Move-Out Cleanout in New Haven, CT: Yale Edition

Same-week move-out cleanouts in New Haven typically run $295 for a small studio or single-bedroom share, $455 for a two-bedroom apartment, and $655 for a four-bedroom student house — the kind of place four roommates split on Orange Street or up in East Rock. We work around your flight time, coordinate with the landlord if you're already gone, and route mattresses through the CT recycling program so the leasing office can't dock your deposit for an "abandoned mattress" charge.

I'm Justin Hubbard. I run Grizzly Junk Pros (legally Stamford Junk Pros LLC, dba Grizzly Junk Pros), and we've been hauling out of Connecticut driveways since 2014. We dispatch from Stamford and from a second hub in West Haven — about ten minutes from Yale's campus — which is why we can usually hit a same-week or next-day move-out window during the May/June crunch.

The Yale move-out window is its own micro-economy. Reading week ends, finals end, commencement happens, and then about ten thousand students try to vacate apartments at once. Leases on student-heavy blocks typically end May 31 or June 30, and most tenants have a flight, an internship, or a parent's car waiting. This guide is for parents and students trying to make that handoff clean.

How much does a Yale move-out cleanout cost?

Pricing follows our truck-space model — you pay for the volume your stuff actually fills, confirmed before we load. For Yale-area apartments, the typical bands:

A few things move the price within those ranges. Walkup floors matter — third-floor walkups on State Street load slower than driveway-level units. Couches and mattresses dominate volume; four mattresses and two sectionals get you to a half-truck before you've touched the kitchen. Donation routing (Salvation Army on Crown Street, Goodwill, Habitat ReStore) takes a few extra minutes per stop but doesn't add to the price.

Examples are estimates only. Final pricing is based on actual truck space used and is confirmed before removal begins.

Can you do the cleanout if I've already flown out?

Yes. This is half of what we do during May and June. If you're already gone, we just need three things:

1. Access — a key with the property manager, a lockbox code, or a roommate who can let us in.
2. Authorization in writing — a quick email or text confirming what's going. "Everything in the apartment goes" is fine. "Everything except the boxes labeled SHIP" is fine. Be specific about what stays.
3. Payment method on file — we send photos when the unit is empty and charge the card after you confirm.

Most New Haven landlords are used to this routine. Property managers around East Rock and Wooster Square in particular have done it dozens of times. We coordinate directly with them — show up at the agreed window, walk the unit, photograph anything questionable, load, sweep, and send you the empty-apartment photos.

What about my mattress? I heard Connecticut has a rule.

Connecticut has a mandatory mattress recycling program — there's an $11.75 fee built into every mattress sold in the state, which pays for free recycling at participating drop-off sites. Translation: you cannot just leave your mattress on the curb on Howe Street, and you should not let your roommate try to stuff it into a regular dumpster. The transfer station will charge you, or worse, your landlord will charge you, and the fees stack.

We route mattresses through the CT program automatically. No extra charge. Same for box springs. The full breakdown is in our guide to what can't go in a dumpster in Connecticut , which also covers the other items we'll separate and route correctly:

• Electronics (TVs, monitors, that printer you bought sophomore year) — covered electronics recycling, free.
• Old paint, cleaning chemicals, batteries — household hazardous waste, routed to CT DEEP collection.
• Mini-fridges and microwaves — handled. Mini-fridges with refrigerant are EPA-regulated; we have certified handling.

Do you donate the stuff that's still good?

Yes, when there's somewhere to take it. Most undamaged furniture, lamps, kitchenware, and clothing routes to local charities — Salvation Army on Crown Street, Goodwill on Whalley Avenue, Habitat for Humanity ReStore — depending on what they're accepting that week and what shape the items are in.

What charities will not take during May/June crush:

• Mattresses (state law and capacity issues)
• Stained or torn upholstered furniture
• Pressed-board furniture that's already wobbly (Ikea desks usually don't make it through one move, let alone two)
• Anything broken, electronics with cracked screens, missing remotes, etc.

We sort it on the truck so the donatable stuff goes the right direction. If a piece is borderline, we'll flag it before it leaves the apartment.

What about textbooks and electronics with student data?

Textbooks: bulk drops to Salvation Army or paper recycling — your call. Don't put books in a regular dumpster; they're heavy and most CT transfer stations want paper separated.

Electronics with personal data (laptops, external drives, old phones) — we don't wipe them. Best Buy on Universal Drive in North Haven runs a free electronics recycling program with documented data destruction. For sensitive research, that's the right route. For routine old electronics, we route to CT covered electronics recycling.

