The great 2026 exodus of Leeds students took place this last week as tenancies came to an end for the school year.
Thousands of students were urged to “remain respectful” as Leeds City Council joined forces with the city's universities, landlords and student housing charity Unipol to help manage the busy moving period, with extra support aimed at reducing noise, fly-tipping and waste in student areas.
Many student tenancies ended on Tuesday (June 30), and students were encouraged to donate, recycle or responsibly dispose of unwanted items rather than leaving rubbish on the streets.
Last year, more than 45 tonnes of reusable goods were collected and redistributed through local charities, while food donations were also made to community organisations, the council said.
However, in other years there have been major concerns raised about the scale of rubbish left in the streets of student-friendly areas like Headingley, Hyde Park and Woodhouse.
Our photographer was out to capture students using moving vans, trollies, and anything they could to make sure they were out by the deadline.
7. 'Most popular student cities'
Leeds City Council’s deputy Leader, James Gibson, said: “Leeds is very proud to be one of the biggest and most popular student cities in the country, and we are pleased to again be working with universities, landlords and agents to help support students leaving or changing their accommodation this summer. | Gerard Binks
8. 'Celebrate safely'
“We’d just ask that students remain respectful of their neighbours and the wider community. We’re encouraging everyone to celebrate safely and responsibly, with no behaviour that causes disturbance or inconvenience to others." | Gerard Binks
9. 'No excuse'
“There can be no excuse for waste being dumped on the street or in public spaces. Moving on in a responsible and positive way is the key message for all." | Gerard Ninks
10. Information page
Unipol launched its annual ‘moving out’ webpage to offer information on how to donate, recycle or dispose of unwanted items, with maps of donation bank locations. | Gerard Binks
11. Landlords reminded
The council contacted landlords and lettings agents to remind them of their responsibilities to ensure their tenants dispose of their waste legally. | Gerard Binks
12. 'A challenging period'
Lucy Hart, the incoming Union Affairs and Community Officer at Leeds University Union, added: “Changeover is a challenging period for students, particularly when there is no crossover period from one property to the other." | Gerard Binks