How to protect your belongings in student accommodation
Regardless if you arrive at uni with minimal luggage or you basically decamp your entire bedroom to your new student accommodation, you’ll likely want the assurance that your items are as protected as possible.
Having the peace of mind that your belongings are safe and secure in your new living space means you can get on with studying, socialising and everything else that student life has in store. In this blog, we look at easy steps you can take to protect your valuables so you can carry on with the fun stuff.
1. Get insurance
Probably the biggest move you can make to safeguard your stuff is getting contents insurance. If you’re living in a student house or flat, look into your options for renters’ insurance so you can protect your valuables during your stay. Luckily at Student Roost, contents insurance is included in your rent; find out what is and what isn’t covered, access your policy documents, access support and more when you confirm your cover online at My Endsleigh.
2. Lock up
Leaving for class or a big night out? Make sure you lock windows and doors. It can be easy to forget if you’re in a rush or you’ve had pre-drinks, but try not to forget this important tip as doing so could also invalidate your insurance depending on your policy. In Student Roost properties, you can access your room (and flat corridor if you share one) with your own unique key card, so one less thing to worry about!
3. Make it safe
Even if you’re vigilant about security, you may want to take extra steps to protect your most valuable belongings. Whether it’s high value items like tech or jewellery or sentimental things like that teddy your brother got you for your 18th birthday, investing in a small safe that you can store in your room is a good idea.
4. Back up and track
Often with laptops and smartphones, it’s what’s stored in the devices that’s as valuable (or more so) than the items themselves. So, take steps to back up any important essays, coursework or even that all-important dissertation on to physical external hard drives or in the cloud – not forgetting photos of all those epic nights out! Download smart tracking apps too to help you recover your tech if it does get misplaced or stolen.
5. Label your stuff
Sometimes honest mistakes happen, especially if you’re sharing a student house or flat. Your house or flatmates might own some of the same items as you, and if you’re sharing living spaces or a kitchen then something that belongs to you may do a disappearing act without there being ill intent behind it. Labelling your things might feel a little OTT or even passive-aggressive, but it’s a good way to avoid misunderstandings and if you’re upfront about why you’re doing it, then your housemates will get it and may even get on board too.
6. Know thy neighbour
If you’re in a residential area in a student house, then greeting your neighbours and forming a bit of a relationship could benefit you in the long-run. They can keep an eye out when you and your housemates are on a night out or away for summer, and report anything suspicious. In other types of student accommodation, building that sense of community within your own flat or other people on your floor could be similarly helpful.
7. Research the area
Not chosen your accommodation for university yet? Location is obviously a key factor, along with safety and security. Consider where you’ll be staying, the support available onsite, how far it is away from uni, your transport options, etc. It will all help to build a picture of how safe your personal belongings and, more importantly, you will be when you make the move.
We hope this blog has helped you to think about some methods of protecting your belongings in student accommodation and preventing scenarios that will get in the way of you having the best uni experience. At Student Roost, your wellbeing is our priority which is why – among other things – we offer 24/7 support onsite, as well as secure room and property access. For all things wellbeing, check out our Wellbeing hub.
