The last week before a move-out is when the leftovers show up: the bookcase that won't fit in the new place, the mattress nobody wants, a closet of cables, and more flattened boxes than seems possible. This is a seven-day plan for clearing all of it out of a North Hollywood apartment without leaving anything in the alley.
Why apartment move-outs in NoHo are their own thing
North Hollywood is mostly renters. In ZIP 91601, about 83% of occupied homes are renter-occupied, and about 70% of housing units are in buildings with 5 or more units.[1] In 91606 it's about 68% renters.[2]
That matters because the City's free curbside bulky pickup is written for homes of 1 to 4 units that LA Sanitation services.[3] If you're in a bigger complex, the building's trash service may work differently, so ask your property manager early in the week how bulky items are handled there. Don't wait until the last day to find out the answer is "not our problem."
Seven days out: sort into four piles
Walk through every room and put everything you're not taking into one of four groups:
- Sell or give away. Furniture in good shape, working small appliances, decent lamps.
- Donate. Clean, sellable items you don't have time to list.
- Special drop-off. Batteries, paint, cleaning chemicals, old electronics.
- Haul. Broken furniture, the mattress, anything worn out.
Be honest about the first pile. Anything that hasn't sold by day three moves to donate or haul.
Six days out: book what needs booking
If your building does use LASAN's bulky pickup, you have to book at least one business day before trash day, through MyLA311 or 1-800-773-2489, and list every item.[3] Crews collect only what's on the work order, so a forgotten nightstand stays behind.[4]
LASAN also has a Move-In/Move-Out extra pickup for boxes and bags on trash day, booked at least one business day ahead. Each bag, box or bundle has to stay under 30 pounds and 2 by 3 feet, with cardboard flattened and tied.[5] Outside of that pickup, loose cardboard isn't something LASAN takes at the curb.[3]
This is also the day to schedule a donation pickup if you want one. The Salvation Army schedules free furniture pickups online by ZIP or at 1-800-SA-TRUCK,[6] and Hope the Mission offers scheduled pickups at (818) 392-0020.[7]
Five days out: drop off donations close to home
Three thrift stores sit right in North Hollywood:
| Store | Address | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Goodwill Southern California | 5855 Lankershim Blvd.[8] | Takes e-waste in any condition,[9] but no mattresses or box springs[10] |
| Out of the Closet | 6241 Laurel Canyon Blvd.[11] | No mattresses, bed frames or bedding[12] |
| Hope the Mission | 10955 Magnolia Blvd.[7] | Takes gently used clothing and household items[7] |
Out of the Closet will do a free large-item pickup if you have at least two large accepted furniture pieces or ten large bags or boxes.[12]
Four days out: deal with the mattress
Mattresses are the item people most often try to leave behind, and it's the one that gets tenants in trouble. Bye Bye Mattress says leaving a discarded mattress in an alley or park counts as illegal dumping.[13]
Your cleaner options:
- Bye Bye Mattress drop-off. Participating sites take mattresses and box springs at no additional cost, regardless of condition or age.[13],[14] Check the site's accepted items and call first.[13]
- Retailer take-back. If your new place is getting a new mattress delivered, the retailer has to offer to take back the old one at no additional cost.[13] That's handy if the delivery goes to your old address before you leave.
- A hauler, on the same trip as the rest of the leftovers.
Three days out: the special drop-off pile
Batteries, including e-bike and scooter packs, can't go in any household bin.[15] Paint and household chemicals are banned from the trash statewide.[16] The nearest S.A.F.E. Center to NoHo is on Randall Street in Sun Valley, open Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.[17] Staff unload your car while you stay inside it.[15] If moving week doesn't include a weekend, that's worth knowing now.
Before you hand off an old laptop or TV, wipe your personal data; LASAN recommends it for any e-waste.[15]
Two days out: plan the truck and the curb
If a moving truck or hauler needs to park on the street, check the posted signs. LA's posted street-sweeping routes are swept every other week, and cars parked there on sweeping days get cited.[18]
Moving day: walk-through, then clear the rest
Do a final walk with your phone camera. Anything left in the unit that isn't going with you should be gone before you return the keys. Leftover items on the curb or in the alley aren't just an eyesore; under state law, dumping on public or private property without consent is unlawful, and a first conviction carries a mandatory fine of $250 to $1,000.[19]
Last-week move-out checklist
- Ask the property manager how bulky items are handled in your building.
- Sort into sell, donate, special drop-off and haul.
- Book any City pickup at least one business day before trash day, item by item.
- Drop off donations by day five.
- Settle the mattress: drop-off site, retailer take-back or hauler.
- Take batteries, paint and chemicals to a S.A.F.E. Center on the weekend.
- Wipe data from old devices.
- Photograph the empty unit before you hand back the keys.
When it all lands on the last day
Plans slip. The buyer for the dresser doesn't show, the donation pickup gets moved, and suddenly the haul pile is the whole living room. That's the point where a crew is worth it. Here's how one customer described their move-out:
Im moving out and had a lot of trash left over which I had to get cleaned out before the new tenants came. They came on time, very professional & it all got cleaned out, they left the area clean and ready. very responsive and kept me updated with photos 100% would recommend.
We're a family-run crew based on Victory Blvd, right here in North Hollywood. We carry things down from upper floors and out of the unit. Same-day service most days when you reach us by early afternoon; next-morning slots are common. Send photos of what's left and your ZIP, and you'll get a price back by text. For the longer version of this plan, see our LA moving-out checklist, or read about junk removal in North Hollywood.