Emergency Kit for Students and Flats (UK)
A compact UK emergency kit for students, renters and small flats: what to keep when space is tight, plus your landlord’s safety duties.
You don’t need a garage full of supplies to be ready for 3 days. A compact kit fits in a box under the bed or a cupboard shelf, and covers what GOV.UK recommends for most emergencies in a flat or shared house.
Based on official GOV.UK Be Ready guidance.
A compact 3-day kit
- Water: a 6 pack of 2 litre bottles is 12 litres, more than 3 days for one person. Add purification tablets if space is tight.
- Food: a few tins with ring-pulls, cereal bars, nuts and dried fruit.
- A head torch and spare batteries. They take up less space than a torch and leave your hands free.
- A charged power bank for your phone.
- A small battery or wind-up radio.
- A compact first aid kit and any medication you need.
- Foil blankets and a warm layer in case the heating goes off.
- Hand sanitiser, wet wipes and a toilet roll.
- Some cash, and a few key phone numbers written down.
Fire safety in flats and halls
- Know your building’s fire procedure and where the exits are. In many blocks the advice is to stay put unless your flat is affected, so check what applies to yours.
- In England, landlords must fit a smoke alarm on every storey and a carbon monoxide alarm in rooms with a fixed fuel-burning appliance such as a gas boiler. Test yours and report faults.
- Never leave cooking unattended, and don’t charge e-bikes or e-scooters overnight or in escape routes.
In a shared house
- Share contact details and agree who checks on whom.
- Keep a shared stash of water, a torch and a radio in a known place.
- Know where the stopcock and fuse box are.
Frequently asked questions
What should students have in an emergency kit?
Water, a few days of no-cook food, a head torch, power bank, small radio, first aid kit, medication, a warm layer, hand sanitiser, some cash and key phone numbers on paper.
Does my landlord have to provide a smoke alarm?
In England, private landlords must fit a smoke alarm on every storey and a carbon monoxide alarm in rooms with a fixed combustion appliance, and repair them when told they are faulty.
How do I store emergency supplies in a small flat?
Use a single box under the bed or in a cupboard. A head torch, power bank and 12 litres of bottled water cover most of the essentials for one person.
If anyone is in immediate danger, call 999.