Moving to Boston, MA: A Complete Checklist for Buyers & Renters

Moving to Boston comes with the usual checklist: boxes, utilities, address changes, and the gradual realization that every important object you own is currently inside a cardboard box marked "misc."

But Boston adds another layer.

Can you reserve space for your moving truck? Does your neighborhood require resident parking? When is street cleaning? Who provides your gas? What happens to an old mattress? How do you pay for the T? And if you bought your home, are you eligible for Boston's Residential Exemption?

The answers can vary depending on where you live.

Moving into a condo in Back Bay can involve very different parking and building logistics than settling into a home in Jamaica Plain, a multifamily in Dorchester, a rowhouse in Charlestown, a condo in East Boston, or a single-family home in West Roxbury.

Since 2014, the Santana Team has closed more than 115 homes in Boston, with experience across neighborhoods including Jamaica Plain, South Boston, Dorchester, East Boston, Brighton, Charlestown, Roslindale, West Roxbury, and more. We also prepare property-specific moving information for our buyers before closing, because receiving the keys is exciting. Figuring out what Boston expects you to do with your car, trash, water bill, and tax exemption afterward is somewhat less cinematic.

Need Space for a Moving Truck? Reserve It Ahead of Time

Boston does not require a moving-day parking permit in every situation, but the City recommends one in many neighborhoods.

And in a dense neighborhood, "we'll just find somewhere to put the truck" is less of a plan and more of an opening statement in a future argument.

A Boston moving permit allows you to reserve legal curb space for one day.

Current Boston rules include:

• Online moving-permit applications must be submitted at least 15 days before the move.
• In-person applications must be submitted at least three days before the move.
• A one-day permit for two non-metered spaces currently costs $69.
• Reserving two metered spaces currently costs $109.
• Required signs must be posted before the move according to City instructions.

The space you reserve must already be a legal parking space. A moving permit cannot magically transform a fire hydrant, accessible space, construction zone, or no-stopping area into your private loading dock.

Apply and review current requirements through the City of Boston moving truck permit portal.

Is Your Street Actually Owned by the City of Boston?

This is an important distinction.

Boston Moving Truck Permits apply to City-owned streets. Some major roads and parkways are controlled by the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation, or DCR, and may require different permitting.

The City's moving permit portal specifically identifies state-controlled roads where Boston cannot issue a moving permit, including parts of Boylston Street, Park Drive, Fenway, Riverway, Arborway, and Jamaicaway.

And if you're driving a moving truck anywhere near the Charles River, remember the other great Boston moving rule:

Do not drive a moving truck on Storrow Drive, Soldiers Field Road, or Memorial Drive.

We've covered that particular local tradition in our Greater Boston September 1 Moving Day and Storrowing guide.

Do You Need a Boston Resident Parking Permit?

Many Boston residential streets are designated Resident Parking Only.

That neighborhood restriction matters.

If you move from South Boston to Back Bay, for example, your existing resident permit does not simply follow you across the city. You need to submit a new permit application using your new address.

For new residents:

• Your Massachusetts vehicle registration must show your Boston address.
• You need qualifying proof of Boston residency.
• For online requests, the City says to apply within 10 days of your move-in date.
• Approved online permits generally arrive in about 10 business days.
• If you apply in person at City Hall with complete documentation, the permit can be issued the same day.

A resident permit does not override street cleaning, snow emergencies, meters, construction restrictions, temporary No Parking signs, or other posted rules.

Review the Boston resident parking permit requirements and application process.

Learn Your Street Cleaning Schedule Immediately

Boston street cleaning is extremely address-specific.

The City's daytime street cleaning program generally operates from April 1 through November 30.

There are important exceptions.

In the North End, South End, and Beacon Hill, daytime street cleaning runs from March 1 through December 31.

Your street may be cleaned weekly, every other week, or on another posted schedule.

Boston also has "fifth week" quirks. Streets cleaned every week are also cleaned during a fifth week of the month, while streets cleaned every other week usually are not unless the posted sign specifically says otherwise.

The correct response is not to memorize the entire municipal cleaning system.

It is to check the signs on your actual street and sign up for reminders.

Use the Boston street cleaning schedule, lookup, and No-Tow reminder service.

