Vacation accommodation

Leaving dates

• Becket Court and Keynes College (Blocks F, G, H, and I) students must depart by 10am on Saturday 6 April 2024 and can return from Saturday 4 May 2024.

If you are required to move out you will not be able to access your rooms during the vacation period, and you need to vacate your room and make arrangements to remove all your belongings for this period. Keep reading below for local storage and shipping companies.

If you live in self-catered accommodation, or Rutherford and Eliot College, you can stay in your accommodation throughout the spring break as this is included in your accommodation contract.  

Check our advice about what you need to do before leaving your accommodation for the vacation.

Vacation accommodation

If you live in Becket Court or Keynes College (Blocks F,G, H and I) and would like to stay on campus over the break you will need to book vacation accommodation online by Friday 29 March 2024.

Spring vacation accommodation will be available in Darwin College and can only be booked for the whole four-week period, running from Saturday 6 April, 10am - Saturday 4 May 2024, with the last bookable night being Friday 3 May 2024. Spring accommodation is not available for partial dates. Vacation accommodation is offered at the rate of £533.12 (equivalent of £19.04 per night). 

Due to high demand, we will be offering en-suite room options once our standard room allocation has been reached. En-suite rooms will be bookable from £31.53 per night. 

All reception, maintenance and security services are in operation during the spring break, please note catering is not included for vacation accommodation, as your current meal plan only operates during term times. During the spring vacation, you will have access to a full kitchen within for this period although cooking equipment will not be provided.

You can collect your key from the accommodation's reception from 2pm on Friday 5 April and return your term-time key to your current college reception by 10am on Saturday 6 April. Further information will be sent to you from the Conference Office upon booking. 

Please check back in May when information about Summer vacation accommodation, including how to book and facilities, will be available here.   

Please check back in November when information about winter vacation accommodation, including how to book and facilities, will be available here. 

We are pleased to be able to offer you exam accommodation on the Canterbury campus this year. 

Saturday 4 May to Saturday 15 June 2024

Bed and Flex accommodation is available in Keynes College. These rooms are single en-suites and include bed linen and towels. 

Bed and flex: Students will be issued a £12 daily credit to spend on food and drink which can be used in 7 of the Kent-run catering outlets on the Canterbury campus. The £12 credit renews each day. Any unused balance from the previous day cannot be refunded or carried over to the next.

Rooms cost £50 per night or you can take advantage of a discounted rate of £45 per night when booking 3 consecutive nights. Please note the last bookable night is Friday 14 June 2024 and there is no maximum length of stay.

To book online use the promotional code: EXAMSTUDY24

Have a guest coming to visit? University guest accommodation is ideal for when you have friends or family visiting who want to stay on our Canterbury campus for the duration of their visit.    

You can check room availability and book online in advance with special discounts for repeat bookers or long stays.

Whether you're looking to store your belongings for one of the vacation periods or planning to get some extra cases shipped home before you arrive, there are lots of external services available that can help. Additionally, you can also authorise a friend to pack belongings on your behalf using the procedures below.

Some local companies offering storage facilities include:

• Lock & Leave Self Storage email Canterbury@armadillostorage.co.uk - or call +44 (0)1227 470700
  
• Student Move & Store - contact Steven Brazier, +44 (0)1227 272170 or +44 (0)7788 501998
• All Van Services Canterbury All Van services  +44 (0)7999 446 400

National and international companies offering a range of packing, storage and shipping services:

• One Stop Worldwide
• Seven Seas Worldwide

Please note that the University does not accept any liability or responsibility for any of the services provided by these companies.

If you have already left and are unable to return to remove your personal possessions yourself from your accommodation, you can authorise another University of Kent student or a third-party company to pack and remove your belongings on your behalf. 

To arrange this you would need to email the Accommodation Office with at least 3 working days notice. In the email you should include:

• Your name 
• Your student number
• Your campus address 
• Your contact number
• Name of your friend or company
• Their student number if applicable
• A contact number for them
• The date they are coming.

Whether you're leaving for a short period, vacation or at the end of the year, there are a few things you need to do before you go.

Always

• Remove all rubbish from your accommodation, kitchen and bins. Please recycle responsibly and to check where your nearest bin store is.
• Turn off all electrical items and lights (but not the fridge!) 
• Dispose of, or take with you, any perishable foods.  Permanent donation points are located at the Mandela building and Kent Union building (Woody's) at Park Wood for tinned or dried foods if you wish to donate these to the Union food bank.
• Collect any mail/parcels from your letterbox/reception.
• Close your windows, leaving the vent open.
• Check that all your doors are locked before you leave.
• Take any valuable/important items with you or lock them in your room if you're not required to remove your belongings.

If you live in part-catered accommodation and are leaving for a vacation period, you will also need to return your keys or fob to reception. You can use your reception's drop box if you are leaving out of hours. (Becket Court and Keynes College residents leaving for spring vacation also need to follow the below steps).

At the end of your contract or if you are leaving early

In addition to the above, we also ask that when leaving at the end of the year (or moving out of Becket Court or Keynes College for the spring vacation) that you:

• Pack/remove all belongings by 10am on your move-out date as we are unable to store any items on campus. If you need to store or ship items there are a number of local and national companies that provide this service. Plus, you can donate unwanted items including clothes, electrical items and books by donating to Kent Union's STUFF, placing items in the British Heart Foundation banks in various locations across campus - see our bins and recycling map for your nearest location. 
  
• Be careful not to cause any damage when removing items as you may be charged for the repair. For example paint damage caused by removing adhesive LED light strips.
• Return your keys or fob to reception before you leave. You can use your reception's drop box if you are leaving out of hours or if the reception is closed.
• Dispose, donate or take with you all your food. Perishable items should be disposed of and not left anywhere in the accommodation. Any dried or tinned food that you don't need can be donated to help feed others. Permanent donation points are located at the Mandela building and Kent Union building (Woody's) at Park Wood.
  
• Update your postal address. It is important to update your address and notify anyone/any companies who send you letters or parcels (including your bank, phone company and any online stores who have saved your preferred delivery address) so that all your mail still reaches you after you have moved out. This is true even if you are returning to campus accommodation next year, as we cannot accept or forward on parcels for students not currently in residence. Read the Post Office's guidelines on mail redirection.
• If you are departing earlier than the original contract end date you will need to complete an Application for an Early Termination of the Agreement including details to your circumstances. Please note, completing the form doesn't mean your accommodation agreement will be ended early. Please see the information about early departure eligibility in your Accommodation T&Cs, Accommodation Handbook or our FAQS.