Moving in Boston is a bit of a mess — residents who have been here through more than one Sept. 1 know that. A majority of the city’s leases turn over at the same time, plus you have students streaming into town for many college move-in days, as well. But what does that madness look like as it descends upon the city?
Well, here’s a look. RentHop released a report on Wednesday using data on moving truck permits from the city, and the result is a heat map that shows the chaos that is moving in Boston.
The RentHop heat map shows moving truck permits issued up to Sept. 13, 2018, focusing in the expiration dates of those permits (which generally coincides with the actual move-dates, data scientists said) rather than when the permits were issued.
From the map, it’s easy to see the hot-spot neighborhoods and days for when people will be moving in Boston. To no surprise, the top move-in date is Sept. 1, which is when 747 moving truck permits are due to expire. Next up is Aug. 31, when 416 permits are due to expire, followed by May 31, when 200 moving truck permits expired across the city.
And where will all those moving trucks be parked (so you know which neighborhoods to avoid)? RentHop broke down the top 10 zip codes with the highest number of issued permits so far this year, ranging from August to September.
Moving in Boston: Zip Codes with the most moving truck permits
So far, 2018 has less moving truck permits than previous years — Aug. 2017 had 3,257 issued permits and Sept. 2017 2,264 — but RentHop noted that in Boston, you can only apply for a permit if you’re move-in date is at least two weeks away (and no more than a month away), so there may be more permits to come.
“Though issued permits have fallen year-over-year, there is still a high concentration of permits being issued right around college move-in days, said RentHop data scientist Adrian McHale. “With many moving permits expiring on September 1st, however, those who aren’t tied to a college schedule may be able to save themselves some stress by opting to move in after that date.”
What else can you do to survive moving in Boston, whether or not you’ll be packing up a truck of your own? RentHop suggests knowing when college move-in days are happening so you can avoid those areas and to give yourself more time when getting around the city because there are sure to be delays.
Though it may be a headache to deal with everybody moving in Boston at once, there is an upside, RentHop notes: Allston Christmas. Sooth your moving woes with some free stuff left on the side of the street, just be wary of potential bed bugs. Oh, and don’t plan on taking your moving truck down Storrow Drive — seriously.
Repeat after us: You cannot drive a moving truck on Storrow Drive. You cannot drive a moving truck on Storrow Drive. You cannot drive a moving truck on Storrow Drive. #movingday https://t.co/liBrTQXf8Y pic.twitter.com/96pSfMG5NW
— City of Boston (@CityOfBoston) August 19, 2018
