Moving Out for University: The Ultimate College Apartment Checklist

Many college students who finish their freshman year decide they are done with dorm room life and ready for their first college apartment.

If you’ve never lived on your own before, preparing to move into your first apartment can feel exciting but overwhelming! You browse local apartment listings and sign a lease, but you aren’t sure you have everything you need to live off campus.

As your move-in day draws near, the following college apartment checklist will help you make sure your first apartment has all the essentials, from furniture to toilet paper.

College Apartment Essentials

When you were preparing to become a college student, you may have used a dorm checklist to get ready for campus life.

Living in an apartment is vastly different from a dorm room. Apartments offer more privacy (even if several people share the same apartment) but also demand more responsibility since you need to take care of your own food, utilities, and laundry services.

Keep reading for a complete list of all the key pieces you will need in your new place.

College Apartment Bathroom Necessities

Having your own bathroom is a major upgrade from having to share a bathroom with everyone down the hall. If you live with housemates, creative storage options can help make sure each one of you has a separate place to store your private belongings like a toothbrush, hair dryer, and body wash.

Other bathroom basics include:

• Shower curtain
• Toilet paper
• Bath towels
• Hand towels
• Toilet brush
• Laundry basket

If you have a private bathroom, you can safely ditch your shower shoes. However, many two- or three-bedroom apartments only have one bathroom. Sharing a bathroom with other people means you should take extra care to keep the place clean. Make sure you and your housemates are on the same page regarding cleaning duties and respecting each other’s belongings.

College Apartment Bedroom Needs

Your bedroom is the cozy sanctuary where you unwind at the end of a long day. Often, it is also the place where you keep most of your clothes, shoes, bedding, and other belongings. Little details, like extra storage containers, can help you stay organized and keep mess and clutter from taking over your room.

You will need the following bedroom essentials:

• A bed frame (platform or box spring)
• A quality mattress
• An ergonomic pillow
• Bedding (sheets, duvet cover, comforter, a light blanket, pillow cases, and pillows)
• Clothes hangers, shoe racks, and other storage solutions for your clothing

A college apartment bedroom often also serves as a study space. A fully equipped study nook will include a desk, a computer chair, and shelves to keep all your learning materials.

College Apartment Kitchen Essentials

Having your own kitchen makes you independent from the on-campus dining hall and allows you to hone your food prep skills. Cooking from scratch is also much healthier, and usually more economical, than relying on fast food.

To achieve a functional kitchen, make sure your college apartment checklist includes:

• Table and chairs or bar stools
• Refrigerator
• Cooking utensils (like pots and a frying pan)
• Paper towels
• Dishes, silverware, drinking glasses
• Kitchen tools (paring knives, peelers, spatulas, etc.)
• Appliances like a blender, coffeemaker, and food processor

A dishwasher is a major time-saver for busy students. If your college apartment doesn’t have a dishwasher, stock up on dish soap, scrubbing pads, and dishwashing gloves.

All the Essentials for Your Living Room

Your living room is the place where you hang out with friends, watch your favorite TV shows, or just wind down and relax. If you share an apartment with other people, the living room may also become the communal living space where you hang out.

The living room section of your first college apartment checklist should include items like:

• A couch
• Cozy chairs, pouffes, or other seating options
• A TV stand
• Floor lamps
• End tables
• A coffee table

Before you splurge on furniture, remember that you’ll likely move out in a couple of years. You can usually find excellent prices on gently used furniture and home decor, including couches, rugs, coffee tables, and more.

Checking the Furniture

If you find a partially or fully furnished apartment, it can save you a lot of time and hassle. However, before you sign a lease, check (and document!) the following:

• Any scratches, dents, broken parts, or signs of wear and tear
• Bed bugs
• Woodboring insects

Notify your landlord about any existing damage or pests so they can resolve these problems before you move in. Document any damaged furniture to prove that the harm didn’t occur during your lease term.

