Results are in, the place is confirmed, the room is (hopefully) booked. Between now and your first lecture sits a pile of small tasks that are easy individually and chaotic all at once. Here's the checklist, ordered by deadline, so September you can just… arrive.
Four Weeks Out: Paper and Payments
Right to Rent documents. Landlords must check these by law: passport, plus visa or share code if you're international. Have digital copies in a folder you can find at midnight.
Deposit and first payment. Know your exact move-in number: deposit plus first rent period plus any admin. At Nook the deposit is four weeks' rent — one full rent period — protected in a government-approved scheme; whoever you rent from, confirm which scheme in writing. How deposit protection works.
Proof of study. Your offer letter or CAS unlocks student bank accounts, council tax exemption and some guarantor-free bookings. Keep it with your passport copies.
Three Weeks Out: Money Plumbing
UK bank account. App-based banks approve most students in a day — do it before you fly, top up on arrival. You'll need it for the rent standing order.
Budget skeleton. London student maths in one line: all-in rent + £160–£190 transport + £250–£300 food + course costs. If your rent number doesn't include bills, add £100–£150/month and re-check it — what "bills included" really covers.
Council tax exemption. Full-time students are usually exempt, but in mixed households someone files paperwork. (In all-inclusive rooms it's already handled — one thing off the list.)
Two Weeks Out: The Physical Stuff
Pack for a furnished room, not an empty one. If your room comes with bed, wardrobe and desk — every Nook room does — you need clothes, documents, electronics, one set of bedding and almost nothing else. UK plug adapters and a decent coat outrank everything in the second suitcase.
Book the arrival window. Confirm key handover time in writing, get a human's phone number, and plan the airport-to-door route before jet lag makes decisions for you. The Elizabeth line has made most east and central London arrivals a single train.
The First 72 Hours
Day 1: photograph the room's condition (deposit evidence), test the WiFi, do the kettle introduction with whoever's home — our first-week playbook covers the rest.
Day 2: register with a GP near home or campus (free, takes minutes, everyone forgets), get your student Oyster/18+ photocard for a third off travel, and do one big first shop.
Day 3: walk your commute once before the first real morning. Find the quiet café, the late shop, the shortcut. That's the day London starts feeling like yours.
Still Room-Hunting?
If the room itself is the unticked box, move it to the top — September stock moves fast. The student housing guide covers your options, and Nook's September availability is bookable from abroad with a live video viewing.
