UCI Move-Out Guide: What to Do With Furniture and Junk

Every June, thousands of UC Irvine students pack up at once. Mini fridges, futons, desk chairs and bags of stuff suddenly need a new home. If you’re planning your UCI move out, a little planning keeps you from paying fees or leaving a mess behind.

UCI Move Out From Campus Housing

UCI’s undergraduate housing move-out page sets the official move-out date and time each year, usually in mid-June. Rooms must be emptied of personal items and cleaned, and charges for problems can be added to your student account. So check the current date and checklist early.

Also, don’t assume leftover items will just disappear. According to UCI Housing, items left behind are held for a limited time and then sent to lost and found, and fees can apply for improper checkout.

Use the Move Out Donation Drive

UCI Housing lists a Move Out Donation Drive with bins in the residential communities. Clothing, bedding and other usable items can go there instead of the trash. As a result, you lighten your load and help someone else at the same time.

UCI Move Out From an Off-Campus Apartment

Many students live in apartments around Irvine. In that case, your lease and property manager set the rules. Before you leave, ask how they handle bulky items like couches and mattresses, and whether leftover furniture leads to charges from your deposit.

Irvine’s trash hauler offers bulky item pickup for residents, but apartment communities often handle it through management. Therefore, confirm the process a few weeks ahead, because June is busy for everyone.

What to Do With Common Dorm and Apartment Items

• Mini fridges and microwaves: sell or give away working ones. Otherwise, recycle them, since they don’t belong in the trash.
• Futons, desks and chairs: post them for incoming students or donate them if they’re in good shape.
• Mattresses: check your lease first. Most donation centers don’t accept used mattresses.
• Electronics: Orange County’s household hazardous waste centers take e-waste for free.
• Everything else: bag it and follow your building’s trash rules.

Plan Your UCI Move Out Early

Start sorting two weeks before move-out day. First, sell or give away what you can. Then donate usable items, and finally schedule removal for anything left. That way, you won’t be stuck carrying a futon to the dumpster at the last minute.