Finding a Good Desk

A quality desk is the cornerstone of a productive study space. You’ll spend many long nights at that desk, so make sure it answers your needs.

Your college apartment checklist should include a good desk that:

• Accommodates all your study equipment
• Fits into your available space
• Supports your arms and wrists and provides enough legroom

If possible, consider a height adjustable desk that allows you to switch between seated and standing positions. Check out local second-hand furniture listings to find a quality desk at a fraction of a new one’s price.

Checking the Electrical and Electronic Systems

Before you move off campus, make sure all electrical systems at your new apartment are working properly. You don’t want to risk a fire or experience a power outage when you’re studying for an important exam.

Include the following tech and electronic items on your college apartment checklist:

• Extension cords
• TV
• Wi-Fi router
• Smart speaker like Google Home or Alexa
• Surge protectors for your more expensive devices, like a laptop, TV, or refrigerator

You may already own some of these items, but in case you don’t, look for sales, preferably a while before you move. Also, keep in mind that extension cords are unsafe with high-capacity appliances like refrigerators, washing machines, and air conditioners.

Styling Your Room

To make your apartment cozy and inviting, you’ll need to move beyond practical essentials on your college apartment checklist. The place where you live should reflect your personality. Of course, if you share your college apartment with other people, you may have to limit your styling efforts to your room, or make sure any home decor you introduce to communal areas fits everyone’s tastes.

Your apartment will feel more like home with items like:

• Throw blankets
• Couch pillows
• Lampshades
• Wall art
• Area rugs
• Decorative lighting

You can style your living space without spending a lot of money or settling on generic items from IKEA. Thrift stores, vintage shops, garage sales, Craigslist, and eBay can be a treasure trove of budget decor items.

Your landlord may also let you repaint the walls.

Keep in mind that apartments often have space constraints. To prevent your decor from turning into clutter, limit the number of purely decorative items and focus on details that offer both function and style, like storage baskets.

Cleaning Kit

To keep your apartment in tip top shape, you’ll need the full list of cleaning essentials. Stock your new place with:

• Broom and dustpan
• Bucket and mop
• Microfiber cloths
• Vacuum cleaner
• Squeegee
• Bathroom cleaning supplies
• Cleaning solutions like an all-purpose cleaner, glass cleaner, antibacterial spray, and good old-fashioned bleach
• Cleaning wipes
• Heavy-duty rubber gloves

If your apartment includes a washing machine and dryer, you’ll also need laundry detergent, mesh laundry bags, and other related supplies.

Above all, if you’re living with other people, you’ll need to divide cleaning responsibilities to make sure you cover every area in the apartment regularly. A dry erase board is useful for allocating cleaning tasks in an easily visible way.

Checking Apartment Safety Equipment

To prepare for any emergency, make sure your college apartment checklist includes all the safety essentials, such as:

• Smoke alarm
• Fire extinguisher
• Deadbolt locks on all outside doors
• A first aid kit that contains adhesive bandages, absorbent compress dressings, gauze roll, first aid glue, and other must-haves for unpredictable situations
• An emergency contact list that may include your physician, the local hospital, a poison control center, and primary family members of each of you

Depending on your location and the building’s policy, you may also consider installing a security camera in the apartment. Using a Wi-Fi camera, which doesn’t require hard-wiring, will prevent any structural damage and disputes with your landlord.

We hope this college apartment checklist helps you get every essential component on your pre-move shopping list. Above all, enjoy the excitement of moving into your own place and don’t worry if you overlook a few items. You can always purchase another floor lamp or a better shower curtain.

Too Much to Pack for Your First College Apartment? Consider Donating Excess Items

As you go through your first college apartment checklist, you may realize that you need to pare down your belongings to live off-campus. Easy Donation Pickup can help you donate your clothing, household goods, sporting equipment, and more, to American veterans in Los Angeles and Orange County, CA. Contact us to learn more and schedule your pickup.