Apartment moves in Atlanta have moving parts that house moves don't. Elevator reservations, building COIs, parking permits, and lease overlaps can derail an otherwise simple move if you don't plan ahead. This checklist starts 8 weeks out and walks you through every step.
8 Weeks Out
Confirm your lease end date and your new lease start date (overlap by 1-2 days if possible). · Get 3 written quotes from licensed Atlanta movers (verify GA HHG license numbers). · Book your moving company — peak-season weekends fill 4+ weeks ahead. · Request your new building's COI requirements in writing.
4 Weeks Out
Reserve service elevators at both buildings (most allow 2-3 hour windows). · Send your mover the COI requirements and confirm same-day or 24-hour issuance. · Apply for any required moving truck parking permits with City of Atlanta if needed. · Start using up pantry and freezer items so there's less to move.
2 Weeks Out
File USPS change-of-address (start date = move day or day after). · Update address with Georgia DDS (driver's license), banks, employer, and subscriptions. · Schedule utility transfers — Georgia Power, Atlanta Watershed, gas, internet. · Begin packing non-essential rooms (storage, second bedroom, off-season clothes).
1 Week Out
Confirm move time, crew size, and parking plan with your mover. · Pack everything except a 'first night' box (toiletries, chargers, sheets, change of clothes). · Empty all dressers, defrost the freezer if you're moving it, and disconnect the washer. · Reserve a moving-day parking spot at both buildings if curb space is limited.
Move Day
Be on-site 15 minutes before your scheduled crew arrival. · Walk the crew lead through both apartments before any work starts. · Hand the property manager your COI if it hasn't been emailed already. · Tip the crew at the end (10-20% of the total or $5-$10 per hour per mover is standard in Atlanta).
First Week After Move
Walk the new apartment with the property manager and document any pre-existing damage. · Test all utilities, smoke detectors, and HVAC. · Schedule any building amenity orientations (gym, pool, mailroom). · Update your address on Amazon, food delivery apps, ride-shares, and rideshare profiles.
Utility and address contacts for Metro Atlanta
Electricity: Georgia Power for most of the metro; some cities (Marietta, Lawrenceville, College Park) run municipal electric. · Gas: Georgia's market is deregulated — you choose a marketer, and Atlanta Gas Light handles the physical line. · Water and sewer: City of Atlanta Department of Watershed Management intown, or your county water authority in Cobb, Gwinnett, DeKalb, Fulton, and Clayton.
· Internet: schedule installation for the day after your move, not the day of; technicians and movers in the same doorway slow both down. · Address: USPS change-of-address, Georgia DDS for your license within 60 days, voter registration, and your renters insurance policy.
What Atlanta buildings ask for that surprises first-time renters
Beyond the certificate of insurance and elevator reservation, many buildings require a refundable move-in deposit, restrict moves to weekday business hours, require masonite or ram board over lobby flooring, and cap the loading dock at a fixed window. A few intown properties also require the moving company to be listed as an approved vendor.
Ask for the full move-in packet in writing when you sign the lease, not the week of the move.
Packing order that keeps the last week calm
Work from least-used to most-used: storage and closets first, then guest and second bedrooms, then books, decor, and kitchen extras, then everyday kitchen and bathroom items in the final two days. Keep a clearly marked first-night box with medications, chargers, toiletries, bedding, a towel, basic tools, and a change of clothes, and put it in your own car rather than on the truck.
Label every box on the top and one side with the destination room so the crew never has to ask.
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