Moving house checklist for Sydney: the timeline, and who to tell in NSW

The four dates that start when you move

1. 1 to 2 weeks beforeStart any Smart Rental Bonds transfer before the old rental's final inspectionNSW Government
2. Day 0Moving day
3. Day 7Renters: return one completed condition report copyNSW Government
4. Day 14Driver licence: new address givenNSW Government
5. Week 4Bond transfer: old rental vacated within 4 weeks of entering the new oneNSW Government
6. 1 monthEligible to enrol at the new addressAustralian Electoral Commission

A Sydney move runs on four official dates, not one, and none of them is moving day itself.

The first three are deadlines:

• Renters must return one completed copy of the condition report within seven days of moving in.
• Anyone with a NSW licence must tell Transport for NSW the new address within 14 days.
• Renters transferring their bond through Smart Rental Bonds must vacate the old place within 4 weeks of entering the new one.

The fourth is a waiting period. You become eligible to enrol at the new address once you have lived there for at least one month.

That count of four is ours, drawn from four official pages. A few other windows apply in some moves, such as the 7 days to ask for pet consent, but these four apply to most renters on the move.

So here is the whole move as Miller Street Movers would plan it, week by week, with the NSW admin at its centre.

4 to 6 weeks out: book the move and check the building's rules

4 to 6 weeks out

• Pick and book the date
• Read the by-laws for both buildings
• Ask the strata manager or agent about lift and loading at both ends
• Create a MyServiceNSW Account and add the services to update
• Renters with a pet: apply for consent within 7 days of signing
• Declutter before you pack

Pick the date first, because everything else hangs off it. If you have some flexibility, try our Move Window Planner before you commit.

Read the by-laws for both buildings. If you rent in a strata building, you should receive the by-laws from the landlord or agent before signing. Moving rules live in those by-laws, and they vary scheme to scheme. More on this in the apartments section below.

Set up a MyServiceNSW Account now. You'll need one to change most of your details after the move. You can create the account beforehand and add the services you want to update. That saves you creating it in the middle of moving week.

Moving with a pet into a rental? Since 2 October 2026, a tenant moving into a new rental with a pet can apply for the landlord's consent within 7 days of entering the tenancy agreement, and the pet can stay while the request is considered. Put a reminder in your phone the day you sign.

Declutter before you pack. Every box you don't take is a box you don't carry down the stairs.

1 to 2 weeks out: pack, confirm and start the bond

Pack room by room and label each box with the room it's going to, not what's in it. The person carrying it needs to know where to put it down.

Confirm lift and loading arrangements with both buildings. Book your mail redirection to start on moving day (details below). Arrange electricity, gas and internet at the new place so the lights are on when you arrive.

If you rent and are moving to another NSW rental, this is the week to start any bond transfer. The timing matters, and the renters section below explains why.

Moving day checklist: what to keep with you

Keep-with-you box

• All keys and swipe fobs for both homes
• Wallet, licence and other ID
• Phone and chargers
• Medication
• Any documents for the move
• A change of clothes
• Bedding for the first night
• Toilet paper, soap and a towel
• Kettle, mugs and snacks
• Pet food, lead and bowl

Pack one box or bag that travels with you, not on the truck. Put in it:

• keys and fobs for both homes
• ID
• chargers
• medication
• the night's bedding
• the kettle

Think about access before the truck turns up. Know where it can stop at both ends, how far the walk is from the kerb to the door, and whether there are stairs, a lift or both. Ask your strata manager or agent about loading areas, and check parking rules for your street.

Moving out of a walk-up? Our walk-up flat playbook covers stairs and tight landings.

Before you lock up for the last time, walk every room, open every cupboard and check the meter box and letterbox.

Moving house change of address checklist: who to tell in NSW

Start with the licence, because it has the hard deadline. You must give your new address within 14 days. You can do it online, by phoning 13 77 88 or at a service centre.

Most of the rest follows from one login. Through a MyServiceNSW Account you can change your address in one go for:

• driver licence and vehicle registration
• boat licence and vessel registration
• RSA/RCG competency card
• Seniors or Senior Savers Card

You don't need to chase CTP separately. CTP is linked to vehicle registration, so its details update automatically.

