How Do I Move Out of an Apartment in NYC?

How Do I Move Out of an Apartment in NYC?

If you’re planning to move out of your NYC apartment, fear not! It’s true, moving can be a major hassle, especially in fast-paced New York City. And if you’re unaware of all you need to do, you face the risk of unneeded frustration, stress, and worse – possibly losing your hefty security deposit. But if you prepare and know what’s involved in a residential move-out, you won’t miss a beat. To successfully move out of your NYC apartment, follow these guidelines and your move should be a cakewalk:

1. Reread Your Lease Agreement

  • Re-read the move-out requirements that you agreed to when you signed your lease. 
  • Understand what kinds of charges can come out of your security deposit if you leave outstanding bills, overdue accounts, or unrepaired damage. 
  • Review the scheduling requirements for elevators, loading docks, parking, and more.
  • Be clear about the type of surface protection required for your building’s public areas. Do you need to lay masonite on the foyer floor? Do you need to protect halls and stairway walls?
  • Give appropriate notice to your landlord or super as specified in your lease. The typical requirement is 30 days written notice. What does your specific lease require?

2. Declutter and Purge

  • Ka-ching – it’ll cost you if you pack and move stuff you won’t use at your new place. Give serious consideration to things you simply don’t use. The rule of thumb is that if you haven’t used it in a year, move it on. It’s obvious but bears repeating – the less you have to pack, the easier and faster your move.
  • Donate, recycle, or sell your stuff online – either way it makes no sense to hold on to unused things. Find a charity of choice that will come and pick up your donations. Check out pickupplease.org for a variety of charities that pick up clothing donations in New York City. Also check out charity.lovetoknow.com for organizations that pick up furniture donations. Be sure to ask for a tax-deductible receipt.
  • Get out your tape measure and take measurements of the furniture to plan to take with you. Also measure your new space to make sure the two are comptable. You’ll definitely be frustrated if you pay to move your sectional only to find that it won’t fit in any of your new rooms without blocking a doorway or window.
  • Eat up as much food in your pantry and fridge as possible. For the time being, don’t be tempted to buy food just because it’s on sale. The cost of moving food is likely more than the miniscule savings.

3. Utilities and Services Notifications

  • Give each utility company sufficient time to close or transfer your account. Your water and trash may be included in your rent (be sure to verify in your lease), but make sure you notify other utility providers of your move. In addition to electricity and gas, don’t forget about cable/internet and landline. 
  • Determine your move-out date and keep electricity and other needed utilities on until the following morning. What could be worse than not having electricity for the air conditioner on a sweltering August moving day?
  • ConEdison makes it easy to move service to a new address, or stop your service in NYC.
  • If you have an employee who cleans for you, walks your dog, or provides another trusted service, be sure to give them sufficient notice of your move.

4. Change of Address and Moving Notifications

  • The easiest and fastest way to change your mailing address is online. Go to moversguide.usps.com and simply fill out the form.
  • Also, change your address on delivery accounts that bypass the US Postal Service such as Amazon, eBay, and other companies that you have online accounts with. 
  • Change banking, credit card, social security, insurance, and magazine subscriptions online as well. 

5. Gather Packing and Moving Supplies

  • The earlier you start packing, the easier and less stressful your move will be. But you can’t pack without having the appropriate sized boxes, packing paper, tape, and permanent marking pens, now can you? Take a look at these recommendations for the sizes and number of boxes you’ll need depending on the size of your apartment.
  • Will you need additional moving supplies like moving blankets and a dolly for your furniture and appliances, or protective materials for your building’s foyer, hallways, and stairways?
  • Plan ahead for how you’ll protect your furniture during the move. Are you going to put some things into storage? If so, avoid wrapping furniture or accessories in plastic because moisture can build up under the plastic, causing mold, mildew, and damage.
  • The internet is chock-full of great packing and moving hacks. Do a little research before you start organizing and packing – you’ll be glad you did!

6. Schedule a Pre-Inspection Walk-through with Your Landlord 

  • The idea here is to avoid any surprises. Most reasonable landlords understand that normal wear and tear is part of apartment life and take this into consideration. However, your idea of what constitutes damage may not jive with your landlord’s perspective. The pre-inspection allows you to end up on the same page so you can get your deposit returned.
  • If you have questions about potential repairs, this is the ideal time to discuss them with your landlord. 

7. Making the Necessary Repairs

  • If there are nail holes where your art collection once hung, fill them. If your chihuahua repeatedly scratched the bathroom door, you may need to sand and paint. Be clear about what your lease and landlord require in terms of repairs and fixes.
  • Allow plenty of time to schedule for repairs if you’re using a handyman, painting contractor, or other service to fix the damage. Good repair people get booked up quickly in NYC so allow plenty of time to get on their calendar. 

8. Clean Your Apartment

  • Leave no trace is a critical rule of thumb for campers and hikers, and it applies to NYC apartments as well. The cleaner and more sparkly you leave your apartment, the more likely you are to get your full deposit back. 
  • After everything is moved out, properly clean the entire apartment. Better yet, save yourself the stress, time, and energy of doing it yourself and schedule a cleaning service to come in right after you move out. A cleaning team has the training and experience to do the job in a fraction of the time it may take you.

9. Take Photos and Do the Final Walk-through with your Landlord

  • Once the apartment is clean and you’ve checked every drawer, shelf, corner, and nook for anything left behind, take photos to document the spaces. 
  • A photo is worth a thousand words if any type of discrepancy comes up between you and your landlord on the final walk-through. 
  • This is the step where you and your landlord or super will sign off on the lease agreement and your deposit will be processed. 

10. Hire Professional Movers

It’s pretty clear that the above steps will keep you plenty busy during your move. If you want to truly simplify the move-out process, hire a professional apartment moving company. Professional movers deal with the parking, lifting, transporting, and much more so you don’t have to. Imagine the stress that’s lifted from your shoulders when you make the decision to turn over your move-out to pros like The Movers NYC! 

Another perk to hiring professional movers is that you can select the specific moving services you want and need, from full packing and unpacking that allows you to completely skip step 5 above to moving a beloved piano with white glove care.

  • The Movers NYC can have you moved out in a matter of a few hours.
  • The Movers NYC is a fully bonded, insured, and licensed moving company that serves New York City and the Tri-State area. Why is this important? Your belongings are fully protected in case of unexpected surprises.
  • We provide a wide range of moving services that you can customize to fit your specific move-out needs. Just need your furniture moved? Are you faced with an emergency situation and have to move out tomorrow? Whatever your moving needs, we’re the experts who are happy to help!
  • Do you feel overwhelmed trying to figure out how to properly protect your building’s public areas? The Movers NYC have the materials and skill to manage this step in a flash so you don’t have to.
  • The Movers NYC offers affordable hourly rates for New York City moves. If you’re moving long distance, flat rates apply.
  • Whatever your moving out needs, we offer:

Ask for a free moving quote now and find out just how budget-friendly (and easy!) it can be to move out of your apartment with the experts – The Movers NYC!