Moving into a Philadelphia rental
Philadelphia law has landlords give every new tenant two documents when the lease is signed: a Certificate of Rental Suitability and the Partners in Good Housing handbook. Renewals do not count. The certificate has to be signed and dated while it is in effect, and it confirms that the landlord holds a Rental License, that the property has no open maintenance issues or fire code violations, and that the smoke detectors and fire extinguishers work. Landlords must also follow the City's lead certification law (Philadelphia Fair Housing Commission). Get both papers before the truck leaves Charlotte, while there is still time to ask about a missing one. Then ask the building three things: when the elevator can be reserved, where a truck may stand, and what insurance wording it wants. Reserving the curb and the elevator falls to you. Send us the wording and the Certificate of Insurance we issue will match it.
One driving day on I-85 and I-95
The truck leaves Charlotte on I-85 north past Greensboro and Durham, crosses Virginia to Petersburg and picks up I-95 past Richmond. It takes the Capital Beltway over the Potomac into Maryland, runs through Baltimore on the Harbor Tunnel Thruway, then follows I-95 across Delaware into Philadelphia. That is 550 miles. A car's shortest route is a few miles less because it can take the Baltimore-Washington Parkway, where the National Park Service allows no commercial vehicles; our count follows roads a moving truck may use. About 9 hours of driving sits inside the federal limit of 11 hours a day, so the trip takes one driving day. Fuel and the tolls on the way are in your rate.
- Charlotte, loading day: walk the crew through what goes, which furniture comes apart and which boxes you want first, then sign the bill of lading.
- The drive: one day north on I-85 and I-95, with delivery inside the window.
- Philadelphia, delivery: be there at the agreed time, point to the room for each piece, and record any damage on the Damage Report before you sign.
Clearing out a Charlotte home
Furniture, mattresses and appliances you are not taking count as bulky waste in Charlotte, and the City picks them up only on a scheduled date. Book through 311 (704-336-7600), the CLT+ app or online; changes go in by noon the business day before. Set the items out no earlier than the day before and no later than 6 a.m. on the pickup day, 3 feet apart. Anything left out without a booking stays there. Apartment communities collect bulky items at the property's own spot, never inside the dumpster. Packing cardboard goes in the recycling cart only when it is cut or torn into small pieces (Charlotte Solid Waste Services).
Empty boxes after the unload
When the boxes are empty, Philadelphia's six sanitation convenience centers take recyclables, mattresses and bulk items, two per visit, Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Oversized items can be dropped off once a week, household items once a day. You need proof that you live in Philadelphia, and the car or truck you drive in has to weigh less than 6,000 pounds (City of Philadelphia). Questions about how the rate is set? Read about it on the pricing page, or call our Charlotte office.
