If you are a New York City tenant whose lease is expiring in a couple of months, you are not alone. There are thousands of people wondering if it’s safe and allowed to move out and move in during the pandemic with all its restrictions. In this article, we will help you figure out if you can move to NYC right now and what are the necessary considerations and preparations before you pass your boxes to a residential moving company.
Is Moving Still Possible in NYC
First of all, you need to remember the following:
- NYC is considered one of the US COVID-19 epicenters, so, yes, the risk to catch the virus is real during your move;
- The stay-at-home order is still in force;
- The eviction moratorium is still in force statewide until June 20, so your landlord can’t evict you;
- The state government considers residential moving companies essential businesses, so you are allowed to use their services and hire movers with storage NYC companies offer.
Given all these facts, you still can move to NYC, but if you have a choice to stay where you are, you should use this opportunity. For example, you can ask your landlord to extend your lease in accordance with the governor’s executive order that requires people to stay at their homes. It’s your right to request an extension and receive an affirmative reply. If you are directly affected by a coronavirus, you have the right to stay in your current apartment as long as you need to recover and receive a negative COVID-19 status. Your landlord doesn’t have the right to kick you out when you are ill even if you don’t have the money to pay the rent or your lease is over. But you can find cheaper options for apartments for rent in albany
Still, if you are healthy and can’t pay the rent, the landlord has the right to request it in time. You can either reach an agreement with your landlord or apply for a ”One Shot Deal” by the Human Resources Administration. You should remember that the programs can help you only if you can’t pay the rent “due to an unexpected situation or event”.
If the eviction notice from your landlord comes anyway, you need to call the Department of Investigation’s Bureau of City Marshals and request an investigation of the case. Even if your landlord refuses to respond in the housing court, the positive effect of the case is guaranteed for you.
If your lease is close to the end, you should contact your landlord to work out an agreement on month-to-month leases until the pandemic ends. We recommend making such an agreement via email. When searching for an apartments for rent in albany , consider proximity to public transportation.
If You Have to Move
If there’s no option to stay in your circumstances, you have to consider all the precautions described below:
- While real estate agents are prohibited to show you apartments in person, you should ask for virtual tours via video calls or simply via pre-recorded videos. Some agencies are also offering 3D home tours created with the use of 360° panoramic photos.
- If you have already found a new apartment to move in, you need to figure out if your current building allows move-outs and schedule a move-out time window to avoid meeting other movers. At the same time, you need to contact the building you are moving in to ensure it’s allowed to move in and schedule the best time as well. You should understand that you can be not the only one who wants to move and schedule the best time to avoid any contacts inside the building.
- Hiring a residential moving company, you need to ask about the COVID-19 protection protocols. A good service provider, like Seka Moving, requires their movers to wear face masks, protective gloves, and hazmat suits (on request). You should be prepared too and wear a cloth or paper mask when you meet the movers.
- All moving companies have to offer contactless communication options, including online estimates, online payment, electronic contracts, etc.
- Ask the movers to transport and bring in all your boxes without your presence. It’s already proven that the new coronavirus strain can survive on surfaces for up to 24 hours on cardboard surfaces. Your boxes are not likely to get infected if the movers stick to the safety rules and wear both face masks and gloves. It’s also a good idea to tip some extra cash to movers to encourage them to follow the rules more rigorously.
- You can leave the keys from your current and new apartments with the doormen to avoid contacting the movers at all. This way you can wait the needed 24 hours to ensure that there’s no virus on the boxes and move in 100% safe.
Moving to NYC from other cities
If you decide to move to NYC from another city or state, you should consider pretty much the same things plus the following additional aspects:
- Contact several residential moving companies available in your region to compare pricing and pandemic protocols offered by different companies;
- Contact the NYC building you are moving in to schedule the best move in time;
- Ask the moving companies about their NYC experience. It’s a very important aspect because it’s one of the busiest cities in the US even during the pandemic. The movers must have experience in NYC navigation and offer you a team of at least 3 workers so that one of them can stay in the vehicle. There were many cases when movers’ vans were towed due to parking mistakes, so don’t forget about it.
- Finally, you need to choose the best time for moving. It’s clear that the prices and apartment availability are the best right now, but the weather in NYC can be harsh in winter and early spring, so consider April and May or early fall 2023 to move in as both moving costs and the weather are the best during these seasons. Summer is the most expensive time for moving to NYC, especially from remote regions.
Moving In
Now it’s high time to embark on your moving quest. Your knowledge is enough to avoid any unwanted consequences and, most importantly, stay healthy all the way to your new apartment. Fortunately, there are enough tech options to avoid in-person contacts on all the stages. Keep safe!
Article by Born Realist