Durham FAQs & Resources

The Duke Police Department offers a number of great tips to keep yourself and your belongings safe while living off-campus. Check them out here.

The Duke Police Department website has a variety of resources to educate students on ways to prevent crime and stay safe. Check it out here.

The City of Durham has a robust collection of statistics on its website to keep residents informed of areas of criminal activity. Click here to check it out.

What kind of residence (house, townhome, apartment) do you want?

Do you need to provide furniture for your residence?

Will you have a pet?

How many people do you plan to have live with you?

Are your lifestyles compatible?

Can you walk, bike, or bus to campus?

Will you need a car?

Is the neighborhood safe?

Does the neighborhood have other students living in proximity?

Is it a family neighborhood?

Will you get a mealplan?

Will you cook foryourself?

What utilities are included in the rent?

What utilities are you responsible for?

Are the doors to the apartment solid-core wooden doors or metal? Do these doors have good dead-bolt locks or at least shielded doorknobs to deter access to the locking mechanism. Ask the landlord if the locks have been re-keyed since the last tenant moved out. (If allowed, consider installing your own locks)

Do the doors have a “peep-hole” so visitors can be observed without opening the door?

Do shrubs and trees allow places for concealment near entrances and windows?

Do windows and accessible fire escapes have good locking mechanisms?

Good lighting deters crime. Is the lighting adequate near entry doors and around walkways?

Do outer doors of the apartment stay locked at all times?

Are good working smoke detectors in place? There should be at least two emergency escape routes in case of fire.

Duke Energy

Apply for electricity by calling 1-800-777-9898 or by visiting the Duke Energy website.

Orders for electricity are processed Monday-Saturday, 8:00am-9:00pm

Allow 3-5 business days for your order to be processed.

PSNC Energy

Apply for gas service by calling 1-877-776-2427.

A deposit may be required to set up a new account. The deposit amount is based on the previous usage at your new address.

It can take 2 days to 1 week (peak move-in season) to start gas service.

City of Durham - Water Management

101 City Hall Plaza

(919) 560-4411

Office Hours:

- 8:00am to 5:00pm, Monday - Friday

To activate water service, you must go to City Hall Plaza and provide the following:

- A $50 deposit or credit reference letter from another utility

- A copy of your lease agreement

- Social security card or a photo ID

Couch Oil Company

(919) 286-5408

Office Hours:

Monday-Friday, 8:00am - 5:00pm, Saturday, 9:00am - Noon

Don C. Christian Co., Inc.

(919) 596-8196

Office Hours:

Monday-Friday, 8:00am - 4:00pm

Spectrum

Visit the Spectrum website or call 877-463-0677 to set up internet, cable and/or phone services.

City of Durham Solid Waste Management

1833 Camden Ave

Durham, NC 27701

(919) 560-4185

TROSA Moving

www.trosamoving.com

1820 James Street

(919) 419-1059

Truckin' Movers

www.truckingmovers.com

1021 Harvest Road

(919) 682-2300

Dehaven's Moving and Storage

www.dehavens.com

1900 N Pointe Dr

(919) 220-5441

Redi Care Movers

www.redicaremovers.com

205 South Gregson Street

(919) 682-7809

Two Men and a Truck

www.twomenandatruckdurham.com

23160 Hillsborough Road

(336) 570-1477

ABF U-Pack

www.raleigh-durham.upack.com

208 Muldee Street

(919) 596-7227

Cameron & Cameron

www.cameronlogistics.com

1418 Avondale Drive

(919) 530-1202

A1 Mini Storage

www.webselfstorage.com

1000 Junction Road

(919) 471-6668

A-1 Stop Mail Shoppe

762 9th Street

(919) 416-1355

ABF U-Pack

www.upack.com

208 Muldee Street

(919) 596-7227

Alston Avenue Self Storage

www.alstonaveselfstorage.com

2542 South Alston Avenue

(919) 957-2711

Brassfield Self Storage

www.brassfieldselfstorage.com

2144 Page Road #101

(919) 957-1650

Cardinal Self Storage

www.cardinalselfstorage.com

519 Martin Luther King Parkway

(919) 572-6777

College Shipping & Storage @ The UPS Stores®

www.dormshipping.com www.cssshipping.com www.theupsstorelocal.com/6135

811 Ninth Street #120

(919) 286-3322

College Shipping & Storage @ The UPS Stores®

www.dormshipping.com www.cssshipping.com www.dormshipping.com

2608 Erwin Road #148

(919) 383-1400

Door to Door Service

www.doortodoor.com

4234 Surles Court #300

(888) 366-7222

Hildrup Moving and Storage

www.hilldrup.com

526 United Drive

(800) 756-0127

Pak Mail

www.pakmail.com

1815 Martin Luther King Parkway

(919) 403-8511

Uncle Bobs

www.unclebobs.com

4417 Hillsborough Road

(919) 382-0511

University Shipping

www.universityshipping.com

423 Towerview Drive

(909) 210-8241

Packaging Express

www.ncpackagingexpress.com

4711 Hope Valley Road

(919) 489-8474

University Shipping

www.universityshipping.com

423 Towerview Drive

(909) 210-8241

The UPS Store®

www.dormshipping.com www.cssshipping.com www.theupsstorelocal.com/6135

811 Ninth Street #120

(919) 286-3322

The UPS Store®

www.dormshipping.com www.cssshipping.com www.theupsstorelocal.com/5945

2608 Erwin Road #148

(919) 383-1400

Viper Express Courier

viperexpress.intuitwebsites.com

905 Statler Drive

(888) 851-6580

Visit the Duke Parking & Transportation website for more information about parking facilities, bus routes, and permits. Click here to check it out.

Duke encourages staff, faculty and students who commute to export alternative transportation options like carpool, the GoPass, bicycling, and more. Click here to learn more about these options.

This interactive map is extremely helpful in identifying housing and shopping that is within walking distance to a Duke University bus route. Click here to check it out.

Visit the Durham Public Schools system for more info about schools and programs offered through DPS.

https://www.dpsnc.net/Durham

There are a number of private school options in the Durham area. Click here for a list of schools to get you started on your search.

There is no shortage of family friendly activities in Durham. The Durham Tourism Development Authority has a wealth of resources on how to enjoy the city. Check out their list of family friendly activities here.