An apartment move depends on your building as much as your boxes. Orlando complexes and condo towers each set their own rules for move times, elevators, truck parking and paperwork, and missing one can stall a well-packed move in the parking lot. This checklist covers the steps specific to apartments and condos, from the first email to the leasing office to handing back your keys. Moving out of a house instead? Our Florida home moving checklist is built for that.
Apartment moving checklist: the short version
- Get the move policy from both buildings (old and new) in writing.
- Reserve the elevator at each building and write down the time windows.
- Ask whether either building needs a certificate of insurance (COI) from your mover, and send over the details.
- Find out where the truck can park or load, and how much clearance the garage or gate has.
- Count the flights of stairs and measure the walk from parking to your door at both ends.
- Read your lease for the notice period, move-out inspection and key return.
- Finish packing, empty drawers and disconnect appliances before the crew arrives.
- Keep valuables, documents and medication with you.
- Do a final walkthrough, photograph the empty unit and return every key and fob.
Three to four weeks out: get your building’s move rules in writing
Email your leasing office or HOA, and send the same questions to the new building. A written answer settles any disagreement at the front desk on move day. Ask:
- Which days and hours moves are allowed, and whether weekends or holidays are off-limits
- Whether you need to reserve an elevator, and how
- Whether the building requires a certificate of insurance from your mover, and what it must say
- Where the moving truck should park or load, and whether a permit or reservation is needed
Then reread your lease: the notice period, how the move-out inspection works, and when keys and fobs are due. This is also the time to call movers. End-of-month dates fill first.
Elevator reservations, certificates of insurance and loading zones
Elevator reservations
Book the elevator for your move date and write down the start and end of your slot. Ask if it’s a service elevator or a shared passenger car, whether the building hangs pads inside, and whether you need a key to hold it on your floor. Moving out and in on the same day? Leave room between the two slots for the drive, and pass both windows to your mover.
Certificates of insurance
A COI is a document from the mover’s insurer proving the company carries coverage. Many Orlando condo associations and managed communities won’t let a crew in without one on file. Get the exact “certificate holder” name, address and any required wording from management, and send it to your mover when you book. Legend Movers 4 You sends a COI to your building on request before move day.
Loading zones and truck access
Ask where the truck should stop: a dock, a marked moving space or the street. If it’s a garage, get the clearance height, because box trucks are much taller than cars and a low ceiling means a longer carry. In gated communities, share the gate code or put the crew on the guest list ahead of time.
Walk-ups, stairs and long carries: what to tell your mover
Many Orlando garden-style complexes have no elevator, and parking can be far from your door. That’s fine as long as your mover knows ahead of time. When you ask for a quote, share:
- Your floor at the old and new apartment, and whether each has an elevator or only stairs
- Whether the stairs are narrow, turn at a landing or run outside along a breezeway
- About how far it is from the closest parking spot to your door
- Your largest pieces (a sectional, a king bed, a sleeper sofa, a tall dresser) and whether you’ve measured doorways and stair turns for them
These details set the crew size, the equipment and the length of the job. Stairs and long carries can also affect the price, and any such charge shows up in our written estimate before you book. A phone photo of the stairwell and the walk to the lot helps more than a long description.
Lease-end day: timing your move-out and move-in
Many leases end on the last day of the month, so movers, elevators and loading zones are all in demand during those final days. To make lease-end day easier:
- Book early if your date is at the end of the month, and confirm a few days before.
- Ask about overlap. Some landlords will let you get keys to the new unit a day or two early, or stay a day later at the old one. Even one day of overlap takes a lot of pressure off.
- Schedule the move-out inspection for after the crew leaves, so the unit is empty when management walks it.
- Have a backup for gaps. If the new apartment isn’t ready, store your things in a unit you rent. We don’t run our own facility, but we handle storage unit moves in and out.
- If plans change suddenly, call us. We can often fit in same-day and last-minute moves if a crew is available.
Students moving between semesters face the same crunch at a different time of year. See student moving near UCF for that timing.
