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Move-out junk removal in Lowell

A stack of broken furniture and bagged items beside the door of a converted mill apartment in Lowell

Landlord turnovers

A rental unit turns over in days, but the city's system is built for a household. Carts are tied to an address, and a second set of carts costs $600 a year when the property is not owner-occupied ($335 for an owner-occupied one), per the city. Overflow goes in purple bags, five a week. Bulky items require an appointment with Waste Management. A landlord with three units turning in August is better served by one trailer visit per unit.

Items abandoned on a sidewalk in front of the building can bring fines up to $100 under the city's placement rule, so clear them the day the tenant leaves.

Student and young-renter moves

Many Lowell units are rented, including converted mill lofts and older multi-families near downtown, and our local notes point to a rush around UMass Lowell's early-May move-out. Move-out days cluster at the end of the month, so bulky pickup slots and street parking are tight. Futons, bookcases, particle-board desks and mattresses are the usual leftovers.

Mattresses must go through UTEC, which collects on Wednesdays; if that day does not fit your move, we take them with the rest of the load for $89 to $129 each. Prices are by size: a studio might be a half trailer ($319), a two-bedroom a three-quarter ($409).

What to tell us before the day

Say which floor, whether there is an elevator, and where the truck can stop. Downtown lofts often have loading windows. If you can, set aside anything you plan to keep and anything the landlord must inspect. The crew will not take items such as paint, solvents or fuel, which belong at the city's Household Hazardous Waste Day. Everything else, we sort at the curb and send to donation, recycling or disposal. Tell us if the landlord has set hours for the loading zone, so we can plan around them. Photos of the pile help us bring the right crew size and a second trailer when needed.

Landlord move-out checklist for a Lowell unit

  • Photograph the unit before and after clearing, for the deposit record
  • Separate keepers and anything the tenant may claim before we arrive
  • Pull mattresses and box springs aside; they have a separate recycling route
  • Set aside paint, solvents and fuel for HHW Day instead of the load
  • Reserve the street space or hallway time before the crew comes
  • Ask the tenant to remove food and wet trash from bags before the load
  • Pay the single flat total at the door; it covers all floors

Local resources in Lowell

Donation, reuse and recycling options near the pickup. We are not affiliated with these; confirm hours and what they accept before you go.

Quick answers

Can a tenant add a second trash cart for a move-out?

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The city says the legal owner must request an additional set and show ID, at $335 a year ($600 non-owner-occupied), so it is not a short-term fix.

Do you take a whole apartment in one visit?

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Yes, priced by trailer load. A full trailer is $519; the minimum is $159.

Sources

Rules, fees and hours change, so confirm with Lowell before you go.

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