# Moving Day Checklist: 12 Things Chicago Renters Forget > A practical moving-day checklist for Chicago apartment renters: elevator reservations, truck parking, the first-night box, labels, floor protection and the final sweep. - Type: post - URL: https://moonmovers.net/blog/moving-day-checklist-12-things-chicago-renters-forget/ - Updated: 2026-09-15T17:07:02+00:00 ## About this page A practical moving-day checklist for Chicago apartment renters: elevator reservations, truck parking, the first-night box, labels, floor protection and the final sweep. ## Key facts - Phone: +1 (708) 815-4747 - Email: info@moonmovers.net - Location: Chicago, IL - Map: 41.8778483, -87.6855646 - Price range: $$ - Serving: Chicago · Evanston · Skokie · Des Plaines · Palatine · Schaumburg · Naperville · Aurora · Elgin · Bolingbrook · Joliet · Orland Park · Tinley Park · Waukegan · Rockford · Springfield · Peoria · Champaign · Bloomington · Decatur - Social: https://www.facebook.com/moon.movers.2025/ · https://www.instagram.com/moonmovers/ · https://www.tiktok.com/@moon.movers · https://www.google.com/maps?cid=3300875412407038330 - Logo: https://moonmovers.net/storage/projects/39/files/images/logo-dark-512.png - Hours: Monday 08:00–21:00 - Hours: Tuesday 08:00–21:00 - Hours: Wednesday 08:00–21:00 - Hours: Thursday 08:00–21:00 - Hours: Friday 08:00–21:00 - Hours: Saturday 08:00–21:00 - Hours: Sunday 08:00–21:00 ## Page content ## Moving Day Checklist: 12 Things Chicago Renters Forget Most moving-day problems are not about heavy furniture. They come from small things nobody wrote down: the elevator that was never reserved, the box of chargers that ended up at the bottom of the truck, the parking spot that was taken by seven in the morning. This checklist collects the twelve items renters in Chicago… - Book the building. Reserve the service elevator at both addresses and sort out parking or a city permit for the truck. - Measure first. Doorways, stair turns and the elevator cab decide what has to come apart. - Keep two bags with you. The first-night box and the documents travel in your car, never in the truck. - Photograph everything. The hallway, the cable panels and the meters - before the first box goes out. ## Before the truck arrives ### 1. Reserve the elevator on both ends High-rise buildings in the Loop, River North and along the lakefront almost always require a reserved service elevator and a certificate of insurance from the moving company. Book the window as soon as the lease is signed, and confirm it again two days before the move. Ask the new building for its rules too: some… ### 2. Sort out parking for the truck A truck that circles the block for forty minutes costs you time on the clock. Check whether your street needs a temporary no-parking permit from the city, and whether the building has a loading dock. If neither exists, keep two cars ready to hold a spot the evening before. ### 3. Measure the tight spots Doorways, stair turns and the elevator cab decide whether the sofa goes in one piece. Measure them at both addresses and compare with the largest items. Disassembly done calmly the day before is far cheaper than an improvised one on the landing. ### 4. Empty and defrost the fridge A refrigerator needs a full day to defrost and dry. Wipe it out, tape the doors shut with the shelves removed, and keep a cooler for the food you plan to carry yourself. Stock up with our moving supplies checklist. ## Packing mistakes that cost the most Four of the twelve happen at the packing table, days before anyone lifts anything. ### 5. The first-night box Pack one clearly marked box with sheets, towels, a shower curtain, toilet paper, basic tools, phone chargers, medication and a change of clothes. It travels in your car, not in the truck. ### 6. Documents and valuables Passports, leases, jewelry, hard drives and cash never go into a general box. Put them in a bag that stays with you from the first minute to the last. ### 7. Label sides, not tops Boxes are stacked, so a label on the top disappears immediately. 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