Before move day

The first 30 days go smoother if two things are done before you carry a single box: your mail and your electricity. Both take a few minutes online, and both can go wrong if you leave them for the day you get the keys.

Forward your mail

File your change of address with the U.S. Postal Service through its official online form. Online, the USPS verifies your identity with a small charge to a card whose billing address matches your old or your new address. Forwarding can start within three business days, but the USPS says to allow up to two weeks, so do it early.

Set up electricity

Texas is unusual here. In the parts of the state open to competition, you pick a retail electric provider yourself, and the state’s official comparison site is Power to Choose, run by the Public Utility Commission of Texas. But city-owned utilities and electric cooperatives were not required to open to that choice.

Denton is the example among the cities we cover: Denton Municipal Electric has been owned by the city’s residents since 1905. Your address decides which case you are in, so ask the community which electric company serves the unit before you sign up with anyone. If you are moving to Denton, ask twice.

Book the move

If your lease qualifies for the included move, up to 3 hours with three movers and a truck are on us. Book it early; how to claim it is on the included move page.

Questions for the community before day one

A short message to the leasing office a week before move-in saves most first-day surprises. Ask:

• Which electric company serves the unit, and from what date the account must be in my name?
• Which internet providers serve the building?
• Do you require renters insurance, and from which date?
• Where are packages delivered, and how do I get them?
• Do I need a parking permit or to register my car with you?
• What are the move-in hours, and is there an elevator or loading area to reserve?

Getting around from week one? Our guide to getting around DFW by train covers which lines reach which cities, and where you will want a car.

Within 30 days: license and car

The deadlines depend on where you are coming from.

If you already have a Texas driver license

Texas DPS asks license and ID holders to change their address within 30 days of moving. It can be done online, by mail or in person.

If you are new to Texas

You have 30 days from moving here to register your vehicle in Texas, according to the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles. Its New to Texas page lists what to bring. Some counties also require an emissions inspection, and the list includes Dallas, Tarrant, Collin and Denton counties, where most of our cities are.

For the license itself, new residents can keep driving on a valid out-of-state license for up to 90 days after moving in, and then need a Texas license.

Update your voter registration

If you are registered to vote in Texas and you moved, update your address. You can do it online through the state portal, which asks for your voter ID number, or in writing with your county’s voter registrar. Before each election, check the registration deadline on the state’s voting site. If you are not registered in Texas yet, the same site explains how to register for the first time.

A 30-day calendar

1. Two weeks before: file your change of address, and ask the community which electric company serves the unit.
2. One week before: set up electricity for your move-in date, and confirm the move.
3. Move-in day: if the community gives you a move-in inspection form, fill it in and keep a copy.
4. First week: check that your mail is arriving, and update your address with your bank, employer and insurers.
5. By day 30: license address (if you already hold a Texas license), vehicle registration (if you are new to Texas), and voter registration.
6. By day 90: a Texas driver license, if you came from another state.

Keep this list with your lease papers. The deadlines come from each agency’s own pages, checked in September 2026. If one of them changes, the agency’s page is the one that counts.

If you need help

For community resources in Texas, including housing help, you can dial 2-1-1. The service is run by the Texas Health and Human Services Commission and also offers chat in English and Spanish.

For questions about your lease itself, ask the community in writing and keep the answer with your papers. For anything about your apartment search, call us. We answer 24 hours a day, in English or Spanish. And if you are still choosing where to land, start with the eight cities we cover.