College move-out junk removal around ODU, Norfolk State and Hampton U

The short answer

Book your pickup a week or more before the last days of the semester, split it with roommates to make the most of the $100 minimum, and don't leave furniture by the complex dumpster. A typical student load of a full mattress, a desk, an office chair and a mini fridge comes to $94 + $83 + $61 + $115 = $353. Crews carry everything out from any floor, with no stairs fee. In Norfolk, the city's bulk pickup can also help if you request it by 3 p.m. the day before and carry items to the curb yourself.

Three campuses, two move-out seasons

Old Dominion University is the big one. Founded in 1930 as the Norfolk Division of the College of William & Mary and a university since 1969, it had about 23,500 students in 2023 on a 250-acre campus. Students fill apartments and rented houses in Larchmont, Colonial Place and Lamberts Point.

Norfolk State University, a public HBCU, sits by Brambleton, where most housing is rented. Hampton University, founded in 1868, is across the water on the Peninsula.

The crunch points are May and mid-December. In May, leases end, students graduate or leave for the summer, and landlords need units cleared for the next tenants. In December, students finishing early, studying abroad or moving off campus clear out too.

During those weeks, the streets around campus fill with curbside furniture, and pickup schedules fill up fast. Booking early is the single best thing you can do.

What students usually leave behind

Most of this is cheap flat-pack furniture that won't survive another move. Shipping it home costs more than it's worth.

Mattresses are the item students struggle with most. A full mattress won't fit in most cars, and old Larchmont and Colonial Place houses, built mostly in the 1920s to 1950s, often have narrow stairs that make carrying one down a two-person job.

Split it with roommates

The order minimum is $100. A single microwave at $30 or a lamp at $36 is billed at $100 on its own. Splitting one pickup between roommates means everyone pays for what they actually leave.

Three roommates in a Larchmont house: one futon, two twin mattresses and a bookshelf. $111 + $82 + $82 + $72 = $347, about one-third each.

Two roommates in a Lamberts Point apartment: a mini fridge, a microwave, two desks and two office chairs. $115 + $30 + $83 + $83 + $61 + $61 = $433.

One student in Brambleton: a full mattress and a small TV. $94 + $62 = $156.

One booking, one arrival window, one visit. Decide in advance who's paying for what so nobody's arguing on the steps.

Using the city instead

If you live in Norfolk, the city's bulk pickup can be requested until 3 p.m. the day before, through the MyNorfolk app or website or by phone. You carry the items to the curb. That's free, and it's a good option if you have time and help.

Electronics are different. In Norfolk, e-waste is drop-off only at the SPSA Norfolk Transfer Station on Woodland Avenue, Tuesdays and Saturdays from noon to 4 p.m., with a five-item limit and a personal vehicle. TVs and monitors don't go to the curb.

For Hampton University students, check Hampton's own city trash page; we don't publish its rules here.

Whatever you do, don't leave furniture next to the complex dumpster. Landlords and complexes usually charge removal back to the tenants, and that comes out of your deposit.

Getting your deposit back

Most deposit deductions at move-out come from three things: damage, cleaning, and stuff left behind. Clearing everything out is the easiest of the three to control.

• Check every closet, under beds and the porch.
• Empty and clean the fridge, including the landlord's if it stays.
• Take photos of every empty room before you hand in the keys.
• Book the pickup before the walk-through, not after.
• Ask your landlord whether they want any furniture left. Sometimes they do.

If you've already left for the summer, you don't need to be there. Arrange access with your landlord or a roommate, approve the price from photos, and the crew comes in your chosen two-hour window.

Timing tips for May and December

Book at least a week ahead for the last days of the semester. Weekend slots go first. Weekday evenings work too; we're open until midnight, seven days a week.

If plans change and you need it gone today, book by 4 p.m. for same-day.

Sell or give away anything decent first. Incoming students, new Navy families and first-time renters across Norfolk all look for cheap furniture in late summer. A desk or a bookshelf can find a new home in a day.

Get your price from a photo on the instant quote page. You'll see the total before you book, and it only changes if you approve.

Frequently asked questions