Packing and furniture prep that keep an apartment move short
On an hourly move, unfinished packing adds time you pay for. Before the movers arrive:
- Pack everything and tape boxes shut. Loose items slow every trip to the truck.
- Label each box with its destination room so unloading goes quickly.
- Put heavy things like books in small boxes, and keep every box to a weight one person can carry down stairs.
- Empty drawers of anything heavy, fragile or valuable.
- Flag furniture that comes apart. Our crews disassemble and rebuild standard pieces like beds and tables.
- Handle appliances the day before. Disconnect water, gas and ice-maker lines, and defrost and dry the refrigerator a day ahead.
- Pack a personal bag with medication, chargers, documents, a change of clothes and anything you’ll need that first night.
Boxes you pack yourself are your responsibility for contents damage, so pack dishes and glass with plenty of paper. If packing a kitchen isn’t how you want to spend your last week, our packing services can cover the whole apartment or just the fragile rooms. For a studio or one-bedroom, our small moves page explains how we handle smaller jobs.
What affects how long an apartment move takes
Two apartments the same size can take very different amounts of time. The main factors:
- How much you’re moving, not just the number of bedrooms
- Floor and elevator access at both buildings, including waits for a shared elevator
- The distance from the door to the truck, especially in large complexes and garages
- How ready you are. Fully packed and taped boxes move fastest
- Furniture that needs to come apart and go back together
- Building move windows that limit when the crew can work
- The drive between buildings and Orlando traffic at that time of day
The most reliable number is the one in your written estimate, based on your actual inventory, floors and parking. Local moves with Legend Movers 4 You are billed by the hour with a 3-hour minimum plus a one-time truck fee. For more on how moving costs work, see how much movers cost in Orlando.
Move-day checklist for apartments and condos
Before the crew arrives
- Confirm your elevator slot with the front desk, and pick up the elevator key or fob if one is needed.
- Make sure management has the COI on file.
- Check that the loading area is open and the gate code or guest list is set.
While the crew works
- Walk the crew lead through the apartment and point out fragile or high-value items.
- Keep your personal bag, keys and paperwork with you, not on the truck.
Before you leave the old apartment
- Check every closet, cabinet, the balcony or patio and any assigned storage closet or cage.
- Take photos of the empty rooms for your move-out inspection.
- Return keys, fobs, garage remotes, parking passes and the mailbox key as your lease requires.
At the new apartment
- Confirm the elevator window and loading area there too.
- Tell the crew where the big pieces go, and check everything before they leave.
If you’re leaving Florida rather than moving across town, our full truck-and-crew service stays in Florida, but we can load your rental truck or container as labor-only loading help.
Apartment moving checklist FAQs
How far ahead should I reserve my apartment elevator?
Reserve it as soon as you have a move date. End-of-month slots tend to go first, so ask management to confirm your date and time window in writing.
What is a certificate of insurance for an apartment move?
It’s a document from your mover’s insurer showing the company carries coverage, made out to your building as the certificate holder. Many Orlando condos and apartment communities require one before move day, so send your mover the building’s requirements when you book.
Do movers charge extra for stairs in Orlando?
They can. Stairs and long walks to the truck add time, and with Legend Movers 4 You any charge for them is listed in your written estimate before you book.
How long does an apartment move take?
It depends on how much you’re moving, your floor and elevator access, how far the truck parks from your door, how ready your boxes are and the drive between buildings. A written estimate based on your actual apartment gives you the most reliable answer.
Can I move out and move in on the same day?
Yes, if both buildings allow moves that day and your elevator windows line up. Confirm move hours and key pickup at both buildings, and have a storage unit as a backup in case the new place isn’t ready.
What if my new apartment isn’t ready when my lease ends?
Put your things in a storage unit you rent until it is. Legend Movers 4 You doesn’t run its own storage facility, but we can move your things into the unit and bring them to your new place later.
Get a written estimate for your apartment move
With your building rules, floors and dates in hand, you’re ready for an accurate quote. Our apartment movers in Orlando plan around elevator slots, COIs and move windows for apartments and condos across Central Florida. Request a free quote or call 407-440-1423, and we answer 24/7. Have more questions first? Browse our moving FAQs.
