Free Move-In Concierge for Your Dallas Apartment
Oncor plan selection on the deregulated grid, internet, renters insurance, mover coordination, utility transfer timing. Free.
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Free to renters
Community pays the referral fee
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No credit pull
We never touch your screening report
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Real list back, usually same day
Budget and move date is all we need
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TREC #9003398
Spirit Real Estate Group, LLC
After the lease, the free part starts
Signing is not the last decision. Six more follow it in the next two weeks, and four of them cost money for years if you get them wrong.
We handle all of them at no charge, whether or not we found you the apartment.
Electricity: the part that confuses everyone new to Texas
Texas runs a deregulated electricity market, with ERCOT operating the grid behind it. Two separate companies are involved on your bill:
- Oncor is the transmission and distribution utility. It owns the poles and wires, delivers the power to your address, and bills the delivery charges. You do not choose Oncor; your address does.
- The retail electric provider (REP) is who you choose, who sets the energy rate, and who sends you the bill.
To start service you need the ESID for your unit — a unique identifier for the meter, which the property or Oncor can give you — and your move-in date.
Read the EFL, not the banner
Every plan has an Electricity Facts Label. It shows the average price per kWh at 500, 1,000, and 2,000 kWh of monthly usage.
That three-tier disclosure exists because plans are frequently built around a bill credit that only triggers at one usage level. A plan advertised at a low headline rate can be built on a credit that appears at 1,000 kWh and disappears at 999. A one-bedroom apartment using 450 kWh in a mild month gets none of it.
Estimate your usage by unit size and season, then read the EFL at that tier. The Public Utility Commission’s Power to Choose site lists plans across the Oncor area; TXU Energy, Reliant, Green Mountain, and 4Change Energy are among the larger REPs serving it.
Also check: contract term, early termination fee, and whether the rate is fixed or variable.
Timing the transfer
Service must start the day you take keys. Not the day after.
Two dates can differ: your lease start date and your actual move date. Properties sometimes deliver the unit with power off. Connecting late in a Dallas July means moving furniture in an apartment without air conditioning.
We set the connection date against the earlier of the two and confirm it before move-in day.
Internet: check the building first
Some newer Dallas buildings carry mandatory bulk internet — a building-wide contract billed to every resident as a monthly charge. If yours does, signing an individual contract with AT&T Fiber, Spectrum, or Frontier on top is money spent twice.
Ask two questions before signing anything: is there bulk service, and what speed does it actually deliver? Bulk service that delivers 100 Mbps to a household that needs more is worth knowing about before you move in, not after.
Renters insurance
Most Dallas leases require it, commonly with a $100,000 liability minimum. The property will ask for a Certificate of Insurance naming it as an interested party before releasing keys.
Buy what the lease requires. Over-buying liability is wasted; under-buying delays your keys. We read the requirement out of your lease and tell you the number before you shop.
Water, sewer, and trash
Many buildings bill these through RUBS — ratio utility billing — which allocates the building’s total across residents by a formula rather than metering each unit. It shows up on the monthly ledger, varies month to month, and belongs in your total monthly cost rather than being treated as a surprise.
Ask what RUBS averaged last year for your floorplan. Properties can usually tell you.
Movers
We coordinate timing and can point you to partner rates. We do not perform the move and we do not mark anything up.
The timing advice that matters most: the last three days of any month are the busiest in this market. Booking two to three weeks out for a month-end date is the difference between a crew showing up and a crew not.
The move-in checklist
- Confirm the ESID and set the electricity start date
- Check for bulk internet before contracting
- Buy renters insurance at the lease’s stated coverage, get the COI to the property
- Confirm the water, sewer, and trash arrangement
- Register for package lockers or the parcel room
- File a change of address
- Do a written move-in condition report on day one, with photos, and keep a copy
That last one protects your deposit. Do it before you unpack.
Free, and it stays free
This is included at no charge. It costs us time and it is the part clients remember at renewal, which is the honest reason it exists.
Difference
Why renters use us for move-in concierge
Deregulation explained once, properly
You pick the retail electric provider. Oncor delivers the power and bills delivery charges. Most new arrivals do not know those are two different things.
