Moving day in NYC is an exciting yet rarely simple process. If you thought lifting boxes and lugging furniture in crowded streets is difficult in 2025, could you imagine everyone doing it at the exact same time on the Exact. Same. Day.
Believe it or not, a bizarre NYC law once required residents to relocate on one single day each year. Talk about pressure! Before you start complaining about unboxing and ample trips up the stairs, let’s take a quick step back in time.
The history of Moving Day in NYC
Nowadays, we have to concern ourselves with skyrocketing rents and finding ways to secure rent-stabilized units, but back in the day, New Yorkers had to concern themselves with getting out of their apartments in one day: May 1st. According to multiple sources, including Piece of Cake Moving, leases would end on May 1st at 9am, forcing families to get themselves up and running and face price gauging from cart operators who were lugging belongings.
As if the chaos of a city-wide upheaval wasn’t enough, the window in which families had to make alternative plans was relatively small. Moving Day coincided with Rent Day on February 1st, which is when landlords alerted tenants as to whether or not prices would increase. That would only leave a few months for tenants to make alternative plans, and as we know well, sometimes that isn’t so easy.
It’s unsurprising that this quirky rule took place during colonial times, when horse and buggies were used instead of Ubers. But oddly enough, this tradition believed to have ended right after World War II, which isn’t terribly long ago when you stop to think about it.
It’s not entirely clear how this odd system began. Some attribute it to May Day celebrations, but others say it was Dutch settlers commemorating their move to America. Let’s just be grateful we’ve come a long way!
Back to 2025: If you’re looking for a new place to call home, check out our best pieces of advice from locals on moving to NYC and allow us to help you work your way through the housing lottery system with expert-backed tips.