Set Up Your Boston Utilities, But Confirm the Exact Property

Electricity is relatively straightforward.

Electricity

Eversource provides electric distribution service in Boston.

Natural Gas

Natural gas is less tidy.

Natural gas service can vary by part of Boston and by the property itself, so confirm the provider serving your exact address before transferring service.

Your new property may also use oil, electric resistance heat, heat pumps, or another system rather than natural gas.

For a general Boston moving checklist:

• Electricity: Eversource
• Natural Gas: Confirm the provider serving the exact address
• Water & Sewer: Boston Water and Sewer Commission
• Internet: Provider availability varies by building and address

If you bought a condo, also confirm which utilities are individually metered and which are included through the condominium association.

Boston is one city. The utility setup apparently did not receive that memo.

Bought a Home? Update Boston Water and Sewer After Closing

This one is especially useful for Boston buyers.

The form updates the ownership and billing information for water, sewer, and stormwater service.

The requirement also applies in situations involving condominium associations, apartment buildings, and authorized property managers responsible for receiving and paying BWSC bills.

This is the kind of task that is extremely easy to overlook because nobody spends closing day thinking, "I cannot wait to update the sewer account."

Put it on the post-closing checklist anyway.

Use the Boston Water and Sewer ownership transfer and billing-name form after closing.

Learn Your Boston Trash & Recycling Schedule

Boston trash and recycling collection varies by address, and some neighborhoods receive collection more than once per week.

The easiest way to avoid guessing is to use the City's Trash Day app or online address lookup.

The app allows residents to:

• View trash and recycling collection dates.
• Set pickup reminders.
• Get notifications about schedule changes.
• Search how to dispose of specific household items.
• Find yard-waste dates.

When Can Trash Go Out?

Current City rules generally require residents to:

• Wait until after 5 p.m. the evening before collection to put trash curbside.
• Have trash out by 6 a.m. on collection day.
• Keep trash in appropriate containers and follow current storage requirements.

Putting trash out too early can result in a code violation.

Use the Boston trash and recycling schedule and Trash Day app for your address.

What About Moving Boxes?

Boston accepts cardboard for recycling.

Check the City's current recycling instructions for oversized cardboard and moving boxes rather than leaving an architectural installation of Amazon boxes on the sidewalk and hoping Public Works interprets it correctly.

Getting Rid of a Mattress in Boston

Mattresses and box springs cannot simply go out with regular trash.

The City requires an appointment for mattress and box-spring collection.

For eligible City pickup:

• Schedule the mattress in advance.
• Put it curbside by 6 a.m. on the appointment date, or after 5 p.m. the night before.
• Keep it clear of vehicles and other waste.
• Do not cut or crush it.
• Mattresses that are soiled or have bed bugs must be bagged.
• City curbside service is currently limited to 10 mattress or box-spring items per household per calendar year.

Schedule or review requirements through the City of Boston free mattress recycling and pickup program.

Boston Has Food Waste Options Too

Boston offers a free curbside food-waste collection program for residents of buildings with six units or fewer.

The program is currently full and accepting residents onto a waitlist.

But all Boston residents can use the City's Project Oscar community food-waste bins, which are available at locations throughout the city.

Review the Boston curbside composting waitlist and Project Oscar food-waste locations.

Download BOS:311

Boston 311 is one of the most useful resources for new residents.

You can call 311 within Boston or 617-635-4500, use the BOS:311 app, or submit requests online for non-emergency City issues.

That includes things like:

• Potholes
• Graffiti
• Missed trash collection
• Street issues
• Broken signs
• Code concerns
• Other City service requests

You will eventually have a question that begins, "Which Boston department handles...?"

311 exists because the City understands how that sentence ends.

Use Boston 311 or download the BOS:311 app.

Sign Up for AlertBoston

AlertBoston is the City's opt-in emergency notification system.

Residents can receive emergency information by phone, text, or email for events such as severe weather, public-safety incidents, and other significant emergencies.

The City currently offers alerts in 11 of Boston's most-spoken languages.

Sign up for AlertBoston emergency notifications.

Add Yourself to Boston's Annual Census

This is a surprisingly important new-resident task.

