Move-out & Summer Storage

Storage is up to you.  Here are a few options:

• If you happen to make a friend who is a local West Lafayette resident, you may wish to ask them if they can store your stuff in their garage over the summer. They could do it for free or for a very small fee.
  
• If you moving off campus them some of the places will allow you to store your stuff with them over summer. Check with where you have signed your lease as to whether you can store your stuff with them. Even if they do allow storage, note that some will charge an extra fee for summer storage.
  
• Some apartments/ property owners will even store summer items for non-renters for a fee- for e.g. Fratello Properties (765-607-4249) in Chauncey Hill. Call them to see if they work out cheaper. You will need to take your stuff to them though. They do not offer a pick-up service.
  
• You can use a service like guysanddollies who will store it for you. They will give you free packing material, pick everything up, store over the summer and bring it back when you come back for the next academic year. This is their Purdue website and pricing. Although it can vary based on how much you want to store, a dorm student will likely pay around $500-$600 for the summer. 90% of out of state and overseas students end up doing this. Note that there warehouses do not have an A/C although they are stored inside a warehouse. Another similar alternative is twomenandatruck.
  
• You can share a storage rental unit at a storage place, near campus with your 5-6 fellow students. However you need to buy your own packing materials like boxes and then take your stuff to the storage unit, and bring it back next year, on your own. You can do that with an Uber or if one of you can drive- U-Haul has rental trucks, vans, pickups, and people you can rent.  Menards also has a pickup you can rent fairly cheap. Even with all the extra expense, this works out much cheaper than going to Guys and Dollies.
  
  I visited a few storage places when I was there- The best one I felt was Klondike Storage which is near campus. Popular units outside the building are the 5×10 and 5×15 size. But keeping them outside may be risky (if you have electronics etc) in the high summer temperatures. Inside the building, the popular ones are the 5×4 and 5×5 upstairs units which are shielded from temperatures. But you have to lug the items up stairs yourself so be careful if you have heavy stuff. All units are generally gone by March so you will need to book early. The rates from when I visited in August 2023 are here. Apart from Klondike, Simply self storage on Sagamore is also recommended on Reddit. Affordable Family Storage, on the other side of town (by the highway in Lafayette), is also mentioned as a good option.

Use FB Marketplace to sell your items (such as a fridge or futon) if you are not planning to pay to store it over the summer. However, many students will be trying to sell at the same time, so you should be prepared to sell it for a very low price. If you do not manage to sell them, then try and donate them (see below).

When departing for the Summer break, you must complete the steps listed immediately below. If you are the first room-mate to leave, do what you can. Communicate with your room-mate now to know departure dates. You will likely have a final floor meeting to cover move-out and end-of-the-year topics such as donations, cleaning procedures, and more. It is important to attend.

1. Pick up a Checkout packet from the Front Desk ahead of time
2. Make sure that all personal items are out of your room/apartment.
   • Please make sure you check all of the drawers/under beds/etc.
3. Defrost your mini fridge (if you have one) 24 hours before you move out. Remove food, unplug the fridge, prop door open with a towel.
4. If you have damage in your room/something not currently working- submit a Fix IT request now. If you leave it unresolved, you will be charged for damages.
5. Make sure that you check all walls for tape, posters, adhesive strips/hooks etc.
   • It is recommended that you keep adhesive strips on the wall and have facilities staff take them down. (PLEASE NOTE: If facilities take down adhesive strips/hooks and it causes damage, you will be charged)
   • My personal recommendation is to take them down if you think you can do so without damage, leave it up if you are nervous.
6. Don’t forget to take your door decorations with you
7. Make sure that you sweep and vacuum the floors and clean all surfaces (ask your RA where you can get the vacuum- normally they have one on every floor)
8. Empty your trash can (you can be charged if trash is left). Put all trash in the trash room. If the trash room is full, you will need to take your trash to the dumpsters.
9. Take all larger items to the dumpsters yourself. Make sure you are putting trash in the dumpster designated for that building. There are some dumpsters along Tarkington Drive that you think would be Tarkington dorm dumpsters, but they are not. They belong to the Greek houses on Russell St. They may be monitoring them and asking you not to use their dumpster. Most dorm dumpsters are located in the loading dock areas.
10. If you have moved your furniture- move it back to how it was at move-in.
11. Close your windows, leave blinds open.
12. Set the thermostat to 75 degrees, auto, with the fan on low
13. Once everything is cleaned and ready – TAKE A PICTURE!- You need it for check-out.
    • If you are the first room-mate to leave, take a picture of your cleaned section of the room
14. Removing your belongings- make sure nothing is left behind of yours as you will no longer have access to the room.
15. The room must be in the same condition it was you moved in.
16. Turn off all lights and make sure you lock your door.
17. Complete the checkout packet from the front desk (inside form and outside the packet) and put your key in the envelope after locking your door.
18. Turn in your checkout packet, with your key inside the packet, and turn the packet in at your assigned hall’s drop-off location. If its not the front desk, look for signs and a kiosk drop-box.
19. Finally, fill out the QR Code (like you did at the end of the winter semester)
    • Once you sign out with the QR Code, your access and meal plan will be shut off.
    • Failure to complete the QR Code may result in a $50 improper checkout fee.
20. Security/Parking: Watch for theft of your items during move-out. When moving articles to vehicles, someone needs to stay by the vehicles. Unattended vehicles may be ticketed or towed by PUPD. Someone should also remain in your room if the door is left unlocked. PLEASE keep in mind the escort policy when moving out. It still applies when it comes to move out. Look for info from Purdue Parking to avoid tickets- although Parking will be ‘relaxed’ during move out.  The campus parking authority knows it is move out time and should not ticket you, but watch for signs.  If some place specifically says ‘No Parking’ then don’t park there.  For most dorms, the loading dock in the back of the buildings are your best bet. 

