NYC MOVE-IN CHECKLIST
Your NYC apartment, ready by the first night.
The things New York renters wish they’d bought before the boxes came in. Small-space, prewar-proof, and lease-friendly.
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What do you need help with?
Moving day
Movers, renters insurance and walk-up tips.
Moving into a walk-up →
Bedroom & sleep
Mattresses that fit up the stairs and blackout curtains.
Mattresses for walk-ups →
Summer & AC
Window units that fit NYC windows and building rules.
Best window ACs →
Prewar & steam heat
Dry radiator heat and rooms with no ceiling light.
Best humidifiers →
Small spaces
Under-bed storage and double-duty furniture.
Studio storage →
Power & essentials
Quiet battery backup for outages.
Best power stations →
Move-in day
The first-night box
Pack these in one box and open it first. Bodegas close, elevators get reserved for movers, and the hardware store is never on your block when you need it.
The first thing everyone forgets. Get a fabric liner that goes in the wash.
Find on Amazon ↗For boxes, furniture assembly and the one loose cabinet hinge.
Find on Amazon ↗Older apartments have fewer outlets, and they’re always behind the bed.
Find on Amazon ↗Flat plugs sit flush behind furniture pushed against the wall.
Find on Amazon ↗Previous tenants take theirs. Grab standard and candelabra bases.
Find on Amazon ↗Buy before move day so you aren’t running to the store at 11pm.
Find on Amazon ↗Make the bed first. It makes the rest of unpacking bearable.
Find on Amazon ↗Set up before move-in day
Book these before the keys
Insurance, internet and movers all need lead time in New York. Many leases require renters insurance before you get the keys, and install appointments fill up fast.
Lemonade
Many NYC leases require proof of renters insurance before move-in. Get a quote online in minutes.
Get a quote ↗Farmers Insurance
Prefer to talk it through with an agent? Compare renters coverage with Farmers.
Get a quote ↗HireAHelper
Compare local movers and book online, including crews that handle walk-ups and stairs.
Compare movers ↗Piece of Cake Moving
Full-service NYC movers. Use code JZNYC for 10% off local moves and 5% off out-of-state moves.
Get a quote ↗SpareFoot
Compare self-storage units near your new place for the things that won’t fit.
Find storage ↗Selfstorage.com
Search storage facilities by neighborhood and reserve a unit online.
Reserve a unit ↗Every square foot
Storage for small apartments
Closets in NYC are small and kitchens are smaller. Go vertical, go under, go behind the door.
Add 3 to 8 inches under the bed and you have a second closet.
Find on Amazon ↗Pair with risers for off-season clothes and extra linens.
Find on Amazon ↗Works on closet, bathroom and pantry doors with no installation.
Find on Amazon ↗Turns one hanging rod into two for shirts and pants.
Find on Amazon ↗Fits in the gap next to the fridge or the toilet.
Find on Amazon ↗Entryways are tiny; build up instead of out.
Find on Amazon ↗Seating, a coffee table and a blanket bin in one piece.
Find on Amazon ↗Built before 1940
Prewar apartment fixes
Prewar buildings have charm, plus thick walls, radiators and very few ceiling lights. Many leases also require rugs over most of the floor to keep noise down for neighbors.
Living rooms and bedrooms often have no overhead fixture at all.
Find on Amazon ↗Covers the common lease rug clause and keeps footsteps quiet.
Find on Amazon ↗Keeps rugs from sliding on old hardwood.
Find on Amazon ↗Steam heat dries the air fast once the boiler comes on in October.
Find on Amazon ↗Turns a hot eyesore into usable shelf space.
Find on Amazon ↗Blocks drafts, hallway smells and hallway noise.
Find on Amazon ↗Control lamps from the doorway without rewiring anything.
Find on Amazon ↗Protect your deposit
No-drill and renter-friendly
Holes, paint and adhesive damage are common deposit deductions. These go up and come down clean.
Hang frames, mirrors and keys without nails.
Find on Amazon ↗No brackets needed for windows set in deep frames.
Find on Amazon ↗Personalize one wall and peel it off at move-out.
Find on Amazon ↗For apartments where the landlord says no wall hooks.
