If you’re a University of Bath student moving out for the summer, you have four real options: stay on with a summer casual let, leave things with family, use a box-collection service, or take a self storage unit. A unit suits you if you have furniture or a lot of boxes, or want to reach your things during the vacation. Wigwam Bath, on London Road, has a two-week minimum and access from 6am to 10pm, seven days a week.
Term ends, and the room has to be empty by a date that felt miles away until suddenly it isn’t. Exams are barely over, and there’s a second question nobody scheduled time for: where does everything go for the next ten or fourteen weeks?
Pick your situation:
- My contract or a casual let covers the summer
- I’ve got a few boxes and no van
- I’ve got furniture, or I want to reach my things over summer
- I’m a parent checking it’s safe
What the university offers
The University of Bath’s moving-out guidance doesn’t describe a storage service for students’ belongings between terms. What it does offer is worth knowing about:
- Summer casual lets. The university offers summer casual let bookings, so you may be able to stay on in a room and keep your things where they are. Availability is by enquiry.
- A year-round place for some students. Care leavers, estranged students and students with refugee status are guaranteed a place in university accommodation “for 365 days a year for the duration of your course”, including the vacations.
If either applies to you, the question may already be answered.
One warning for moving-out day. The university asks students to clear communal areas. If you leave anything behind, it will email you, then “dispose of it after five days if not collected”. Don’t leave things in a shared kitchen and hope.
The four options, side by side
| Option | Best for | Can you reach your things? | Commitment | Who moves it |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stay on with a summer casual let | Your plans keep you in Bath | Yes, it’s your room | The let period | Nobody |
| Family or friends | A few boxes and a trusted spare room | Depends on them | Informal | You |
| Box-collection service | A suitcase and a few boxes, no van | No, it’s held off-site until redelivered | Usually a fixed package | The provider |
| A unit at Wigwam Bath | Furniture, lots of boxes, or wanting access over summer | Yes, 6am to 10pm, seven days a week | Two-week minimum, then notice (normally 14 days) | You, or a housemate or parent |
A few boxes: box collection
If you’ve only got a suitcase and some boxes and no way to move them, a box-collection service is the low-effort choice: they collect from your accommodation, hold everything off-site, and bring it back when you ask. The catch is access. You can’t get to anything until it’s redelivered, and packages are usually booked for a set length, so check what happens if your plans change. Prices and terms are each provider’s own, so check them directly. For the numbers side, our low-cost guide to student storage in Bath compares a unit with the cost of keeping a room.
Furniture, or mid-vacation access: a unit in Bath
A unit is the better fit once you have furniture, a lot of boxes, or a reason to reach something during the vacation: a charger, interview clothes, the thing you didn’t think you’d need.
Short and flexible. The minimum stay is two weeks. After that your storage carries on until you give notice, normally 14 days, and we refund any days you’ve paid for but don’t use once the unit is empty. If a summer job or an early move-in changes your dates, you change your end date. If you know when you’re back, you can give notice on the day you sign up. Our FAQ on booking around term dates explains how, including reserving a unit ahead for £10.
Access. You let yourself in with smart entry from 6am to 10pm, seven days a week, which leaves room around exams, shifts and late trains.
Someone to talk to. The Bath office is open Monday to Friday 8:30am to 5pm and Saturday 9am to 3pm, and you can call us on 0800 2545585.
Getting there. The site is at 4 York Place, London Road, Bath BA1 6AE, with free on-site parking, so you’re not carrying boxes from a distant space.
Size. For a student room, a locker or one of the smaller units is often enough; furniture or a shared house needs more. Our FAQ on what student storage costs covers sizes and October 2026 prices, and your quote shows any offer running at Bath.
Security and cover
Your unit has its own alarm and lock, set when you lock up, and our sites are watched by CCTV monitored around the clock by a professional monitoring company. Everything stored needs contents cover: either our contents protection, or a policy of your own, such as your family’s home insurance, if it covers belongings in self storage. Our insurance FAQ explains both.
If a parent is booking, they can share access with you through smart entry, so you can drop off and collect your things yourself. Our guide for parents, booking student storage without the student, covers the rest.
What to do next
If a casual let covers you, you’re sorted. A few boxes and no van points to box collection. Furniture, volume or wanting access over summer points to a unit: get a price online for Bath, or call 0800 2545585. Our student storage page has the rest, and our locations page lists our other sites if you’d rather store near home.
Questions students ask
Does the University of Bath offer student storage?
Its moving-out guidance doesn’t describe a storage service between terms. It offers summer casual lets, and a year-round place for care leavers, estranged students and students with refugee status.
How much notice do I need to give?
Notice is normally 14 days, after a two-week minimum stay, and you can give it on the day you sign up if you know your dates.
Can I get to my unit over the holidays?
Yes, from 6am to 10pm, seven days a week, throughout the vacation.
Is my stuff covered while it’s stored?
It needs to be: our contents protection, or your own policy if it covers belongings in self storage. Check your family’s home insurance first.
Related questions
- Can I book student storage around term dates?
- How much does student storage cost?
- Can I share access to my storage unit?
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