Student move dates, Coventry and Warwick
Coventry has two universities with very different calendars. Coventry University starts in mid-September and runs in semesters or blocks; Warwick starts a fortnight later in three terms. Here are this year's dates and the weeks when vans get busy.
Coventry University, 2026 to 2027
Which calendar you follow depends on when you started.
Semester calendar
For undergraduates who enrolled before September 2026 and postgraduates who enrolled before September 2025.
- Semester 1: 14 September to 13 December 2026.
- Semester 2: 18 January to 18 April 2027.
- Semester 3: 17 May to 13 August 2027.
Block calendar
For undergraduates who enrolled from September 2026 and postgraduates from September 2025. The year runs in six blocks:
- Block 1: 14 September to 1 November 2026.
- Block 2: 2 November to 20 December 2026.
- Block 3: 18 January to 7 March 2027.
- Block 4: 8 March to 25 April 2027.
- Block 5: 17 May to 4 July 2027.
- Block 6: 5 July to 22 August 2027.
University of Warwick, 2026 to 2027
- Campus arrivals: Thursday 24 to Sunday 27 September 2026.
- Welcome week: 28 September to 4 October 2026.
- Autumn term: 5 October to 12 December 2026.
- Spring term: 11 January to 20 March 2027.
- Summer term: 26 April to 3 July 2027.
Warwick's dates are for undergraduate courses. Some courses start on other dates, so check your offer letter.
When the vans go fast
Mid-September and the end of September
Coventry University's year starts on 14 September and Warwick's arrivals run from 24 to 27 September, so there are two rushes about ten days apart. Shared houses in Earlsdon, Canley and Leamington change hands across both. Book a week or two ahead for those weekends.
Mid-December
Warwick's autumn term ends on 12 December and Coventry's first semester on 13 December, with block-calendar students carrying on to 20 December. If you're taking a room's worth home for Christmas, a weekday before your last week ends is easier to get than the weekend after.
Late June to August
Tenancies end over the summer, and Coventry University's later blocks run into August, so moves are spread out more than in September. The end of June and the first days of July are the busiest, when Warwick's summer term finishes and a lot of student tenancies end around the same time.
Halls, shared houses and parking
Many city-centre halls have a loading point or a short-stay space at the front; ask your accommodation office which one to use and when. Shared houses are a different matter. Students and houses in multiple occupation can't get Coventry visitor permits, so if the house is in a permit zone, look at the parking guide before booking.
How much van a student room needs
A single room with bags, boxes, a desk chair and bedding fits a Medium van. Two or three friends moving together, or anyone taking a bed frame and a desk, should look at a Large. Pack into bags and boxes you can carry on your own; loose things take longest to load.
Booking it
- Use the full postcode of your block, not the general postcode for the halls.
- Pick a loading time that allows for stairs. A third floor with no lift takes far longer than a ground-floor room with the same amount of stuff.
- If you won't be there, say who will be, and leave their number on the booking.
Dates from the Coventry University term dates page and the University of Warwick term dates page, checked 22 October 2026. Accommodation dates are set separately; check your own with your hall or landlord.
Your card is held, not charged, until the driver accepts. The rest is paid to him on the day.