Moving In New York City

Moving into a new apartment can be really exciting. A new life awaits, with new possibilities, and new adventures. It can also be exceptionally taxing; financially, emotionally, and physically, especially if you are handling the move yourself. Unfortunately, this is a time when you are at your most vulnerable if you aren’t prepared. Dodgy moving companies, ticket and tow happy traffic wardens, and building managers that won’t let you unload your belongings or use the elevators will conspire to make your moving day hell. But, with some advanced planning and common sense, you can get through your move with your belongings and sanity intact.

With few exceptions, high-rise buildings in New York, whether they are doorman buildings or simply elevator buildings, will have move-in requirements. These requirements generally include move-in times, designated elevator use, and even insurance requirements. The move in requirements are designed to minimize the disruption that your move causes to other tenants and the potential damage that moving furniture can cause to floors, doors, and walls.

Scheduling Your Move-In
Most buildings will require that your move takes place during specific hours. Generally you will be prohibited from moving in during the hours when most people are at home and during busy elevator usage times. So don’t plan on moving in after work, late at night or early in the morning. Many buildings will restrict you to move between 10am and 4pm. Buildings that have service elevators will generally require that you use them and leave the general elevators for other tenants. This helps to minimize the disruption for other tenants. But with the possibility that multiple people may want to move in or out of the building during the same time period, most buildings require that you schedule your move with the building management. Often, the management will reserve the use of the freight or service elevator for a set period of time to accommodate your move.

Problems arise when you don’t find out what the move-in requirements are for your building. If you plan on just showing up with a UHaul van or with your Mom’s station wagon loaded with stuff, you may be in for a rude surprise. Building management can and will prevent you from moving in if you haven’t met the building’s regulations. Stomping your foot and demanding to move in because you have a lease, won’t fly. Movers have been turned away with a loaded truck full of belongings because they failed to schedule their move with the management.

Using The Professioanls - next week

originally posted August 19, 2006