We checked every rule here against the official page on October 2, 2026 and linked it. Rules and fees change, and this is not legal advice. If something matters to you, open the link.
Four weeks before
- Read your lease and give notice in writing. Your lease sets how much notice you owe, so start there. If you rent month to month and the lease says nothing else, Texas law ends the tenancy one month after you give notice (Texas Property Code 91.001).
- Book your movers or truck. The end of the month and summer weekends fill first.
- Ask both buildings about their rules. Apartments and high-rises often want an elevator reservation, set move-in hours, or a certificate of insurance from anyone delivering. Ask now so it is not a surprise at the loading dock.
- Line up what you will pack in. Count what you need with the moving box calculator. Then either buy or collect boxes or book rented bins to arrive a week or so before moving day.
Two weeks before
- Electricity. Houston has a split system. CenterPoint Energy owns the poles and wires but does not sell electricity. You choose a retail electric provider, and that provider tells CenterPoint to switch you on. Compare plans on Power to Choose, the state's official comparison site, and set the start date for the day you get your keys.
- Natural gas. If your new home has gas, CenterPoint is the gas utility for most of Houston. Put in the start request at least a week ahead (CenterPoint: start, stop or transfer service).
- Water. Inside the City of Houston, water is a city account. Start or stop it through Houston Water or call 713-371-1400. Outside the city limits, in places like Cypress, Spring and much of Katy, water comes from your municipal utility district. The name is on the seller's or landlord's bill.
- Mail. File a change of address with the Postal Service at usps.com. Online it costs $1.25 to verify your identity, and it is free at a post office. USPS says to allow up to two weeks for forwarding to start. Use the official site only. Look-alike sites charge far more for the same form.
- Internet. Install appointments can be a week or more out. Book the date now.
Moving week
- Pack by room and label two sides. Movers stack boxes, so a label on top disappears.
- Plan around the weather. Start early in summer and keep candles, electronics and medicine out of a hot truck. More in moving in Houston heat and rain.
- Work out where the truck will park. We could not find a Houston permit just for moving trucks. If the truck has to block a sidewalk or a traffic lane, that takes a city mobility permit, and the city says processing can take up to 10 business days (Houston Permitting Center). Most moves avoid it by using a driveway, a loading dock or a legal curb space.
- Defrost the freezer the day before, and keep a box of first-night things with you: chargers, sheets, a shower curtain, toilet paper.
The first 30 days after
- Driver license or ID. Texas gives you 30 days after you move to update your address. A replacement card with the new address costs $11 (Texas DPS).
- Vehicle registration. The Texas DMV has an online address change so your renewal notice reaches you. To change the owner address on the record itself, file form VTR-146 with your county tax office. If you are new to Texas, you have 30 days to register the vehicle here (TxDMV: new to Texas).
- Voter registration. If you moved within the same county, update your address online or in writing. If you moved to a new county, you have to register again there. Either way it must be done 30 days before an election to vote in it (VoteTexas.gov).
- Trash and recycling. In the City of Houston, look up your collection days by address on the Solid Waste site. Cardboard goes in the green cart only if it is flattened to three feet or less on every side, and heavy trash is picked up every other month (what the city accepts). Suburbs and utility districts each have their own hauler and rules. We list them on our service area pages.
- Your deposit. Give your old landlord a forwarding address in writing. A Texas landlord has 30 days after you move out to refund the deposit or send an itemized list of deductions, and does not have to send anything until they have that address (Texas Property Code 92.103 and 92.107).
- Homestead exemption. If you bought the home and it is your main residence, file for the homestead exemption with your county appraisal district. In Harris County the filing window is January 1 through April 30 (HCAD).
- Everything else with your address on it. Bank, employer, insurance, car insurance (your rate can change with your ZIP), subscriptions and your doctor.
Questions people ask
Who do I call to turn on electricity in Houston?
A retail electric provider of your choice, not CenterPoint. CenterPoint owns the wires and does not sell electricity. Compare providers on Power to Choose, the state's official site, and the provider you pick arranges the connection.
Do I need a permit to park a moving truck in Houston?
We could not find one just for moving trucks. If the truck has to block a sidewalk or a traffic lane, the city requires a mobility permit, which can take up to 10 business days to process. Parking in a driveway, a loading dock or a legal curb space needs no permit.
How long do I have to change the address on my Texas driver license?
30 days after you move. The replacement card costs $11.
How long does a Texas landlord have to return a security deposit?
30 days after you move out. Give your forwarding address in writing, because the landlord is not required to send the refund until they have it.
What do I do with moving boxes after a move in Houston?
Flatten them to three feet or less on every side for the green recycling cart, take them to a city recycling center, or give them away on a free board. Rented bins skip this: we pick them up.
More packing and moving guides are on our blog.
Last updated October 2, 2026.