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As the calendar flips from August to September, another thing turns over in Boston — the majority of apartment leases.
But not to worry, Northeastern students, supported by the Office of City and Community Engagement and the Office of Off Campus Engagement and Support, the university is ready to help.
Look for an army of volunteers wearing red move-in shirts and Northeastern badges ready to help in the Mission Hill and Fenway neighborhoods.
John Tobin, Northeastern’s vice president of city and community engagement, says the university takes great pride in helping its students — and partnering with its many neighbors.
“For us, it’s about caring for our neighbors and working with them — the longtime residents of Mission Hill, Roxbury and Fenway who call those neighborhoods their homes year-round,” Tobin says.
In addition to working closely with neighbors and property owners, Northeastern also coordinates comings and goings with numerous external partners, such as the Boston Police Department.
“We’re working with the BPD and various other city agencies to have a smooth move-in for our students, but also for those who are moving out as well,” Tobin says.
Northeastern does everything it can to assist students and their families during this very hectic time, Tobin says.
“Sometimes they’re traveling long distances,” he says. “Nerves can be frayed and all of our teams know that and seek to make things as smooth as possible.”
Here’s a few tips, tricks and useful links to make moving into your off-campus housing easier.
With hundreds of thousands of college students coming to Boston this fall, well over 70% of leases in the city turn over on Sunday, Sept. 1, according to Mallory Pernaa, director of Off Campus Engagement and Support at Northeastern.
Pernaa says the busiest time is likely to be between noon and 2 p.m. on Sunday, with real estate agents dispensing keys, and landlords, movers and others helping students settle in.
If you don’t absolutely have to move in at this time, it may make sense not to, Pernaa says.
“If students do not have to move on Sept. 1, that would be better just because it’s going to alleviate so much congestion in the city,” she says.
Students moving into the Mission Hill and Fenway neighborhoods on Sept. 1 will need a parking pass issued by the university. The pass grants them an hour to load or unload their belongings.
The passes will be available to download, and university staff and students will also be out in those two neighborhoods distributing them.
After the hour is up, students will be directed into free overflow parking. The parking pass will contain a scan code for:
For students in Mission Hill, an overflow lot is located at New England Baptist Hospital.Finally, stay updated by checking in on social media:
Regardless of what day you move, Pernaa advises students to have a plan.
“If they could think through that weekend now and work backward for what that move would look like,” Pernaa says.
Questions to consider for this plan include:
And if you’re vacating another apartment or coming with lots of packed items, one thing is crucial to plan out: How am I going to get rid of all this trash?
Students should read the city of Boston rules for trash and recycling and what constitutes each, pickup day schedules and more.
A big item to consider is mattresses. Beginning last year, Boston requires old mattresses be recycled. New this year, however, is that mattress pickups can be scheduled on the city website.
You’ll also likely generate some trash when you unpack, and when you clean the apartment, taking us to another bit of advice.
Pernaa says that apartments are probably going to have the “bare minimum” of cleaning done as previous tenants move out and new tenants move in a few hours later.
“So you’re probably going to want to have Clorox wipes and window and floor cleaner just to feel comfortable putting all your stuff in a room and unpacking,” Pernaa says.
Pernaa also advises that students fill out the apartment condition statement and take photos of the condition in which they found the apartment sooner rather than later. (The condition statement is technically due within two weeks of occupancy.)
“Just being able to video and take photos of what they walk into is helpful,” Pernaa says.
Pernaa says if a student walks into an apartment and it’s not up to code or there is trash, the student should contact the property manager or landlord immediately.
Students can also call 311, the city’s non-emergency line.
“Since they know so many people are moving into new apartments over this weekend, they’ve staffed that line and have people working to address those issues,” Pernaa says.
In addition to bringing all you need for a successful school year, you’re likely to bring many questions to move-in day.
Here are a few miscellaneous things to consider.