What to Do When You’re Moving into a Rental Unit – Tips from the Movers NYC Trusts Most

If you’re moving into a new rental unit, you’re probably excited about your new home, maybe your new neighborhood or community, and settling into your new space. Most of us don’t enter a new lease agreement thinking about the ways landlords can throw a wrench in the works. But there are several precautions you should take when moving into a new rental unit that can save you time and money later on. Whether you’re renting an apartment, a room, or a house, whether your lease is short or long term, these are the best tips from the movers NYC trusts on how to move into your new rental. 

Before move in: get your utilities set up. This is an important step not just to make sure that your utilities are on when you move in, but also to make sure that the property is assigned to your name on the right day. You should alert each utility company to the appropriate day when you will take possession of the rental, and make sure the utility account does not remain in the name of the previous tenant.

At move in: organize a walk through. The day you take possession of your rental unit is important. You should organize a walk-through of the unit with your landlord or property manager, on the day you take possession if possible. Go through the unit one square foot at a time, looking for scratches, stains, and signs of wear on walls, floors, appliances, windows, etc. Take notes of anything you see that is damaged, and ask your landlord to sign and date the notes.

At move in: document the unit. After your walk through and before you actually move anything into the space, take several photographs of each space in your rental unit. You should take particularly careful photos of appliances, the kitchen, and the bathroom, as well as any areas where you noted damage during your walk-through. The movers NYC uses most are used to rental tenants needing to take this step, and will happily give you a few moments to take these before starting your move-in process.

After move in: keep good records. If you’re paying a landlord by writing a check, make sure to keep copies of the cashed checks from your bank account. If you’re paying online, download a copy of your payment receipts and keep them on your hard drive. Be able to prove that you’ve paid on time, every month.

If you’re getting ready to move into a new rental unit, get in touch with the movers NYC trusts most. The experts at Hall Lane are here to help you with packing, moving, unpacking, furniture set up, and more. Contact us today to get started with your free quote.