waste created at the end of term."

For more information on LOVESPACE please visit https://lovespace.co.uk/

LOVESPACE
5th Floor, 167-169 Great Portland St, London W1W 5PF

LOVESPACE is a UK-based storage and removals company that offers a more flexible alternative to traditional self-storage. It collects items directly from customers' homes, stores them in secure facilities, and delivers them back to any UK address when needed.
Founded in 2011, the business has supported over 120,000 customers, helping with everything from moving home and student storage to everyday needs like decluttering, with a model built around convenience, flexibility and paying only for the space used.

This release was published on openPR.