Apartment moving checklist

Four weeks out — the building

Ask the leasing office these four questions

Almost every apartment move that goes wrong goes wrong here, not with the furniture. Ask both buildings — the one you are leaving and the one you are arriving at — and write the answers down.

• Is there a move window? Many buildings only permit moves on weekdays, or between fixed hours, or not at all on Sundays. This single answer can invalidate your chosen date.
• Does the lift need reserving? If so, book it the moment you have a date. An unreserved lift shared with residents is slower than stairs.
• Do you require a certificate of insurance from the mover? Very common, and the most frequent reason a crew is turned away at the door. It takes a mover minutes to issue and days to chase if you ask on the morning. We supply them on request.
• Where can the truck park? A loading bay, a fire lane you must not block, a visitor space that needs a permit, or the street. Tell your mover the answer.

Also worth asking: is there a move-in fee or a refundable deposit, and does anything need protecting — lift pads, floor coverings in the lobby?

Four weeks out — the lease

Read the end of your tenancy properly

• Confirm the exact date and time your access ends. Leases often end at noon, not at midnight.
• Check the notice period you have already given, and that it was accepted in writing.
• Find the move-out condition requirements. Some require professional cleaning, some require carpets shampooed, some require holes filled and touched up.
• Book the move-out inspection if one is required, ideally after the movers have gone and before you hand back keys.
• Photograph everything once the flat is empty. Every room, every wall, the appliances, the floors. This is your deposit.

Three to two weeks out

Pack, and measure the awkward things

• Measure the lift. Interior depth, width and door height. A three-seat sofa or a large mattress that will not fit means stairs, and you want to know that now rather than on the landing.
• Measure your own doorways at the new place, particularly the turn out of any hallway.
• Pack room by room, label by destination room, and tape the bottom of every box in both directions.
• Deal with anything that cannot go on the truck — see what movers won't move. Aerosols and cleaning chemicals are the usual apartment offenders.
• Arrange parking permits if the street requires one. In Philadelphia this needs filing well in advance.

One week out

Confirm everything you were told a month ago

Buildings change staff and forget bookings. A five-minute call now prevents the most expensive kind of surprise.

• Re-confirm the move window and the lift reservation, at both buildings.
• Confirm the certificate of insurance was received and accepted.
• Confirm the arrival window with your mover.
• Set up utilities at the new place, and find out whether internet needs an engineer visit — in apartment buildings it often does.
• Pack an essentials bag that travels with you, not on the truck.

Moving day

Protect the deposit as well as the furniture

• Be there when the crew arrives and walk them through. Point out anything already damaged so it goes on the paperwork.
• Prop nothing. Fire doors wedged open are a common way to attract a fine from building management.
• Keep the lobby and corridor clear. Other residents live there and complaints go to your landlord.
• Do a final sweep — balcony, storage cage, mailbox, laundry room, the cupboard above the wardrobe.
• Photograph the empty flat before you hand back the keys.
• Return every key, fob and garage remote, and get a receipt for them.

After

Close it out

• Submit your forwarding address to the old building in writing.
• Chase the deposit if it has not appeared within the period your lease specifies.
• Check for damage to your own things while it is fresh, and report anything to the mover straight away.
• Register for parking, bin collection or amenity access at the new building.