Helping my cousin move into a prewar one-bed in Yorkville on Saturday. Lease says all moves must use the service elevator and be arranged with the super. Fine in theory. Building has no service elevator. No freight elevator either. Just the little original elevator with a mirror and a padded blanket already hanging inside, and a stairwell that turns.

Super told us to just use the regular elevator and wrap the big stuff. Management hasn't put that in writing. We're only bringing a queen mattress, a small dresser, maybe a console table, and boxes. I don't want to get hit with a damage charge or have the landlord pretend we broke the lease.

Do we need to schedule the regular elevator anyway? And does the super expect a tip for opening the door and watching us sweat? Tryna keep this from turning into a whole co-op board production.

I just moved into a prewar in Bay Ridge and had the exact same line in my lease. No service elevator. I asked the super and he just said 'don't hit the walls.' We used the regular elevator all day. Management never said anything. I gave him a small cash tip and he vanished for the rest of the move, so maybe he was fine?

Do you have a whole freight entrance or just the front door? We only had the front door and that tight hallway. I'd schedule it if they let you, just so nobody complains. But don't overthink.

The clause is usually boilerplate. In prewar buildings where no service/freight elevator exists, it's often copied from a standard lease or management template. The meaningful part isn't the name of the elevator—it's whether the landlord gave you a reasonable way to move in without damaging common areas. If the super is telling you to use the passenger elevator, that's basically the alternative being offered.

You should still do three things:

1. Get the super's permission in writing even if it's just a text screenshot. Say exactly what you're moving and ask for a time window.
2. Ask about an elevator pad or bring your own. Many buildings won't charge for ordinary scuffs, but a gouge in the wood paneling or a broken mirror is usually on the tenant. Blue painter's tape for corners and a thick moving blanket around the dresser go a long way.
3. Keep the stairwell doors propped only if it's allowed. On move day, a hand truck through a fire-rated door that slams shut can cause noise complaints faster than the elevator.

We moved within Astoria a few years ago. The lease said service elevator only but the building only had a small elevator. Management asked us to schedule after 9:30, so the super hung moving pads and told us to avoid the morning rush. I tipped him because he did a couple hours of elevator traffic control and swept up after. If your super just unlocks the door and disappears, a modest cash tip is polite, not required.

One caveat: if the front desk or a co-op board has a move-in deposit form, fill it out before you start. Some small co-ops care less about the lease language and more about their own parking spot or hallway runner.

Agreed. We moved out of a fifth-floor walk-up in East Harlem and into an Astoria elevator building, and the lease said the same thing. No service elevator, no freight elevator. The super just put a piece of cardboard over the mirror and told us not to bang the back wall. Didn't schedule anything. No damage fee.

You're overthinking the lease. The building's not gonna come after you for using the only elevator unless you actually damage something. Take video of the elevator before and after if you're paranoid. And don't hand the super more than your cousin would tip for a good sandwich unless they're actually working.

Appreciate it. Cousin called management this morning and got a one-line email back saying, Regular elevator is fine, please coordinate with super. So now we have something in writing. Super wants us to start after 10 and use the back entrance. Fine, less lobby drama. Blankets, tape, and a hand truck are already in the mix. Still feels ridiculous to pay a move-in fee for a service elevator that doesn't exist, but I'll save that fight for the lease renewal.

Wait, they're still charging a move-in fee? Mine did too even though we used the front door and there wasn't a doorman. The super didn't ask for more, but I found the fee weird. When is that actually refundable? If your super helps with the back entrance, maybe a small cash tip is fine. Good luck Saturday, and maybe bring a dolly with rubber wheels—the hallway turns in my building were rough on the baseboards.