Residents will be billed for any damages that have occurred as determined by the university residences team inspection or assessed to the hall community.

• You will be charged for any damages incurred in the room over this past year.
• If you or your room-mate caused damage, indicate on your checkout packet who is taking responsibility for the cost or if you are splitting the cost.
  • If no one takes responsibility, the cost will be split
• You will also be charged if excessive cleaning is needed in your space so make sure you clean your space before you leave. (Sweep, vacuum, and wipe down surfaces)
• Do not worry about normal wear and tear (floor scratches from desk chairs, dust on air filter… you will not be charged for that)

Late stay options may be available at an extra cost and must be approved.

• Reasons to request to stay late:
  • Graduating Senior
  • Experiencing travel delays
  • Transitioning to summer housing on campus.
  • Participating in Athletics
• Anyone wanting to stay late will need to fill out the Late Stay Form on their Housing portal which will go live around a month before the move-out day. For Late Stay, the longest you can request to stay will be a maximum of one week only at an extra cost of $35 per day . You will need to sign for Summer School Housing if you need more than a week’s extra stay. Check your Purdue email and direct questions to your hall front desk or resident assistant (RA).

Lost key (not turned in at check out): $50 per lost key to replace the lock.

Forgot to hand in key: Please contact the main office of your assigned residence hall as soon as possible if you forget to return the key properly. Please keep in mind that main office hours may be restricted due to reduced staff. If you are unable to reach anyone at the main office of the hall you are assigned, please email the hall at the hall email account. Make arrangements with the main office to return your key if possible. You may be assessed a $50 improper check-out fee and if you are unable to return your key in a timely manner you may be assessed $50 for a lock change.

Please note, you may be charged $35/day room only and/or a $50 improper check-out fee for:

• failing to properly move out/check out when departing.
• failing to designate an escort to assist with retrieving your belongings.
• failing to properly or timely remove all belongings. 

• If you have a lofted bed or bunked beds, please leave them as is. The company BedLoft will take care of them as students move out.
• If you rented a fridge/futon from BedLoft:
  • Please leave the rented items inside your room for them to come and pick up.
  • If you rented a fridge, make sure that it has been defrosted.
  • Please make sure you have contacted BedLoft to let them know and that they are aware/look out for information from them. 

• If you are using a moving company to move and/or store your belongings you must be there to escort them when they come to pick up your items.
  • If you have already left campus and are unavailable to escort them, you must designate another resident of your residence hall to do so and let the hall office know ahead of time in writing. You must send an email from your Purdue Email to the hall office with the following information:
    • Your Name, Room Number and Cell Phone Number
    • You nominated Escort Name, Room Number and Cell Phone Number
    • Date/Time of scheduled pick up
    • Name of Company coming to pick up items
• Be sure to schedule your moving company before checkout date at noon to avoid late stay charges.
  • You will be charged $35 per night that your items are left behind.
• If you do not designate an escort you will be charged a $50 improper checkout fee

• Project Move Out, which typically runs for a week before checkout date, allows student to donate any usable and unwanted items before leaving campus. This prevents perfectly good items from ending up in landfills and goes by to support local members of the Greater Lafayette community
• Items such as clothes, electronics, mini fridges, futons, and decorations can be donated at a central location in your building. You will be informed of this. They will be sent by the hall to the Surplus store or other places in town. Unwanted furniture can also be donated to Millie’s Thrift Store (3 locations – will pick up – 765-607-4899), Salvation Army (Lafayette), Goodwill (Lafayette & WL), or you can try LTHC (Lafayette Transitional Housing – 765-423-4880) to see if they need anything for their clients. 
• Shelf-stable food and unused personal care items (deodorant, cleaning supplies, laundry detergent, etc.) will be collected at a designated point in your residence hall, likely there will be food boxes in the lobby/office area of dorms. Non-perishable food will sent to the ACE Campus Food Pantry. Please donate to those boxes and not to the pantry directly.
• They cannot accept food that requires refrigeration, broken/damaged items, or plastic hangers.
• Under no circumstances should you take things out of the donation bin.
• More detailed Project Move-out Information will be coming out nearer move-out date! Be on the lookout for an email and fliers.
• Swipe Out Starvation allows students to donate their remaining meal swipes to a good cause before leaving for the summer. You can do so at the following On The Go Locations- Ford, Windsor, and Earhart.

If you’re leaving campus at the semester’s end, remove your bicycles from campus. Bicycles left in University Residences’ bike parking areas without approval are subject to removal, with locks being cut at the owner’s expense and no refunds provided. The bike will be considered abandoned property. Students should either take their bike with them, store them with the rest of their items somewhere off campus or request a storage permit from Parking Facilities to leave their bicycle on campus over breaks during the academic year. Further details are in my Getting A Bike? post.

Check on how many dining dollars you have left on your account. Any unused Dining Dollars at the end of the academic year will expire. So use them up by either paying for food over the last week of your stay or buy stuff from the Boilermarkets.

Log on to your MyPurdue account and change your address to the address you would like your mail to get sent for the summer.

Check your hall mailbox one last time before you leave. Also check for packages, some of you have had packages sitting in the mail room for a while. Ask the front desk if you are unsure.

Do not have packages delivered past your departure date. All deliveries will be returned to sender.

To maintain your status as an International student, you need to maintain an accurate and up-to-date local address and local phone number in Purdue’s “myPurdue” system. The address must be a place of residence, not a P.O. Box or office address. Address and telephone number changes must be reported in “myPurdue” within 10 days of a move to a new address. This is a mandatory requirement for keeping your F-1 Status valid.