Moving to Bellevue: the first month
For anyone new to Bellevue or the Eastside. Six steps that save you a deposit you may not owe, a final bill sent to your old address, and a missed payment.
Eastside electricity comes from Puget Sound Energy
Ask before you pay a deposit. One call to PSE connects you. This move paid a $6 setup fee and no deposit, though newcomers without credit history are often told to expect one. The online account opens about 24 hours later. Check that the start date matches your lease and no deposit was added.
If you're leaving Seattle, close City Light
Don't close the window at Submit. A pop-up then asks for your forwarding address. Skip it and the final bill goes to your old address. The last-four SSN field is optional. No meter reading, no identity quiz, no fee.
Keep autopay on until the final bill clears
Don't cancel autopay when you move out. The final bill comes weeks later, and without autopay it goes unpaid. One bill drafted about 17 days after it was issued. For service ending on the 31st:
1. The final bill lands mid-to-late the next month. 2. It drafts the month after. 3. Then delete the autopay.
If autopay runs on a card, check its expiry. A card that expires before the last draft fails silently.
Forward your mail, then empty the old box
Budget a trip to the post office. Many applicants must show ID in person to change their address with USPS.
Empty the old mailbox before you hand back the keys. Forwarding misses earlier mail, such as a deposit refund cheque.
Save your own copy of the move-in inspection
Photograph every room before you unpack. Some property managers' apps won't let you download the inspection, so print it to PDF while the link works.
Change your address everywhere else
Write the list down. In rough priority:
1. Washington DOL 2. Voter registration 3. Banks and brokerages 4. Package delivery accounts
What is not covered here
- Water, sewer and garbage vary by building. Ask the leasing office before move-in.
- Internet depends on the building.
- Renters insurance is generally required. Ask if the property provides a basic policy.
- Written from one move in August 2026. Fees and processes change.