Find on Amazon ↗Makes a small room feel larger with zero hardware.
Find on Amazon ↗Kitchen task lighting that runs on batteries or USB.
Find on Amazon ↗Two feet of counter
Tiny-kitchen essentials
A lot of Manhattan kitchens are a single wall. Plenty of them have no dishwasher. Plan for that.
Puts drying space where there’s no counter to spare.
Find on Amazon ↗Detachable handles let pots stack in one cabinet.
Find on Amazon ↗Frees up a drawer. Adhesive versions exist if you can’t drill.
Find on Amazon ↗Doubles the space inside tall, shallow cabinets.
Find on Amazon ↗Fold flat into a drawer.
Find on Amazon ↗Thin boards that fit over the sink to add counter space.
Find on Amazon ↗Laundry in the basement
Laundry and cleaning
In-unit laundry is a luxury in this city. If yours is in the basement or down the block, these make the trip easier.
Basement laundry room or the laundromat on the corner.
Find on Amazon ↗Folds flat when it’s empty.
Find on Amazon ↗For things that shouldn’t go through shared dryers.
Find on Amazon ↗Hangs on a wall or in a closet corner instead of a full vacuum.
Find on Amazon ↗Skip the full-size board that has nowhere to live.
Find on Amazon ↗City summers, city nights
Summer, sleep and noise
Many apartments come without central air. Check your building’s rules before buying a window unit; many require a support bracket and some require approved installation.
Measure your window width first. Prewar windows can be narrow.
Find on Amazon ↗Often required by building management.
Find on Amazon ↗Pulls in cool night air on shoulder-season nights.
Find on Amazon ↗Streetlights and early sunrise come straight in.
Find on Amazon ↗Sirens, buses and the upstairs neighbor.
Find on Amazon ↗For the nights the white noise isn’t enough.
Find on Amazon ↗Front door
Packages, pests and the front door
Small, inexpensive things that make a walk-up or a no-doorman building feel more secure.
Seals the gap under the door against drafts and pests.
Find on Amazon ↗See who’s at the door without drilling a new hole.
Find on Amazon ↗Small, cheap, and you hope you never use it.
Find on Amazon ↗Mailbox key, front door, apartment door, storage cage.
Find on Amazon ↗For moving the couch in a narrow apartment without scratching floors.
Find on Amazon ↗The bigger pieces
Furnish it, sleep well, light it up
A sofa that fits the floor plan, a real mattress, and lamps for the rooms that came with no ceiling fixture.
Raymour & Flanigan
Sofas, beds, dining sets and mattresses, with delivery around the New York area.
Shop furniture ↗Tempur-Pedic
Start your new place with a mattress and pillows you’ll keep through the next move.
Shop mattresses ↗Govee smart lighting
Plug-in lamps, light bars and LED strips for prewar rooms with no overhead light.
Shop lighting ↗Tribesigns
Desks, bookshelves and storage pieces sized for small rooms and work-from-home corners.
Shop Tribesigns ↗Jackery
Quiet battery power stations for outages. No gas generator, no fumes.
Shop Jackery ↗Renter-friendly upgrades
Small upgrades that make it feel like home
Things you can add on day one and take with you when you move. Keep any original fixture you swap out so you can put it back at move-out.
Moen
A new showerhead is one of the easiest bathroom upgrades in an older apartment. Save the original to reinstall when you leave.
Shop Moen ↗Dewenwils
Surge-protector power strips, extension cords and smart plugs for apartments with too few outlets.
Shop Dewenwils ↗TWOPAGES
Curtains in a range of sizes and fabrics, including blackout styles for city bedrooms.
Shop TWOPAGES ↗Your checklist saves as you go
Check items off and come back anytime on this device. New guides for NYC renters are added regularly.
Why NYC apartments are different
80% rug rule
Many NYC leases require rugs over most of your floors.
No overhead light
Prewar living rooms and bedrooms often have no ceiling fixture.
Steam heat
Dry winter air and radiators you can’t turn down.
No drilling
The safest way to protect your security deposit.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Other links on this page are affiliate links or paid placements, and we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Prices and availability are set by each retailer and change often.