Moving Out of a Dorm or Off Campus Apartment Over Winter Break

Most students go home for winter break and leave their stuff right where it is. But every December some people have to clear out completely: seniors graduating early, students heading abroad for spring, people transferring, and anyone switching rooms or moving off campus for the second semester.

If that's you (or your kid), a winter break move is mostly about timing. Finals, the end of the semester and the holidays all land in the same couple of weeks. Here's how to get through it.

Who actually moves over winter break

• December graduates leaving campus housing or an off campus rental for good
• Students going abroad or doing a spring internship somewhere else
• Transfers starting at a new school in January
• Room and housing switches, like moving from a dorm to an apartment for spring

If you live on campus

Start with your residence life office. They set the date the halls close, how checkout works, how to return keys, and whether students staying for spring can leave belongings in their rooms over break. Ask early, because the closing date usually lands right after the last day of finals.

Ask about deliveries too. Some campuses limit what can be dropped off at a residence hall, so find out where a delivery can go before you book anything. An off campus address or a parent's home nearby is often simpler. The same goes whether you're at Monmouth in West Long Branch or Georgian Court in Lakewood: residence life has the final word on dates and deliveries.

If you live off campus

Monmouth University's off campus housing office describes the housing near campus as mostly seasonal rentals. The academic year ones are the shore's winter rentals, with leases that usually run from the first week of September to the second or third week of May. So if you're leaving in December, your lease probably doesn't end when you do.

Read the lease and talk to your landlord before you start packing. Ask whether you can sublet, whether a roommate is taking over your room, and what you need to do to get your share of the security deposit back. Students near Monmouth live all over the area, from West Long Branch and Long Branch (including Elberon and the West End) to Asbury Park, Belmar and Eatontown, and every landlord handles this a little differently.

Pack before finals, not after

The move out window is short and lands at the worst possible time. The trick is to pack most of your room before finals start, while you still have energy and a free afternoon.

1. Two weeks out: pack anything you won't need before you leave. Off season clothes, decorations, extra bedding, books for classes you've finished.
2. Finals week: live out of one bag and one tote. Laptop, chargers, toiletries, a few outfits and your notes.
3. Move out day: pack the last tote, strip the bed, take photos of the room, and do your checkout.

How totes fit a college move

If it's just a dorm room, be honest about the size. A few boxes' worth of stuff is fine in free boxes or bags. Totes make the most sense for off campus apartments and roommate moves, where there's more to pack and carry. They stack in a small room without crushing, carry well on stairs, and you don't have to find tape during finals week. A few things to know:

• Split a package, if you're going to the same place. Our smallest package is 20 totes for $95, and a single dorm room often fits in well under 20 (the sizing guide can help). Two roommates moving the same week can split it, about $50 each with tax. It's one booking, so it's one drop off address, one pickup address and one card, and the person who books is responsible for any fees, like $35 for a lost or damaged tote (a missing lid counts) or $25 for a tote that comes back dirty.
• A shared house is a bigger job. Moving out of an off campus apartment or a house in Long Branch or Belmar usually takes more than a dorm. Our 1 Bedroom package is 30 totes for $135.
• Drop off and pickup can be different addresses. If you're moving from a dorm to an off campus apartment, or home to a parent's house, we can drop off at one place and pick up at the other.
• Both addresses need to be in Ocean or Monmouth County. That covers West Long Branch, Long Branch, Lakewood and the rest of both counties. If home is farther away, totes probably aren't the fit for the trip home. If you're just outside the area, email us at WeRentTotes@gmail.com.
• The 2 week clock runs over break. The rental is 2 weeks from drop off, so plan to unpack at the new place and have the empties ready for pickup. If you're leaving a dorm in mid December and moving into spring housing in January, either book after you know your spring move in date or add extra weeks up front (from $45 a week for the Studio package). A late pickup is charged by the week.
• Totes are for the move, not storage. If you're going abroad or graduating, don't plan on leaving your things packed in totes until spring. We don't offer long term storage.

Booking takes a couple of minutes online, and bookings need at least 24 hours notice. December fills up around the holidays, so book once you know your date.

A quick checklist before you leave

• Return keys and finish your checkout, on campus or with your landlord
• Photos of the room or apartment, for your deposit
• Forward your mail with the Postal Service, and update your address with the school
• Cancel or transfer any internet or utilities in your name
• Clean out the fridge, and don't leave food in the room over break

For parents

If you live in Ocean or Monmouth County, the simplest setup is often this: book with your card, have the totes dropped off at your student's place, and set pickup for your house. Your student packs before finals, you handle the drive, and the empties get collected from your driveway. Just remember the person who books is the one on the hook for any fees, so make sure the totes come back empty with their lids.

Planning a bigger family move this winter? Our winter moving guide covers moving around the holidays at the shore.

Common questions