Confirm the exact unit address, who handles utilities, and building access before scheduling the truck. Planning suggestions below are not legal advice or universal lease rules; official requirements are identified separately.
Before signing
- Check location, not just the mailing name. A Boca Raton mailing address does not necessarily put an apartment inside City limits. Use the City’s residency resources. Municipal boundaries and utility service areas are separate: City water also serves some unincorporated residents. Check the service-area map and confirm the provider for the exact address.
- Ask who bills what. Confirm whether water and sewer are landlord-billed or require your own account, and who arranges electricity and internet. The City’s water policy allows rental arrangements stated by the landlord; do not assume every apartment needs a separate City account.
- Planning suggestion: Ask about move-in appointments, elevator reservations, loading access, parking, insurance documentation, and key pickup. Request property-specific instructions.
After the address is confirmed
- Arrange utilities that are your responsibility. If you need a City water account, its published policy requires an application and a copy of your lease or settlement statement at least 24 hours in advance. Confirm the service date with Utility Services. If FPL supplies your unit, use its official Start/Stop/Move flow. Keep confirmations.
- Set up mail forwarding. Use USPS’s official change-of-address guidance online or at a Post Office. Identity verification is required. Forwarding does not update agencies or companies: notify banks, insurers, employers, and other senders separately.
- Official Florida requirement: For existing Florida driver licenses/ID cards and applicable Florida titles/registrations, FLHSMV says address changes must be updated within 30 days after the address changes. Follow its instructions for both credentials and vehicle records. This is not guidance for obtaining your first Florida credential.
Before moving
- Planning suggestion: Reconfirm movers, access instructions, service dates, and management contacts. Keep medication, identification, chargers, and essential paperwork with you.
- Prepare for storms. Look up the address using Palm Beach County’s Know Your Zone page. Hurricane evacuation zones and flood zones are different. Consider enrolling in AlertPBC and making a household emergency plan.
Move-in day
- Planning suggestion: Photograph the apartment’s condition, check keys and basic utilities, and report concerns through management’s process. Confirm mailbox and package access and the maintenance contact. Save your move-in records.
Official sources
Last verified: . City of Boca Raton residency guidance, utility service-area map (dated June 25, 2021), and water service policies; FPL Start/Stop/Move; USPS forwarding; FLHSMV address changes; Palm Beach County Know Your Zone. Other source pages do not state an effective date.