Boston is required by Massachusetts law to maintain an Annual Resident Listing, commonly called the annual census, for residents age 17 and older.

If you move to Boston, you can add yourself to the listing online.

Is the Boston Annual Census the Same as Voter Registration?

So:

• Add yourself to Boston's Annual Resident Listing.
• Separately update or complete your voter registration.

Use the Boston Annual Resident Listing and census form after your move.

Getting Around Boston: The T, Buses & Transit Passes

One of the first things worth figuring out after moving is whether your fastest trip is actually going to involve your car.

Depending on the neighborhood and destination, transit can be substantially easier than driving, especially once Boston traffic, parking, and the general emotional experience of I-93 enter the equation.

Transit options vary widely by neighborhood:

• The Blue Line serves East Boston and connects to Downtown.
• The Red Line serves parts of Downtown, South Boston, and Dorchester, with connections toward Cambridge and beyond.
• The Orange Line serves areas including Jamaica Plain, Roxbury, Downtown, and neighborhoods north of the city.
• The Green Line serves Back Bay, Fenway, parts of Jamaica Plain, and connects toward several communities west and north of Boston.
• Boston also has extensive MBTA bus service, commuter rail connections, the Silver Line, and ferry service.

Your most useful route may involve more than one mode. Plenty of Boston commutes are some combination of walking, subway, bus, and occasionally commuter rail rather than one direct train from door to door.

How Do You Pay for the T and Boston Buses?

You currently have several options.

Option 1: Tap Your Credit Card, Phone, or Watch

If you ride occasionally, the easiest option may be the MBTA's Tap to Ride system.

You can tap a contactless debit or credit card, smartphone, or smartwatch with a mobile wallet directly at compatible bus, subway, and ferry readers.

You pay the standard fare without needing to buy a CharlieCard first.

This is particularly convenient for visitors and riders who pay as they go.

One important limitation: contactless payment currently does not support daily, weekly, or monthly transit passes. If you regularly commute and want a pass, use a CharlieCard or another eligible pass format.

Option 2: Get a CharlieCard

A CharlieCard is the MBTA's reusable transit card.

You can load it with cash value or eligible transit passes and use it for subway and bus fares.

CharlieCards are available at fare vending machines in subway stations and other participating locations throughout Greater Boston.

You can register a standard CharlieCard through MyCharlie, which allows you to manage the card online and can help protect the balance if the card is lost, stolen, or damaged.

Should You Get a Monthly Pass?

If you use the subway or bus most workdays, compare your expected trips with the cost of a $90 Monthly LinkPass.

The LinkPass provides unlimited travel on:

• Subway
• Local bus
• Silver Line

It is valid through the last day of the calendar month.

If you only use local buses, the $55 Monthly Local Bus Pass may make more sense.

Monthly passes can be purchased through eligible CharlieCard options, fare vending machines, and employer or school pass programs. Auto-pay is also available for qualifying monthly passes.

Check whether your employer offers a commuter-benefit or subsidized MBTA pass before paying full price yourself. Many Greater Boston employers and schools participate in institutional transit-pass programs.

Transfers Matter Too

If your trip involves a bus and train, your payment method can affect what you pay.

• With a CharlieCard, CharlieTicket, or contactless payment, a local bus-to-local bus transfer is generally free within two hours.
• For a local bus-to-subway transfer, you generally pay the fare difference up to the subway fare.
• Cash does not provide the same free or discounted transfer benefits.

So if your commute involves two buses or a bus plus the T, using a CharlieCard or contactless payment is usually more useful than repeatedly feeding exact change into fare boxes like it is 1997.

Review current fares, passes, reduced-fare programs, and payment options through the MBTA fare, CharlieCard, and monthly pass guide.

If You're Renting in Boston

Document the Apartment Before You Unpack

Take photos or video of:

• Floors and walls
• Windows and doors
• Appliances
• Bathrooms
• Existing damage
• Smoke and carbon monoxide alarms
• Anything broken or not functioning properly

Save the records with your lease and other housing documents.

Eleven months from now is not the ideal time to debate whether a dent in the hardwood floor was already there.

If You Bought a Home in Boston

Homeownership adds another layer to the moving checklist.

These are many of the same practical reminders we include in the property-specific moving information we prepare for Santana Team buyers.

