An apartment move looks small on paper. Fewer rooms, fewer boxes, one truck. Then you add an elevator you have to reserve, a parking lot with no room for a moving truck, a narrow stairwell and a landlord holding your security deposit.
Here’s how apartment movers in Omaha handle both ends of the move, so you can plan for the building you’re leaving and the one you’re moving into.
Start With the Building Rules (at Both Buildings)
Before you book movers, contact the property manager at your old building and at your new one. Every building runs moving day a little differently, and the rules are easier to follow when you know them two weeks out instead of at 8 a.m.
Ask each building:
- What hours are moves allowed? Some buildings only allow moves on certain days or during certain hours.
- Do I need to reserve the elevator? Is there a freight or service elevator?
- Do you need a certificate of insurance from my movers? If so, what wording, and who should it go to?
- Where can a moving truck park? Loading dock, fire lane, front circle or the street?
- When do I get keys and fobs, and where do I turn them in when I leave?
Send the answers to your movers. A crew that knows the elevator reservation ends at 5 p.m. can plan the whole day around it.
Elevator Reservations and Certificates of Insurance
Reserve the elevator early. The last few days of the month go first, because that’s when a lot of leases turn over. Ask whether the building hangs protective pads in the elevator and whether you get a key to hold it on your floor. Book the longest window you can.
Handle the certificate of insurance (COI) ahead of time. A COI is a document from your mover’s insurance company that proves the mover is insured. Many apartment and condo buildings require one before they’ll let a crew in, and some want the building or management company listed by name. Get the exact wording from your property manager and pass it to your mover when you book.
Easy As Pie Moving Co. is licensed and insured (USDOT 4345362), with liability insurance and workers’ compensation coverage. We can send a certificate of insurance to your building on request, so ask your property manager early whether they need one.
Parking and Loading Zones
Every extra step between the truck and your door adds time. To keep the walk short:
- Ask management where moving trucks are allowed. Some complexes have a loading area. Others want trucks kept out of the fire lane.
- Save the spot. Park your own cars in the spaces closest to your entrance the night before, then move them when the truck pulls up.
- Check the street. If your building is downtown and the only curb space is metered, the city’s parking program, Park Omaha, has a meter hooding program for reserving metered spaces. Check the current rules and lead time well before moving day.
Measure Before You Move
The couch that came in through your old building’s front door might not make the turn on the new building’s stairs. Ten minutes with a tape measure saves a lot of headaches.
Measure the doorways and hallways at both apartments, the stairwell (especially the landings where the stairs turn) and the inside of the elevator, including the diagonal. Then measure your biggest pieces: couch, mattress and box spring, dresser, desk and dining table.
If it’s close, plan to take the legs off, remove doors from their hinges or take the piece apart, and mention it when you request your estimate.
How Long Does an Apartment Move Take?
There’s no one-size answer. Two one-bedroom apartments can be hours apart depending on how much is packed, what’s coming and how far everything has to travel.
The biggest things that change the clock:
| What slows it down | What speeds it up |
|---|---|
| Boxes still being packed when the crew arrives | Everything packed, taped and labeled |
| A shared elevator or a short reservation window | A reserved elevator for the whole move |
| A long walk from the truck to your door | A parking spot right by the entrance |
| Third or fourth-floor walk-ups | Ground-floor units |
| Furniture that still needs to be taken apart | Beds and tables taken apart ahead of time |
About stairs: we don’t charge stair fees. Stairs do add time, though, and we’ll factor that into your estimate up front. Moving into a walk-up? Read our 9 tips for moving to a building with no elevator. For a ballpark on price, see what movers cost in Omaha.
Moving Out: How to Get Your Security Deposit Back
Know the rules. In Nebraska, a landlord can’t collect more than one month’s rent as a security deposit (plus a pet deposit of up to a quarter of a month’s rent). After your tenancy ends, the landlord has 14 days to return what’s left, along with a written itemization of any deductions, under Nebraska Revised Statute 76-1416. Moving out of an apartment in Council Bluffs? Iowa law gives landlords 30 days, counted from the end of the tenancy and their receipt of your forwarding address.
Then do the work:
- Reread your lease for move-out notice rules and cleaning expectations.
- Give your forwarding address in writing. That’s where your deposit and the itemization get sent.
- Dig out your move-in photos or checklist. They prove what was already damaged when you moved in.
- Clean after the truck leaves, including the inside of the oven, fridge and cabinets. Then take photos and video of every room.
- Ask for a walkthrough with your property manager, and return every key, fob and parking pass.
- Don’t leave furniture by the dumpster. Leaving things behind is an easy way to lose part of your deposit. Book junk removal for anything you don’t want to move.
Moving In: Your First Hour at the New Place
- Walk through before the furniture comes in. Photograph any existing damage and send the photos to your property manager. Empty rooms are much easier to document.
- Point and place. Tell the crew which room each piece goes in. We’ll set up beds and put furniture exactly where you want it.
- Have renters insurance in place before moving day. Your landlord’s policy won’t cover your stuff. The NAIC puts it plainly: only a renters policy protects your belongings if they’re damaged or stolen. Check whether your lease requires it, and update the policy to your new address.
Hiring Apartment Movers vs. Doing It Yourself
A ground-floor studio, a few friends and a pickup truck? You might not need us. But a lot of apartment moves come with a clock: an elevator window, a move-out deadline or a building that wants trucks gone by 5 p.m. That’s where a crew that’s done this before pays for itself.
With local movers like Easy As Pie, you get:
- A crew that calls when they leave in the morning and walks every room with you before loading
- Furniture padded, boxes stacked floor to ceiling and every load strapped
- No stair fees and no surprise add-ons, with your moving agreement sent when you book
- A company that keeps the dates it books, which matters when your lease ends on a fixed day
Short on time to pack? We offer partial and full packing with no minimum, and you can rent plastic moving bins through our partner, Monster Totes.
Apartment Moving FAQs
How much do apartment movers cost in Omaha?
Most local apartment moves are billed by the hour based on crew size and truck. We don’t charge stair fees, and every rate is in your moving agreement before moving day. Fill out the estimate form and we’ll send you a price range.
How long does it take to move a one-bedroom apartment?
It depends on the apartment. How many boxes there are, whether you’re moving everything or just the big pieces, stairs, elevator waits and long carries can swing a one-bedroom move by several hours, so we build your estimate around your actual move.
How far ahead should I book apartment movers?
Two to four weeks ahead is a good rule, and earlier in the summer. The end of the month is busy because so many leases end then, so book early if your move falls in the last few days.
When do I get my security deposit back in Nebraska?
Nebraska law gives landlords 14 days after the tenancy ends to return the balance with a written list of any deductions. Give your landlord your forwarding address in writing.
Moving Apartments Soon?
Tell us about both buildings (floors, elevators and parking) and we’ll send you a price range fast. Your full moving agreement arrives when you book, and there are no stair fees.
Request your free estimate or call (402) 200-4661.