How fast can you actually come?

During May and June we book about a week out, more for the last weekend before lease-end. The single hardest day to book is the Saturday before May 31 — plan ahead.

Same-day is sometimes available if you call before 11 AM. The phone is staffed 8 AM to 10 PM, seven days a week: (203) 979-0550 . If we can't fit you, we'll tell you straight — we won't book a window we can't hit and leave you stranded with a flight to catch. The closer to the May 31 / June 30 deadline, the tighter every hauler in New Haven gets.

What about coordinating with the landlord or building management?

We do this regularly. Larger student-rental management companies in East Rock, Wooster Square, and along Whalley Avenue have point people for move-out logistics. We can call them directly, confirm the window, get the unit number, and handle the rest. You email us their contact, we take it from there.

For smaller landlords (the family that owns the three-decker on State Street and rents to grad students), we just need a phone number and a name. Same routine — confirm access, confirm scope, send empty-unit photos.

Storage unit cleanouts before you leave town?

Yes. Storage units along Dixwell Avenue toward Hamden, or south toward the Hill, are a recurring late-May call — units full of sophomore-year furniture you don't want to renew on. We empty, sort donations from haul, sweep, and send photos so the facility can close your account. Most 5x10 units fit in a half-truck ($455); 10x10 units run a half to full depending on density.

What if I just have a pile of bags and a few bulky items?

For sorted bag-and-bulky situations, our Grizzly Bag option starts at $59 for the bag plus pickup. For dorm-overflow under a quarter-truck, our minimum load is $145 . A four-bedroom house's worth of contents wants a full junk removal service instead — truck and crew.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a move-out cleanout cost in New Haven for a typical Yale student apartment? $295-$455 for one-bedroom and two-bedroom apartments. $655-$795 for full student houses. Pricing is by truck space used, confirmed before we load.

Can you do the cleanout while I'm out of town? Yes — most of our May/June Yale-area work is unattended. We need a key or lockbox code, written authorization on what goes, and a payment method on file. We send empty-apartment photos when done.

Do you handle mattresses? Yes. Connecticut has a mandatory mattress recycling program (funded by the $11.75 fee on new mattress purchases). We route mattresses through participating drop-off sites at no extra charge.

Can you donate items that are still in good shape? Yes. We route donatable furniture, kitchenware, lamps, and clothing to Salvation Army, Goodwill, Habitat ReStore, and similar New Haven charities — depending on what they're accepting and the item's condition.

What if I have a mini-fridge or AC unit? Both contain refrigerants regulated by EPA Section 608 and need a certified tech for evacuation. We're compliant for that step. Don't try to leave them on the curb — your landlord will charge you, and the city won't take them.

Will you coordinate with my landlord or property manager? Yes. Email us their contact — name, phone, building. We'll handle scheduling the access window, walking the unit, and sending photos to confirm move-out condition.

How early should I book for May/June move-out? A week out minimum, two weeks is better. The Saturday before May 31 is the hardest single day to book — that's the New Haven-wide lease-end crunch. Same-day calls before 11 AM work when crews are available, but don't count on it.

Can you handle a four-bedroom student house with a basement and a yard full of stuff? Yes. That's typically a full truckload ($795) or a bit more if the basement and yard are heavily packed. We'll walk it with you (or with the landlord if you're gone) and confirm scope before we start.

What about my storage unit on Dixwell Avenue or out toward Hamden? Same service. Most 5x10 units fit in a half-truck cleanout ($455); 10x10 units run a half-truck to full depending on density. We send empty-unit photos to the storage facility.

Are you the same as Stamford Junk Pros? Yes. Grizzly Junk Pros is the dba of Stamford Junk Pros LLC. We started in Stamford in 2014 and rebranded as we expanded across Connecticut. Same team, same trucks, same number — (203) 979-0550.

Need a Yale-area move-out cleanout?

We dispatch from Stamford and West Haven, which puts us about ten minutes from East Rock, Wooster Square, the Hill, Westville, Dwight, and the Yale shuttle corridor. 4.9 stars across 136 Google reviews. We're booked tight in late May and late June, so call early.

Call (203) 979-0550 or request a quote online. For a full breakdown of how cleanout pricing works, see how pricing works. For the New Haven service page including dumpster rental, see dumpster rental in New Haven, CT. For the statewide context on bigger cleanouts (estate, family, multi-truck), see estate cleanout cost in Connecticut.

By Justin Hubbard, owner, Grizzly Junk Pros (Stamford Junk Pros LLC)

Last reviewed: May 2026