Keep the move organized around your lease or purchase, your campus destination, and the day you receive the keys.
Organize a BU move around the date you can legally occupy the home, the building’s access arrangements and your campus destination. A lease start date, key handoff and university arrival date may be different.
Before choosing a home
Confirm your campus building, commute, budget, household size, and expected move-in date. Compare the actual property and lease terms rather than relying on neighborhood labels.
Before signing
Confirm who may occupy the property, the total amounts due, what is included, and how to report repairs. For a purchase, review inspection findings and association documents with your advisers.
Before moving day
Confirm key collection, elevator or loading reservations, utility setup, movers, insurance needs, and any building move-in requirements. Check the municipality’s parking and moving-permit guidance for your address.
When you arrive
Document the property’s condition, keep copies of the lease or closing documents, confirm emergency contacts, and test your commute. Ask Frank about any unresolved property questions.
A practical move-in handoff
| Stage | Confirm | Keep a copy of |
|---|---|---|
| Before booking movers | Signed agreement, possession date and building access | Lease or closing instructions |
| Before arrival | Keys, loading access, utilities and repair contact | Building instructions and contact list |
| At handoff | Condition, supplied items and unresolved repairs | Dated photographs and written acknowledgments |
| First week | Commute, mail and maintenance reporting | Your updated household checklist |
- Check the municipality’s current moving and parking guidance for the exact address.
- Confirm any elevator reservation directly with management.
- Arrange a backup if your arrival precedes the handoff.
- Verify payment instructions through an independently confirmed contact before sending funds.
Check the details here
BU’s off-campus guide includes moving and rental-planning resources. Recheck current university dates separately from your private lease. BU off-campus living guide (2024) ↗
Where this information comes from
BU off-campus living guide (2024) ↗
MBTA routes and trip planning ↗
CollegeHousing.ai put this together using the sources above. Frank and Matt can help with your own situation; they haven’t written or reviewed this page. Check the current property details and rules before making a commitment. We’re independent of Boston University.
Let’s talk about your plans.
Frank Carroll, Vice President at Compass, is the local property and relocation contact. For financing, keep the BU property and assumptions together in the state-aware BU financing review, then confirm the appropriately licensed Massachusetts originator before applying. Matt Dean of NEXA Lending, NMLS #227603, may help with planning, but this guide does not present him as the Massachusetts mortgage originator.