Most Atlanta apartment buildings — especially Midtown and Buckhead high-rises — have move-in requirements that aren't on the lease and aren't on the website. If you miss them, you lose your elevator window, pay a fine, or get sent home and have to rebook. This is the checklist Atlanta property managers actually expect.
2-3 weeks before move day
Reserve the freight elevator with property management. Most luxury Atlanta buildings only allow 2-3 hour elevator windows and book them first-come, first-served. End-of-month dates fill 2-3 weeks out. · Request the building's COI requirements (Certificate of Insurance). They'll email a PDF template that names the building, owner, and management company as additional insureds. Forward it to your mover. · Check parking restrictions.
Some Atlanta buildings (Inman Park, Old Fourth Ward bungalows-turned-condos, certain Midtown buildings) require a city parking permit for a 26-foot truck. Apply early. · Confirm the move-in fee or deposit. Most Atlanta apartments charge $100-$500 as a non-refundable move-in fee or a refundable damage deposit. Confirm whether it's owed at signing or at move-in.
1 week before
Have your mover submit the COI to property management. Bears Moving Co. handles COIs within one business day at no extra fee. · Confirm your elevator reservation in writing. Email property management and get a written confirmation of the date, time window, and elevator number. · Walk the route from elevator to unit. Measure narrow turns; note any low-clearance ceilings or fragile wall art in common hallways.
· Schedule utility transfers — Georgia Power, Atlanta Gas Light, water (varies by building), internet/cable. Most need 5-7 business days.
Day before move-in
Confirm crew arrival window with your mover (Bears texts the day before with the crew lead's name and a real ETA, not a 6-hour window). · Pack a first-night bag — phone charger, medications, toiletries, sheets, towels, coffee, change of clothes. · Take photos of the empty unit BEFORE move-in for the building's damage record (protects your deposit).
· Confirm freight elevator access — physically check that the building has the right elevator key or fob ready for the crew.
Move-day specifics
Have the building's leasing office number on your phone — for any access issue, you (the tenant) are the contact, not the mover. · Stage one parking spot for the truck — most Atlanta buildings won't reserve street parking; arrive 30 min early to claim it. · Verify floor protection is going down.
Most luxury buildings require Masonite or builder's paper on common-area floors during a move; reputable movers bring it. · Sign the building's move-in inspection BEFORE the crew leaves — disputed damage discovered after move-in is much harder to resolve. · Tip the crew if service was great. Standard Atlanta tip on a 2-bedroom move is $40-$80 per mover, paid at the end.
Building-specific things rogue movers miss
Bears Moving Co. has moved in and out of virtually every major Atlanta apartment building — Viewpoint, SkyHouse Midtown, 1010 Midtown, The Atlantic, Sovereign, Camden, Post, AMLI, Cortland, Novel, Hanover, MAA, and dozens of independents. We know which buildings have a 6-8 AM loading window, which require weekend appointments only, which need Masonite on the elevator interior, and which property managers want what specific COI language.
If you know your building, we know its quirks.
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A COI (Certificate of Insurance) is a document your moving company provides to your apartment building, naming the building, owner, and management company as additional insureds on the mover's liability and cargo insurance. Most luxury Atlanta high-rises require a COI 24-72 hours before move-in. Bears Moving Co. issues building-specific COIs within one business day at no extra fee.
Most luxury Atlanta apartment buildings allow 2-3 hour freight elevator windows for move-ins, reserved first-come-first-served. End-of-month dates and weekends typically fill 2-3 weeks ahead. Going over your window can trigger a building fine; the fix is to size the moving crew correctly — a 3 or 4-mover crew can load the elevator continuously and finish inside the window.
Most do — typically $100-$500 as a non-refundable move-in fee or a refundable damage deposit. The fee is separate from your moving company cost. Confirm with your leasing office whether it's owed at lease signing or on move-in day.
The most common issues are: freight elevator not reserved (or double-booked by the building), COI not on file with management, parking spot not available for the moving truck, building requiring Masonite floor protection not brought by the mover, and the move-in inspection not completed before the crew leaves. A reputable mover handles all of these proactively.
Standard Atlanta tipping is $40-$80 per mover for a typical 2-bedroom apartment move, paid at the end. For complex moves (stairs both ends, long days, specialty items handled well) $80-$120 per mover is appropriate. Tipping is not expected if service was poor.