The EFL, not the ad
Compare the kWh rate on the Electricity Facts Label at your actual usage, not the teaser rate on the banner.
Transfer timing
Service has to start the day you take keys, not the day after. We time the transfer so there is no gap and no double billing.
Bulk internet checked first
Some newer buildings include mandatory bulk internet. Signing your own contract on top is money burned.
Insurance requirement matched
Most Dallas leases require liability coverage, commonly $100,000. We check the requirement before you buy the policy.
Free, and it stays free
This is included whether or not we found you the apartment.
Visual reference
Dallas, in context
Photography of the Dallas rental stock and neighborhoods this page describes. These are illustrative images of the market, not photographs of client placements.
How we compare
| What you are comparing | Typical locator | Dallas Apartment Locators |
|---|---|---|
| Electricity | You find a plan and hope | EFL compared at your usage tier, transfer timed to keys |
| Internet | Signed before checking the building | Bulk service checked first, then providers compared |
| Insurance | Bought at the wrong coverage level | Matched to the lease requirement before purchase |
| Cost | Bundled into a service fee | Free |
Answers
Move-In Concierge questions
How do I set up electricity for a Dallas apartment?
Texas runs a deregulated grid, so you choose a retail electric provider and Oncor delivers the power to your address. You will need the ESID for the unit, which the property or Oncor can supply, plus your move-in date. Compare plans on the Electricity Facts Label rather than the advertised headline rate: the EFL shows the average price per kWh at 500, 1,000, and 2,000 kWh of monthly usage, and the advertised rate is usually the number at one specific tier that may not be yours.
Which electricity provider should I use in Dallas?
There is no single right answer, because plans price differently at different usage levels and the contract terms vary. TXU Energy, Reliant, Green Mountain, and 4Change Energy are among the larger retail providers serving the Oncor delivery area, and the Public Utility Commission's Power to Choose site lists the field. What matters is the EFL rate at your expected usage, the contract term, the early termination fee, and whether the plan has a bill-credit structure that punishes usage outside a narrow band.
What is a teaser rate?
A plan advertised at a low cents-per-kWh figure that only applies at one usage level, often 1,000 kWh, frequently through a bill credit that vanishes at 999 kWh. Use 400 kWh in a small apartment and your effective rate can be several times the advertised one. Read the EFL at the tier you will actually use.
When should I start utility service?
The day you take keys, not the day after. If the property delivers the unit with power off and you connect a day late, you may be moving in without lights and air conditioning, and in a Dallas summer that is not a small thing. We time the transfer against your lease start date and your move date, which are sometimes different.
Do I need renters insurance in Dallas?
Most Dallas leases require it, commonly with a $100,000 liability minimum, and the property will ask for a Certificate of Insurance naming it as an interested party before handing over keys. Buy the coverage the lease actually requires. Over-buying liability is wasted money and under-buying delays your move-in.
What is bulk internet and how do I know if my building has it?
Bulk internet is a building-wide service the property contracts and bills to every resident, usually as a mandatory monthly charge. If your building has it, signing an individual contract with AT&T Fiber, Spectrum, or Frontier on top is money spent twice. Ask before you sign anything, and ask what speed the bulk service actually delivers.
What about water and trash?
Many Dallas buildings bill water, sewer, and trash through RUBS, a ratio utility billing system that allocates the building's bill across residents rather than metering your unit. It appears on the monthly ledger, varies month to month, and belongs in your total monthly cost. Ask what it averaged last year for your floorplan.
Do you help with movers?
We coordinate timing and can point you to partner rates. We do not perform the move and we do not mark anything up. Booking two to three weeks ahead of a month-end date matters more than the specific company; the last three days of any month are the busiest in this market.
Is the concierge really free?
Yes, and it is free whether or not we found you the apartment. It costs us time and it is the part clients remember at renewal, which is the honest reason we do it.
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Next step
Get move-in concierge on real Dallas properties
Send your budget, move date, and what matters to you. The list comes back with the income multiple, credit minimum, effective rent, and total monthly cost on every property, each carrying a verification date.
Free to renters · No credit pull · Brokered by Spirit Real Estate Group, LLC — TREC #9003398