Moving to Durham: what to take care of in your first two weeks

Moving is mostly logistics. This is the list we give tenants moving into a home we manage, trimmed down to the things that are specific to Durham or easy to forget.

Set up utilities before you move, not after

Electricity in Durham is supplied by Duke Energy. Natural gas, where a home has it, comes from Enbridge Gas North Carolina (formerly PSNC Energy, and later Dominion Energy North Carolina). Water and sewer are billed by the City of Durham.

Start the accounts a few days before your lease begins rather than on the day. Transfers are usually straightforward, but a new account occasionally needs identity verification, and you do not want to discover that on a Friday evening with a van outside.

Ask your landlord or property manager what is included

Utility arrangements vary by property. Some homes we manage may include certain services while others do not. Check the listing and lease for the specific property — and if it is not stated, ask before you sign.

Waste and recycling collection

The city collects household waste and recycling on a schedule that depends on your address. Look up your collection day on the City of Durham's website once you have an address, and find out where the bins for your specific property live. Yard waste is collected separately and seasonally.

Vehicle registration and license

New North Carolina residents generally need to obtain a North Carolina driver's license and register their vehicle after establishing residency. An NC inspection is generally required before the vehicle's next registration renewal. Durham County is one of the counties where an emissions inspection may apply in addition to the safety inspection.

Requirements, deadlines and fees change, so check current NCDMV requirements when planning your move. Appointments at DMV offices can book out well in advance, so start early.

Voter registration

Register to vote at your new address through the Durham County Board of Elections. There are deadlines before each election, and same-day registration is available during early voting periods.

Renters insurance

Most leases require it, including the homes we manage. It is inexpensive, and the property's insurance covers the building, not your belongings or your liability.

Find your water shut-off

Before you need it. In most older Durham houses it is a valve where the supply enters, often in a crawl space or a closet. Whoever manages the property should show you at move-in; if they do not, ask. A burst supply line is a very different event depending on whether you know where that valve is.

Learn the pollen calendar

Late March through April, everything in Durham is yellow. Cars, porches, windowsills. It is pine pollen, it is harmless, and it will wash off. Nobody warns people about this and everyone is surprised by it.

Still deciding where to land? The Durham neighborhoods we manage homes in cover housing stock and road access area by area, and our available rental homes show what is on the market now.

If money is tight during the move, Durham has assistance programs for rent and utilities — see rent and housing assistance in Durham.