What Is the Difference Between Boston's Residential Exemption and Massachusetts Homestead?

Can a New Boston Home Buyer Get the Residential Exemption?

The Residential Exemption reduces the taxable value of a qualifying owner-occupied home and therefore reduces the property-tax bill.

Boston says the exemption saved qualified homeowners up to $4,353.74 last fiscal year.

The expanded rule is particularly useful for people who buy during the first half of the calendar year rather than assuming they must wait until the next January eligibility date.

Do not assume the exemption automatically transferred from the prior owner. Check your property record and tax bill and apply if needed.

Review the Boston Residential Exemption eligibility and FY2027 application information.

Massachusetts Declaration of Homestead

The Massachusetts Declaration of Homestead is separate from Boston's Residential Exemption.

Homestead is a legal protection for home equity, not a property-tax discount.

Massachusetts currently provides automatic Homestead protection in qualifying circumstances, while recording a qualifying Declaration of Homestead can increase the available protection up to $1 million.

Ownership structures and individual circumstances can affect how Homestead applies, so homeowners with specific legal questions should speak with their attorney.

Review the Commonwealth's Massachusetts Homestead law and homeowner protection information.

Get a Boston Public Library Card

Once you've completed enough municipal paperwork to earn a recreational activity, get a Boston Public Library card.

A physical BPL card is available with appropriate identification and proof of Massachusetts residency.

If you do not need physical materials yet, an eCard can be obtained online by eligible people who live, attend school, own property, or work in Massachusetts.

And the card does considerably more than let you borrow books.

A physical library card is required for some benefits, including physical materials and museum passes.

This is an unusually good return on completing one more address-verification form.

Get a Boston Public Library card or eCard.

A Local Gem Once the Boxes Are Unpacked: Explore the Emerald Necklace

Boston is dense, but it also maintains an enormous connected park system.

The Emerald Necklace links parks and green spaces stretching from the center of Boston through areas including the Back Bay Fens, Jamaica Pond, Arnold Arboretum, and Franklin Park.

You do not need to explore the entire system immediately after moving.

You have already carried enough things.

But finding the section closest to your new neighborhood is an excellent way to start exploring the city beyond whatever route your phone has established between your home, work, and nearest coffee shop.

Buying a Home in Boston?

Boston is not one uniform real estate market.

Housing can look dramatically different among Back Bay, Beacon Hill, South Boston, Charlestown, Jamaica Plain, Dorchester, East Boston, Roslindale, West Roxbury, and the city's many other neighborhoods.

The housing stock includes condos, brownstones and rowhouses, single-family homes, two- and three-family properties, larger multifamilies, lofts, townhomes, and newer construction.

That variety is part of what makes Boston real estate interesting, but it also means buyers need to evaluate much more than the list price.

Depending on the property, that can include:

• Condominium structure and reserves
• Parking
• Renovation and permit history
• Utilities
• Property taxes and exemptions
• Transit access
• Building systems
• Historic-district considerations
• Future maintenance
• Resale strategy

If you're a first-time home buyer, our Greater Boston first-time homebuyer and buying guide explains how we help clients prepare financially, evaluate properties, build an offer strategy, navigate inspections, and get through closing.

You can also search Boston MA homes, condos, and multifamily properties for sale to see what is currently available.

Welcome to Boston

Moving temporarily reduces your life to cardboard boxes, parking signs, utility accounts, and a deeply unreasonable number of address changes.

Boston adds a few special challenges to the mix.

Reserve the moving space. Read the parking signs. Check the street-cleaning schedule. Confirm your utilities. Figure out whether the T is actually faster than driving. Download 311. Get the library card. If you bought, check the Residential Exemption.

Then start figuring out your neighborhood.

Since 2014, the Santana Team has helped more than 1,600 clients buy, sell, and invest throughout Greater Boston. We're a full team, which means our clients have support throughout the process, from understanding the market and evaluating a property through offers, inspections, closing, and the practical details that come afterward.

City services, parking restrictions, permit fees, tax exemptions, utility providers, MBTA fares and routes, collection schedules, and program requirements can change over time. Confirm current information directly with the City of Boston, Boston Water and Sewer Commission, the MBTA, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, or the appropriate service provider.