Quick answerStart with your lease’s notice deadline and written approval for the new home. Give notice in writing, schedule utilities to avoid gaps, document both units with photos, update your address with USPS, benefits programs, and every housing waitlist, and get your forwarding address to your old landlord for the deposit. If you have a voucher, coordinate with your housing agency before giving notice.
On this page
6–8 weeks before
- Confirm your new home is approved and get the lease in writing
- Check your current lease’s notice requirement and end date
- Voucher holders: contact your housing agency first (see portability or using your voucher)
- Budget moving costs; apply for help if needed (see moving cost assistance)
- Get moving quotes or reserve a truck
4 weeks before
- Give written notice to your current landlord
- Schedule a pre-move-out inspection if your state allows
- Schedule utility start dates at the new home and stop dates at the old one
- Set up internet
- Arrange childcare, pet care, and time off for moving day
2 weeks before
- File a USPS change of address
- Update your address with employer, banks, insurance, DMV, and voter registration
- Update benefits (SNAP, Medicaid, SSA, unemployment)
- Update every housing waitlist separately
- Refill prescriptions
- Begin packing and donating
Move-out day
- Clean thoroughly
- Photograph and video every room
- Return all keys and get written acknowledgment
- Give your forwarding address in writing
- Take final meter readings photos
Move-in day
- Walk through with the landlord; complete the move-in checklist
- Photograph and video every room before unpacking
- Test smoke and CO alarms, locks, appliances, heat, and water
- Note existing damage in writing and send it to the landlord
First month
- Get renters insurance
- Set up rent payments with receipts
- Submit repair requests in writing
- Track your deposit return deadline from the old unit (see deposit laws)
- Register children for school and update records
Packing smart
- Pack an essentials box: medications, documents, chargers, toiletries, a change of clothes, snacks, basic tools, toilet paper, and cleaning supplies.
- Keep important documents with you: IDs, Social Security cards, birth certificates, lease, voucher paperwork, and benefit letters.
- Label boxes by room and contents.
- Take photos of electronics setups before disconnecting.
Protecting your deposit at move-out
| Area | What landlords check |
|---|---|
| Kitchen | Inside oven, fridge, and cabinets; grease on stove hood |
| Bathroom | Tub, toilet, sink, mold on caulk |
| Floors | Stains, scratches, debris |
| Walls | Large holes, marks (small nail holes are usually normal wear) |
| Fixtures | Missing bulbs, broken blinds, smoke alarm present |
| Outside | Trash removed, balcony/patio clear |
Take time-stamped photos and video after cleaning, and ask the landlord for a walkthrough. See security deposit rights.
Utilities timing
- Schedule service to start at the new home the day before you move in.
- Schedule service to stop at the old home the day after you return keys.
- Photograph meter readings at both addresses.
- Transfer accounts when possible to avoid new deposits.
Address change list
- USPS change of address
- Employer and payroll
- Banks and credit cards
- DMV (license and vehicle registration)
- Voter registration
- Health insurance, doctors, pharmacy
- SNAP, Medicaid, SSA, unemployment, and other benefits
- Every housing waitlist and your housing agency
- Schools and childcare
- Subscriptions and online retailers
If you’re moving because of an eviction or crisis
Focus first on a safe place to stay, your documents, and medications. Ask 211 about storage help and emergency moving assistance, and keep court paperwork with you. See facing eviction.
Frequently asked questions
How much notice do I need to give?
Whatever your lease and state law require—often 30 days for month-to-month tenancies and sometimes 60 days or more for leases. Give written notice and keep proof.
How do I avoid moving company scams?
Get written estimates, check interstate movers’ USDOT numbers with FMCSA, avoid large deposits, and be wary of estimates far below others.
Sources and verification
Use these sources to check program rules. Funding, openings, and local procedures must be confirmed with the agency handling your application.
- Change your addressUSAGov
- Protect yourself when movingFederal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
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