Then the ones people forget. The same Service NSW guide also lists your e-toll account, Opal card address and Working with Children Check, and points to dog or cat registration under animals. The guide has the steps for each, so use it rather than guessing.

The electoral roll. You must update your enrolment when you move, and you can do it once you've lived at the new address for a month. Have one of these ready: an Australian driver licence number, a passport number, Medicare card details or a citizenship number.

Outside government. Tell your bank, employer, insurers, super fund, doctor, dentist and your children's school yourself. No single login covers them.

Mail redirection: how long to book and who to name

Mail redirection to an Australian address

Redirection through Australia Post runs for 1, 3, 6 or 12 months and can cover up to six names on one application. Name everyone in the household on that one form, not just yourself. Concession cardholders get a discounted service.

What ID you need

• To apply online, you need one ID document: an Australian driver licence, passport, foreign passport with visa, birth certificate, citizenship certificate or ImmiCard.
• At a Post Office you can instead show a utility notice for your address plus a document with your signature.

What it costs

Australia Post's page lists $40.50 for up to 1 month up to $202.50 for up to 12 months. The page also mentions a retail price update from 1 July 2026 and does not say which set of prices it shows, so confirm the price when you apply.

On the listed prices, our estimate is that 12 months works out to about $16.88 a month ($202.50 divided by 12), against $40.50 for a single month.

Running a business from home? That needs a different service. The home-office service must be applied for in person at a Post Office.

Renters: condition report, final inspection, bond, keys

Leaving the old place

Before you hand back the keys, you should have removed all belongings, left the property in a similar condition to move-in, and repaired or paid for damage beyond reasonable wear and tear.

Go to the final inspection. The landlord or agent must give you a reasonable opportunity to attend. If you don't show up, the condition report may be filled out without you. The move-out report is meant to be completed in each other's presence, so be there.

The bond. Moving between NSW rentals, you can transfer your bond through Rental Bonds Online for a $25 fee. The transfer can't be used if a claim is already in progress on the old bond, or if share-house members move to different homes.

Don't leave the transfer until after the final inspection: once the landlord has lodged a claim on the old bond, a transfer is not possible.

If you are leaving a shared tenancy because of domestic violence, protections that commenced on 21 September 2026 include clearer pathways to recover your bond share from co-tenants.

Last of all, return all keys and security devices.

Arriving at the new place

Do the reverse. Take time-stamped photos and keep a copy of the condition report before you unpack a single box. Empty rooms photograph honestly.

Apartments: ask about the building's moving rules early

There is no single NSW rule for lift bookings or moving hours. Each building sets its own through its by-laws, which vary scheme to scheme.

In a mixed-use building, the management statement must be provided within 14 days of signing, and it can carry rules of its own.

Ask the strata manager or agent at both ends the same questions:

• Does the lift need booking?
• Are there set hours for moves?
• Where can a truck load?
• Is any paperwork or bond needed before the day?

Ask early, because the answer can decide your date. Our guides on booking the goods lift and strata moving paperwork walk through what to ask for.

First week and first month in the new place

The figures to remember

• 7 daysReturn condition report (renters)NSW Government
• 14 daysDriver licence addressNSW Government
• 4 weeksVacate old rental if transferring bondNSW Government
• $25Smart Rental Bonds feeNSW Government
• 1 monthEligible to enrol at new addressAustralian Electoral Commission
• 1, 3, 6 or 12 monthsMail redirection terms, up to six namesService NSW

First week

• Unpack the kitchen and beds first.
• If you rent, get the condition report back within seven days of moving in.
• Do the MyServiceNSW changes in one sitting, and finish the licence well inside its 14 days.

First month

• Watch what arrives through the redirection and update each sender as it turns up.
• If you're transferring a bond, make sure the old place is handed back within 4 weeks of entering the new one.
• Once you've been there a month, update your enrolment.

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Ready to book your move

Once you have a date, the next step is getting the move itself on the calendar.

Tell Miller Street Movers where you're moving from and to, the date you have in mind, and whether either end has stairs or a lift. You can do that through our Book a Quote page. Work through this checklist alongside it, and the admin will be in hand by the time the boxes are.